You're Not the Same as the Rest

Each and every facility is different. Different design, different size, different location, different occupants, different alarm system, different .... well you get the picture. So why then, is there still a market in the Australian Emergency Management planning and training industry for a one size fits all emergency plan? I wrote almost two years ago now that I have seen emergency procedure manuals that were largely unchanged from the previous Australian Standard requirements that, to supposedly comply with the updated Standard in 2010, changed the front cover to read Emergency Plan instead of Emergency Procedures - nothing more.

Every facility is different and requires its own individual plans and procedures. One size DOESN'T fit all!

I have also seen a template emergency procedures manual distributed widely across the country with largely the same content, irrespective of the individuality of the facility's operations, size and features.

Here's a quick check that any facility or property manager can perform in a matter of minutes to determine if their emergency procedures are individual and ipso facto, compliant with Australian Standards.​

​Does your Emergency Plan have a listing of which emergency scenarios are likely to affect occupants and have those emergencies (if listed) been assessed for their effects upon occupants before, during and after the impact of the emergency?

Cant find that list or reference to this in your Emergency Plan?​ Then chances are, you are looking at a collection of emergency procedures, most likely from a template and not compliant with the Australian Standard. Perhaps just as importantly, you're not getting what you're paying for.