International

Evacuation

Reviewed 2026-07-26

Use at your own risk. Educational and research use only, not medical advice. Verify numbers and rules for the country you are in. They change. Before you rely on these cards in practice, review them with a medical professional or a fire safety specialist. Disclaimer

Do this first

Leave immediately by the nearest marked exit and go to the assembly point.

An evacuation succeeds or fails in the first sixty seconds, and it depends almost entirely on whether people move at once. Most delays are people finishing a task, looking for a bag, or waiting to see what everyone else does.

Step by step

Go the moment the alarm sounds. Do not finish what you were doing.
Take the nearest marked exit, which is often not the way you came in.
Help anyone who needs assistance, and tell a warden about anyone who cannot leave.
Close doors and windows behind you, but only if it is safe and takes seconds.
Use the stairs. Never a lift.
Go to the assembly point, stay there, and report to the person doing the headcount.
Do not go back in for any reason until the fire service or the responsible person declares it clear.

Never do this

Do not go back for belongings, a car, or a colleague you assume is inside. Tell the crew instead.
Do not park or stand where emergency vehicles need to get in.
Do not treat a drill as a joke. The point of a drill is that your feet already know the way.

Call emergency services if

Anyone unaccounted for at the assembly point.
A blocked, locked or unusable escape route.
Anyone injured during the evacuation.

Common questions

What about a colleague who uses a wheelchair?

Workplaces need a personal emergency evacuation plan for them, usually a protected refuge point with a call system, and named staff assigned to stay and assist.

How often should we drill?

National rules differ. Common practice is at least once a year, and again whenever the layout, the occupancy or the workforce changes significantly.