Fire Evacuation Plan: Third Floor, Kestrel House

Why this notice matters

This notice applies to everyone who works on the third floor of Kestrel House, including contractors and visitors. Fire drills are held twice a year without warning, and all staff are expected to know both escape routes from the floor. Please study the plan carefully and make sure you know where the nearest stairs are from your own desk.

The layout of the floor

The main lifts open onto the lift lobby in the middle of the south side, and this is where most people arrive each morning. To the west of the lobby, in the south-west corner, is the first-aid room, which contains a bed, a defibrillator and a well-stocked first-aid kit. To the east of the lobby, in the south-east corner, is the post room, where deliveries for the whole floor are sorted. The open-plan office, where most staff have their desks, runs along the north side of the building.

Shared rooms

In the middle of the floor there are four smaller rooms in a line. Starting from the west wall, the first is the training room, which can be booked for groups of up to twelve. Next to it is the kitchenette, and next to that is the print room, which houses the large photocopiers and the shredding bins. The toilets are at the eastern end of this line, against the east wall. At the eastern end of the open-plan office, in the north-east corner, is the server room, which is kept locked and must never be used as a short cut.

When the alarm sounds

A continuous alarm means that everyone must leave immediately. Do not use the lifts. Staff in the western half of the floor should use the north stairs in the north-west corner, at the western end of the open-plan office. Staff in the eastern half should use the east stairs, which are reached through the door beside the post room. Close doors behind you, but do not lock them, and do not stop to collect personal belongings.

Assembly and roll call

Once outside, go to the assembly point on the far side of the visitors' car park. Floor wardens wearing yellow jackets will check that the training room, the toilets and the print room are empty before leaving themselves. They will then take a roll call using the electronic signing-in list. Nobody may go back into the building until the fire service says it is safe.

Staff who need help

If you have a condition that would make it difficult for you to use the stairs, tell your manager so that a personal evacuation plan can be agreed. Wheelchair users will be helped down the north stairs by trained colleagues using an evacuation chair, which is stored on the landing.