Evacuation drills are exercises regularly conducted in public buildings to raise awareness among regular occupants and visitors about the importance of being prepared for emergencies that may occur in these buildings due to fires, floods, terrorist acts, or any severe weather conditions.

At first glance, it may seem that these types of exercises do not yield results. However, at UCLM, we have systematically observed that in centers where several drills have been conducted, usually initiated by the center itself, when a specific emergency has occurred, they have responded quickly and effectively to the emergency.

This awareness is the primary goal pursued with the implementation of emergency drills in the centers.

EVACUATION DRILLS AT UCLM

As part of the sequence of implementing Self-Protection plans, periodic evacuation drills are proposed annually, respecting the autonomy of each center, its Self-Protection Committee, and its specific characteristics and needs, with the advice of the Prevention Service.

The implementation sequence includes a process of periodic drills, an initial one that can be done with notice to all occupants of the center. Its purpose is to check the proper functioning of fire protection equipment and systems, etc., and the performance of the intervention team members of each center.

In subsequent drills, the information is gradually restricted to the intervention team members and later only to the emergency manager, so that it can become an activity that the center itself can carry out autonomously.

In some UCLM centers, several complete cycles of continuous improvement are being developed with review, improvement proposals, and new drills.

Applicable Legislation

The obligation to carry out these periodic exercises is reflected in:

Law 31/95 on Occupational Risk Prevention - Article 20: Emergency Measures

EVACUATION DRILL SCRIPT AT UCLM

To collect this data, photographs are taken during the exercise, and observations are noted in a script, detailed as follows:

Detection Time:

• Emergency start (probable starting point: basement, installations, and archive area)
• Detection (a person detects the fire)
• Communication to concierge staff on the ground floor

Alarm Time:

• Notification to the Emergency Chief and Intervention Chief
• Arrival of the Emergency Chief at the command post (ground floor - concierge)
• Arrival of the Intervention Chief at the command post
• The Intervention Chief moves to the affected area and subsequently informs the Emergency Chief of the situation (possible outbreak or emergency)
• Alarm start (audible alarm or, failing that, verbal or telephone communication)
• Start of the Intervention Teams’ actions. Activate the general alarm button

Delay Time:

• (Simulated) call to the firefighters (112), indicating a drill
• Start of evacuation and area sweep

Evacuation Time:

• Occupants gather at the external meeting point
• Arrival of firefighters at the building
• Information to the firefighters
• Arrival of firefighters at the intervention site
• End of evacuation
• End of alarm
• End of emergency
• Reopening of facilities

USE OF CABINETS AND VISIBILITY VESTS

As additional technical means in the practice of Evacuation and Self-Protection of centers, the concierges of UCLM centers have cabinets with emergency response material, equipped with:

• Copy of the Self-Protection Plan
• Identification vests for the teams
• Fire blankets
• PPE: gloves, etc. (in areas with laboratories, there are some types of respiratory protection masks)
• Explosion-proof flashlight
• Communication equipment
• First aid material

DRILL REPORT

A report is generated detailing the detected failures, the proposed actions to be taken, the person responsible for their execution, and an approximate timeframe for these actions to be carried out. This document will be available to the competent Labor Authority.

DRILL PREPARATION FILE

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