Every workplace be it a office or a factory should always have a evacuation plan in place in case of a emergency situation arising that means worker having to leave the premises very quickly.

There could be various reasons for an evacuating a building, for instance it could be a fire breaking out or flooding, or a factory becoming contaminated due to the leaking of hazardous materials. Each work place should have a specific plan of escape designed for its own working environment. For instance in the case of a blaze you should activate a fire evacuation plan, and be ready for this by giving some staff prior fire training.

Now the objective of all emergency management evacuation drill should be to get all staff your of a certain area in the quickest time possible. This will involve you going along the quickest exit routes to a designated assembly point. As part of any disaster preparedness you should always have pre set procedures in place, for instance having sure all staff are aware of which escape routes or stair to use and also where the emergency exits are. As part of this readiness you should regularly conduct say fire safety drills, and have multiple exits ready. You should also have a designated person, say perhaps someone who had held any fire service jobs in the past to be in control of the emergency. One of their jobs will be to ensure a orderly evacuation and to try to control any panic. Ensure that all alarms and emergency lighting is working in the building.

Other points to consider of any safety plan are:

Ensure that all safety and exit signs are clearly visible.
Ensure all staff know the location of the assembly point.
If you have any disabled staff for instance who use wheelchairs staff, then ensure that you have special arrangements in place for then in case of any crisis plan.
Decide on whether lifts are safe to use or not.
Ensure that stairways and hallways are always kept clear of obstructions like furniture etc.
Ensure all workers have prior knowledge of the evacuation maps.