Office/Evacuation plan

Wikimedia UK's offices in London are required to have an evacuation plan. This page details that plan. This page is kept up to date by the Office Manager and should not be changed without his authority.

Those who may have difficulties in being evacuated - eg because of mental or physical disabilities - should contact the Office Manager, who will ensure that a personal evacuation plan is prepared.

Risk Assessment

The Office Manager has carried out a fire risk assessment of the office. It is reviewed every six months. Key risks that staff and visitors must be aware of are:

• electrical heating equipment, especially the portable heaters and coffee machine, should not be left on overnight
• occasional water damage to the building could represent a fire hazard, and should be reported to the Office Manager when it occurs
• other organisations share the same building, and may not have appropriate fire safety plans in place - you must be aware of the surrounding offices and report any problems you see to the Office Manager when they occur
• we are adjacent to a kitchen with a small microwave and kettle. Although not part of our premises, it is important that staff are aware of the hazards nearby
• the office furniture is fire-resistant, but care should be taken to ensure that lighters etc do not fall into the furniture and break.
• the fixed heaters on the windowsills can get extremely hot. Although papers are not at risk when on top of them, flammable materials will be at risk, and paper may be at risk if it falls into the heater.
• There is limited emergency lighting above some exit doors, however it will likely be quite dark, and so care should be taken on the staircases.

Escape Plan

• Staff and visitors should not stop to fight any fires. Extinguishers, if needed for escape, are in the following locations:
  • Foam and CO2 by the fire escape
  • CO2 by the kitchen
  • Water and CO2 by the lifts
• Richard Symonds is the Fire Marshal. Richard Nevell is the Deputy Fire Marshal. They are identified by their yellow 'Fire Marshal' armbands.
• The Fire Marshall will direct all staff and visitors to the escape routes. He will then check the office, the meeting room, the kitchen, and the toilets, to ensure that everyone has evacuated. If the Fire Marshall is not in the office, then the Deputy Fire Marshall will take over his duties. When outside, the Fire Marshall will report:
  1. his organisation name
  2. if all people have been evacuated
  3. if anyone has been left in the building, and their location
• There are two escape routes:
  1. The fire escape adjacent to the fourth floor meeting room. This exit is preferred as it will be less crowded than the main staircase.
  2. The main staircase. Do not use the lifts.
• The meeting point for staff and visitors is outside McQueen's bar at 55-60 Tabernacle Street.