Emergency Evacuation
Facility evacuation procedure covering alarm recognition, primary and secondary egress routes, assembly areas and headcount accountability, equipment shutdown duties for powered industrial truck operators, and controlled re-entry.
- Audience
- All employees, temporary workers, contractors, drivers, and visitors on the property
- Review cycle
- annual
- Last reviewed
- 2026-08-14
- Revision
- 1
Emergency Evacuation: what is in the procedure
8 sections. Regulatory language is fixed and passes through verbatim. Sections marked customized get rewritten around your facility, your equipment, and your job titles.
- 01
Purpose
FixedThis procedure implements the evacuation portion of the facility emergency action plan required by 29 CFR 1910.38. It defines how an emergency is reported and announced...
- 02
Scope
CustomizedThis procedure applies to every person on the property, including employees on all shifts, temporary workers, contractors, carrier drivers, and visitors, and to every emergency requiring evacuation, including fire...
- 03
Responsibilities
CustomizedAll personnel evacuate immediately on the alarm, by the nearest safe route, without stopping for belongings.
- 04
Procedure: Recognizing the Alarm and Reporting an Emergency
CustomizedTo report an emergency: activate the nearest manual pull station, then call the emergency number and give your name, the location, the nature of the emergency, and whether anyone is injured or missing.
- 05
Procedure: Equipment Shutdown Before Evacuating
FixedShutdown takes seconds and is done only if it can be done safely on your way out; if the route or the condition makes it unsafe, leave the equipment and go.
- 06
Procedure: Evacuation Routes and Assembly
Customized1. Leave by your assigned primary exit route; if it is blocked or smoke-filled, use the secondary route posted on your area evacuation map.
- 07
Exception Handling: Missing Persons, Blocked Routes, and Re-Entry
CustomizedMissing person: report the name and last known location to the assembly area coordinator, who informs the incident commander.
- 08
References
Fixed29 CFR 1910.37 Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes.
Regulatory references
Emergency Evacuation: 29 CFR 1910.37(a)
Every SOP generated from this template cites the paragraphs below, with a plain-language summary of what each one requires. Citations are informational and are not legal advice.
Each exit route must be adequately lighted so that an employee with normal vision can see along the exit route.
| Standard | Title | What it requires |
|---|---|---|
| 29 CFR 1910.37(a) | Exit routes: the danger to employees must be minimized | Exit routes must be kept free of explosive or highly flammable furnishings and other decorations, must be arranged so employees do not have to travel toward a high hazard area unless the path of travel is effectively shielded by suitable partitions or other physical barriers, and must be free and unobstructed, with no materials or equipment placed within the exit route either permanently or temporarily. |
| 29 CFR 1910.37(b) | Exit routes: lighting and marking | Each exit route must be adequately lighted so an employee with normal vision can see along it, each exit must be clearly visible and marked by a sign reading Exit, signs must be posted along the exit access showing the direction of travel where the way to the nearest exit is not immediately apparent, and each doorway or passage along an exit access that could be mistaken for an exit must be marked Not an Exit or identified by a sign showing its actual use. |
| 29 CFR 1910.38(a) | Emergency action plans: application | An employer must have an emergency action plan whenever an OSHA standard in Part 1910 requires one. |
| 29 CFR 1910.38(b) | Emergency action plans: written and oral plans | An emergency action plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review. An employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally. |
| 29 CFR 1910.38(c) | Emergency action plans: minimum elements | The plan must include procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency, procedures for emergency evacuation including type of evacuation and exit route assignments, procedures for employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate, procedures to account for all employees after evacuation, procedures for employees performing rescue or medical duties, and the name or job title of every employee who may be contacted for more information about the plan. |
| 29 CFR 1910.38(d) | Emergency action plans: employee alarm system | An employer must have and maintain an employee alarm system. The employee alarm system must use a distinctive signal for each purpose and comply with the requirements in 29 CFR 1910.165, so an evacuation signal is never confused with a shelter signal or a shift bell. |
| 29 CFR 1910.38(f) | Emergency action plans: review of the plan with each employee | An employer must review the emergency action plan with each employee covered by the plan when the plan is developed or the employee is assigned initially to a job, when the employee's responsibilities under the plan change, and when the plan itself is changed. |
Compliance checklist
Emergency Evacuation: what an inspector looks for
Exit routes are free and unobstructed with no material or equipment stored in them, carry no explosive or highly flammable furnishings or decorations, and do not run toward a high hazard area unless it is effectively shielded
29 CFR 1910.37(a)
Every exit route is adequately lighted, each exit carries a visible Exit sign, directional signs are posted where the way out is not immediately apparent, and any door that could be mistaken for an exit is marked Not an Exit or by its actual use
29 CFR 1910.37(b)
The facility maintains an emergency action plan where a Part 1910 standard requires one
29 CFR 1910.38(a)
The plan is in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review
29 CFR 1910.38(b)
The plan includes reporting procedures, evacuation type and exit route assignments, and critical operation shutdown duties
29 CFR 1910.38(c)
The plan includes procedures to account for all employees after evacuation and names a job title to contact for more information
29 CFR 1910.38(c)
An employee alarm system is maintained, uses a distinctive signal for each purpose, and complies with 29 CFR 1910.165
29 CFR 1910.38(d)
The plan is reviewed with each employee on initial assignment to a job, when their responsibilities under it change, and whenever the plan is changed
29 CFR 1910.38(f)
Evacuation maps are posted in every area and assembly areas are marked and clear of fire lanes
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This page is informational and is not legal advice. Have a qualified safety professional review any procedure before it goes into service at your facility.