As part of your legal obligations in any class 1b to 9 building/business you must have a Fire Evacuation Plan and Diagram. A lot of changes have happened over the last few years and the Fire and Rescue Service always has new ways that these diagrams must look. We can update your diagrams, create evacuation plans and advise on suitable diagram locations in your business/premises. Let us help you.

Fire and Rescue Services – Diagrams

Evacuation Signs/Diagrams – General

Do the evacuation signs/diagrams contain the required information?

Every building must have evacuation signs/diagrams (except Class 1a and Class 10 buildings)
An evacuation sign comprises evacuation procedures and an evacuation diagram
An evacuation procedure outlines the process to follow in the event of a fire or hazardous materials emergency
Whereas evacuation diagrams must show the following details (fire safety reference points):
– The place that corresponds to the place in the building where the diagram is displayed (e.g. ‘You are here’ signage)
– The route from (you are here) to the nearest exit
– Each exit of the building
– Any intercommunication devices in the common areas (e.g. Warden Intercommunication Points)
– The locations of manually operated fire alarms (e.g. break glass alarms)
– The location of any fire fighting equipment in the building e.g. fire extinguishers and hose reels
– The designated assembly area outside the building
– The route from each exit to the assembly area

This item relates to Sections 18, 29 and 30 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

Are the evacuation signs/diagrams securely fastened and orientated for the building?

Evacuation signs/diagrams must be displayed in a conspicuous position, securely attached to a wall or the internal side of a door and orientated in line with the building layout. Sticky tape, blue tac or velcro is not securely fastened, however screws or sufficient double sided tape providing sufficient strength is acceptable
Evacuation signs/diagrams must be appropriately located on each evacuation route of the building.
Orientated:- means the diagram must be understandable to a person reading the sign and the instructions must be accurate and correspond to the building layout
Class 2 buildings with direct exits to a road or open space that do not have common areas (i.e. corridors, stairways or hallways) must have the evacuation signs/diagrams displayed in line with the requirements for accommodation units. (This includes owner/occupied units and residencies with long term tenancies or registered tenancy agreements). For more information regarding accommodation units refer to item 11
Some Class 2 and Class 3 buildings may require both types of signs.

This item relates to Sections 18, 29 and 30 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

Evacuation Signs – Accommodation Units

Are accommodation unit evacuation signs securely fastened and orientated for the building?

- Accommodation unit evacuation signs must be displayed in accommodation units. (Residential units, other than those mentioned in item 10, that are owner occupied or have a tenancy agreement/lease in place and registered with the Residential Tenancy Authority are exempt from this requirement)
- Types of accommodation units required to have these evacuation signs include:
  – An apartment used by holiday makers
  – A serviced apartment
  – A room in a guest house, hotel, motel
- Some Class 2 and Class 3 buildings will be required to have both accommodation and general evacuation signs
- These signs must be securely attached to a wall in a conspicuous position or on the inside of the front door and orientated to the building. The sign must be securely attached without compromising the integrity of any fire doors or walls. Orientated:- means the diagram must be understandable to a person reading the sign and the instructions must be accurate and correspond to the building layout

This item relates to Sections 47 and 48 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

- - - Accommodation unit evacuation signs in accommodation units must show the following information:
      – Each evacuation route from the unit to a place of safety outside the building
      – The location of fire fighting equipment such as fire extinguishers and fire hose reels in the vicinity of the unit
      – The location of manually operated fire alarms (break glass alarms)
      – The procedure for evacuating the building

This item relates to Sections 47and 48 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

Provision of Block Plans and Location Diagrams.

Australian Standard 2419.1 – 2005 states that Block Plans must be ‘fade and water resistant’.

The QFRS requires Block Plans for hydrant and sprinkler booster cabinets, sprinkler valve rooms and zone diagrams for Fire Alarm Systems to be:

Etched, engraved or printed on metal or plastic that is suitable for installation in an outdoor location (paper enclosed within a plastic or laminated cover is not acceptable)
A minimum of A3 in size
Mechanically secured in the requiring location
Correctly orientated to the building/site
Compliant with all of the other requirements of Australian Standard 2419.1- 2005 including the features identified on the plan

Fire and Rescue Services – Fire and Evacuation Plans

Is there a fire and evacuation plan in place for each building?

Every building must have a written fire and evacuation plan in place (except Class 1a and Class 10 buildings)
This may be a hard copy or in electronic format
See beloe to understand the items required in the fire and evacuation plan

This item relates to Section 21 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

Is there a managing entity and secondary occupiers� fire and evacuation plan for multi-occupancy buildings?

A managing entity is, for example, a Body Corporate or Centre Manager
Secondary occupiers are occupiers of part of a multi-occupancy building, other than the managing entity
The managing entity is responsible for evacuating people from the common areas of a multi-occupancy building, to a designated assembly area on the fire and evacuation plan. A common area is a passageway, foyer, stairway, corridor or mall
Secondary occupiers are responsible for evacuating people from their tenancy. For example a retailer in a shopping centre will evacuate shoppers to the mall area, and then the managing entity’s plan will evacuate them out of the building to the designated assembly area
Both parties are responsible for ensuring their plans complement the other
See next point to understand the items required in the fire and evacuation plan

This item relates to Sections 22 and 23 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

Are all the fire and evacuation plans kept in the specified form?

The fire and evacuation plan must incorporate all the requirements of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008. The plan must be in written form. This can be either as a hard copy or in electronic format as long as it is available on request in the building and is safe in the event of fire.
It must include:
– The evacuation diagram/sign of the building
– Name and address of the building
– Name, address, telephone number and electronic contact details of the owner and occupier of the building
– The evacuation coordination procedures for the building
– An Evacuation Coordinator is required for all buildings. This person is responsible for the evacuation procedure. (In a building with an Emergency Control Organisation this role would normally be assumed by the Chief Warden and Floor Wardens
– Instructions for evacuating the building in line with the evacuation coordination procedures
– The method of operation of fire fighting equipment and manual fire alarms in the building
– The procedures for giving fire and evacuation instructions to persons working in the building and ensuring the instructions are given. – Name and contact details of the person in charge of evacuating the building (the Evacuation Coordinator)
– The date the person became the Evacuation Coordinator
– The name and contact details of persons responsible for carrying out the evacuation procedures
– The date each person became responsible for carrying out the procedures
– The names and contact details for persons responsible for giving the fire and evacuation instructions
– Name of the person who developed, changed and reviewed the fire and evacuation plan
In instances where a number of persons fill a position across rotational shifts, QFES will accept a position title rather than person’s name. For example – ‘Nurse in Charge of Acute Care’ may be listed as the Evacuation Coordinator or the responsible person for the Intensive Care area
If the building is a high occupancy building (requires a Fire Safety Adviser) the fire and evacuation plan must incorporate additional requirements:
– The name of the Fire Safety Adviser
– Contact details for the Fire Safety Adviser (e.g. Phone number and electronic contact details)
– A description of the qualification/s held by the Fire Safety Adviser
– The Registered Training Organisation that issued the qualification
– The date the qualification was issued

This item relates to Section 21 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

Do fire and evacuation plans reflect alternative building solutions?

An alternative solution is that which has been assessed and agreed between parties such as fire engineers, QFES and building certifiers. It allows for an alternative building solution to be put in place meeting the performance, rather than the prescriptive, requirements of the Building Code of Australia
If there is an alternative solution for the building, the alternative solution is to be included in the fire and evacuation plan. For example if a building has extended travel distances, the fire and evacuation plan must reference this

This item relates to Section 24 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

Is there a procedure in place to evacuate persons with special needs?

If persons with special needs are in the building the occupier is responsible for ensuring there is a procedure in place to evacuate them safely
A person with special needs can be:
– A person with a disability
– A child
– A person affected by medication or alcohol
– A person in lawful custody
– A person working in the building where access is restricted (e.g. a basement, false ceiling cavity)
– A person working in a hazardous area of a building
An example of a procedure to evacuate persons with special needs may be to identify one or more persons who, on activation of the alarm, are to proceed to the area where the persons with special needs are and assist them in evacuation
A record of this procedure must be retained with the fire and evacuation plan and other documents required to be kept

This item relates to Section 19 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

Are all fire and evacuation plans available upon request?

All fire and evacuation plans must be made available for inspection, free of charge, upon request during normal business hours. This includes electronic copies.

This item relates to Section 26 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008.

Are all fire and evacuation plans current and reviewed annually?

All fire and evacuation plans must be reviewed annually.
– An example of reviewing the plan may be to walk through the building with the plan to ensure that the evacuation routes have not changed and checking that the same persons remain in the roles listed on the fire and evacuation plan
The review process must be recorded, and kept with other relevant documents
If changes are made to the building which affects the fire and evacuation plan, the plan must be altered to reflect the changes as soon as practical but no later than one month after the change occurred.
– Examples of this include refurbishment or a change in the use of the building or a person becoming or ceasing to be the evacuation coordinator

This item relates to Sections 27 and 28 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

Updated: 6th November 2021