Fire & hot work
5-minute talk

Toolbox Talk: Emergency Evacuation

A ready-to-read toolbox talk on knowing your exits, getting to the assembly point and being counted, so nobody goes back in looking for someone who is already safe.

Before you start

Bring a copy of the site evacuation map and point out the nearest exits and the assembly point from where the crew is standing.

Read this to your crew

When an alarm goes off, most people wait to see if it is real. In a real fire, smoke can fill a room in a few minutes, and those minutes are the difference between walking out and being carried out.

Today we will talk about what to do the moment you hear the alarm.

Key points

  1. Know two ways out. Know the nearest exit and a second one in case the first is blocked by smoke or fire.
  2. Go when the alarm sounds. Treat every alarm as real. Stop work, shut down equipment only if it is quick and safe, and leave.
  3. Do not stop for belongings. Leave tools, bags and phones behind. Close doors behind you if you can to slow the fire.
  4. Go straight to the assembly point. Report to your supervisor or headcount person so everyone is accounted for.
  5. Never go back in. If someone is missing, tell the person in charge or the fire department. Only trained responders go back in.

Ask the crew

  • Where is our assembly point, and who takes the headcount?
  • What would you do if your usual exit was blocked?
  • Are any exits or aisles blocked right now?

Picture this

The fire alarm goes off during a busy shift. Most of the crew walks to the parking lot, but nobody takes a headcount. A supervisor assumes one worker is still inside and goes back in through the smoke. The worker had left through a side door and was standing at the wrong meeting spot.

Print this page to use the sign-in sheet, or skip the paper and record attendance digitally in SafetyIQ.

Name
Company / crew
Signature

Talk leader: ______________ Date: ______________ Site: ______________

At a glance

Time
5 minutes
Best for
All workplaces
Standards
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38
Pairs with
National Preparedness Month

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