Risking it all Without a Plan

The Unseen Guardian: How Evacuation Signs and Emergency Plans Save Lives

While explaining Locatrix's purpose to a new prospect, CEO John Hummelstad shared an anecdote about a now-loyal customer. After their initial meeting, the customer returned to their office and sent John a photo of their evacuation sign, highlighting that it had expired.

John replied “Once you see an evacuation sign, you’ll never un-see them again”.  

It is true, everyone who starts with this business can easily tell the date they started by looking through their camera roll and checking to see when random photos of evacuation signs appear.  That’s when you take an interest in the previously most ignored picture hung in a public building, probably the one that is most familiar is on the back of the Hotel room door.

It’s all about awareness.

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Understanding the Data behind the Signs

So, what changed for that person and every other person who has done the same thing?

• Understanding that the data on that sign translates the requirements of the emergency plan.
• Understanding that many building specialists were involved your emergency management plan.
• You learn why there is a need for specific requirements for an emergency management plan.

Specific requirements are formed due to:

• The class of a building.
• The use of a building.
• Types of occupants.
• The location of the building.
• The factors that impact the operation of a building.
• The class of a building.
• The use of a building.
• Types of occupants.
• The location of the building.
• The factors that impact the operation of a building.

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The Critical Role of Emergency Planning Case Study: Brisbane's West End

ABC News published a good article by Lexy Hamilyton-Smith on 20 February which highlights why emergency planning is critical.  One of the hottest topics effecting all Australians today is the housing crisis and our Government is trying to figure out solutions to address it. One is that we need to be more creative with what we build and where we build.

Brisbane’s West End is what would be considered “prime real estate” in Brisbane, only 1km away from the CBD.  The only problem with this area is it is notorious for flooding.  

Despite this, Town planning has proposed three 50 story skyscrapers for residential living with units built higher in their design, with the first residence at the same height of a third level.  Below the residential living will have a different classification, preventing residential living and enabling mixed use occupancy which will be designed to sustain flooding and have a very clear evacuation procedure.

Providing appropriate engineering and planning is considered in the design, this seems like a fair solution to a big problem with one major factor that needs to be included….

The Evacuation Sign. You know, that picture that you use to always ignore?  The Emergency Evacuation Sign and the Emergency Management Plan are the two critical factors that will enable residents to safely call Brisbane’s West End home. A development like this will require a significant flood management plan and evacuation strategy to support the careful engineering of this structure.

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The Importance of Site-Specific Building Information

It is important to recognize that every building is not the same.  We have the Australian Building Code to guide us and each building falls into a particular classification but in addition to this, each building will have its own unique plan which considers the environment – whether that be flood prone, fire zone, high wind, earthquake and in addition, the type of occupants and proposed activity within the building.  

Each site is unique and “site specific” procedures critical to its function.

How many businesses have a Learning Management System?  You can buy them off the shelf and they are a great comfort for building owners and business managers, taking the sting out of having to make sure you keep your workers safe.  But how many of them are site specific?

You may want to check.

If they are not site specific (including the building plans and site-specific procedures) and more a generic “tick the box” you could be missing details that are required in your emergency management plan which you as building owner/manager are responsible for and that's a big risk to take.

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Engineered Solutions

There are often special engineered solutions written by engineers to incorporate a management strategy to work around operational challenges which are often faced when building operators are caring for the vulnerable. For example, a plan to keep an operating theatre functioning during an emergency or when an evacuation is not possible due to the incapability of the occupants.  

Generic training would miss this detail and it would be lost for good.  The turnover in health and aged care is typically high, with agency staff to manage and train. Management of a care facility would never think to explain this with the necessary accuracy to their replacement, the maintenance man with the folder that included the paperwork couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t get lost, and the only hope then lies with the fire protection company who conducts the face 2 face training – a contract that is negotiated on price each and every year.  That’s high risk.

There are so many engineered solutions out there and many of them change the way occupants need to respond in an emergency.  If that information isn’t communicated and kept digitally updated, it’s pointless.  

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The Future of Emergency Management is a Digital one

As we build on compromised sites like in West End, or renovate and change use of a building, there will be more site and role specific emergency training that building owners will be responsible and held accountable for.  PlanSafe and its digital mapping tool PlanStudio are the best way to keep this information from being lost and making sure it is communicated in an effective and efficient way.

PlanStudio and PlanSafe information is also transferred through Emergency Services Platform (ESP) which is then made available to emergency services.  The system is easy to implement and keep up to date and it is the most efficient way of making sure first responders can have all the information they need to save lives.