Fire & Emergency Response

  • Site conducted

  • Location address
  • Conducted on

  • Prepared by

Fire & Emergency Response

Emergency Response

  • Are evacuation routes clearly marked and unobstructed (by equipment, merchandise, a recent delivery etc)?

  • Are all exits properly labelled and illuminated?

  • Are all exit doors (not just Fire-doors) able to be unlocked from inside and free of barriers or blockages to ensure that occupants can leave the building in the event of an emergency (NZ Building Code and Fire & Emergency Regulations Requirements). Note: check the door opens easily; check the other side of the door if this opens out into a public area, alleyway etc, and check that nothing is blocking the exit route.

  • Has a safe assembly point been identified outside the store?

  • Are all staff aware of the designated assembly point? (Ask those on duty at the time)

  • Are all staff members aware of how to trigger the alarm in case of an emergency? (Ask those on duty at the time)

  • Have all staff members received awareness training on emergency evacuation procedures, such as the annual toolbox talk? (Check records)

  • Are staff aware of their roles during an emergency evacuation and who will be the emergency warden? (Ask those on duty at the time)

  • Have regular trial evacuation drills been conducted? (6-monthly legal requirement in NZ), and have these been documented? (Check the records of the trial evacuations)

  • Are there plans in place to assist customers with disabilities or other special needs during an evacuation?

  • Is there an emergency response plan, updated in the last 2-years, and is it specific to this store?

Fire Hazard Response

  • Are fire extinguishers and fire hoses (if fitted) easily visible, accessible, and not blocked by equipment, boxes, or other items? (Note there must be free access to all extinguishers and fire hoses).

  • Are fire extinguishers and fire hoses (if fitted) properly maintained and checked within the required testing dates? (Check - there must be a yellow tag showing it has been inspected by a suitable qualified person annually and physically pressure tested every 5-years from new).

  • Is there a sign above each extinguisher to indicate the location of the extinguisher, and the sign is for the correct type of extinguisher (e.g. dry powder, CO2, water, etc)?

  • Are the manual call points (the break-glass alarm panels) in good condition, not blocked or covered by anything, and appear operable?

  • Are smoke detectors fitted and in good working order? (If they are part of the building alarm system mark the question as 'yes' and add notes, otherwise test the alarm by pressing the 'test' button on the smoke alarm).

  • Are combustible materials (e.g., cardboard boxes, paper) stored away from heat sources or electrical outlets?

  • Is storage in the stockroom well-organized, with items stacked in a way that doesn’t obstruct sprinklers or ventilation?

  • Are portable heaters, if used, positioned away from combustible materials and not left unattended?

Sign-off

  • Signature of person completing audit.

The templates available in our Public Library have been created by our customers and employees to help get you started using SafetyCulture's solutions. The templates are intended to be used as hypothetical examples only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. You should seek your own professional advice to determine if the use of a template is permissible in your workplace or jurisdiction. You should independently determine whether the template is suitable for your circumstances.