Human Resources

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)

The Fire and Rescue Service's role in fire evacuation is that of ensuring that the means of escape in case of fire and associated fire safety measures provided for all people who may be in a building are both adequate and reasonable, taking into account the circumstances of each particular case. Under current fire safety legislation it is the responsibility of the person(s) having responsibility for the building to provide a fire safety risk assessment that includes an emergency evacuation plan for all people likely to be in the premises, including disabled people, and how that plan will be implemented.

Such an evacuation plan should not rely upon the intervention of the Fire and Rescue Service to make it work.

The Equality Act 2010 does not make any change to these requirements: it underpins the current fire safety legislation in England and Wales – the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – by requiring that employers or organisations providing services to the public take responsibility for ensuring that all people, including disabled people, can leave the building they control safely in the event of a fire.

In order to comply with legislation a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) needs to be drawn up per individual.

It is the responsibility of Heads of Department to ensure that PEEPs are in place and are regulary rehearsed.

To assist managers in completing the PEEPs the Health and Safety Office has drawn up the following documents.