How often should evacuation drills be conducted?

AS 3745:2010 requires evacuation exercises at intervals appropriate to the facility. For most commercial buildings, annual drills are the minimum. High-risk facilities such as hospitals, aged care, schools and shopping centres should conduct drills every six months. New buildings should hold a drill within the first three months of occupancy. State fire safety regulations may mandate specific frequencies. All drills must be documented and records retained for the Annual Fire Safety Statement.

What should be recorded during an evacuation drill?

Record the alarm activation time, floor-by-floor evacuation times, total evacuation time, number of occupants at the assembly area, headcount result, warden actions and performance, issues observed (blocked exits, lift usage, mobility assistance) and corrective actions. The record should capture enough detail to benchmark against previous drills and identify specific improvements needed for the emergency plan and warden training.

Do evacuation drills need to be unannounced?

AS 3745:2010 does not mandate unannounced drills, but best practice is to conduct at least some drills without advance notice to test genuine occupant and warden response. Pre-announced drills are useful for training purposes and new buildings. A mix of announced and unannounced drills gives the most realistic assessment of emergency preparedness. Safety observers should always be briefed regardless of whether occupants are notified.

Who is responsible for conducting evacuation drills?

The PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) is responsible under the WHS Regulations 2011 for ensuring emergency procedures are practised. In practice, the chief warden or building emergency planning committee coordinates the drill. Building management provides resources and ensures compliance. Fire wardens execute the evacuation on each floor. An external emergency management consultant may assist with planning and evaluation for complex buildings.

How long should evacuation drill records be retained?

AS 3745:2010 expects drill records to form part of the emergency plan documentation and be retained for at least seven years to support Annual Fire Safety Statement (NSW) or Essential Safety Measures (Victoria, ACT) compliance evidence. The records should cover the most recent three years of drills at a minimum so the emergency planning committee can demonstrate the drill schedule has been met. Where a drill identifies findings that feed into the next emergency plan revision, retain the underlying record for the life of that plan version.

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Free emergency evacuation drill record (PDF-ready). Capture drill times, warden actions, assembly counts and WHS compliance. Digitise with MapTrack.

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Updated 2 May 2026

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What is a emergency evacuation drill record?

An emergency evacuation drill record is a document used to capture the details and outcomes of a scheduled or unscheduled building evacuation drill. The record logs the drill date, alarm activation time, floor or zone evacuation times, total evacuation time, number of occupants accounted for, warden actions and performance, assembly area procedures, any issues encountered and corrective actions. It provides evidence that the building emergency plan has been practised and that wardens and occupants know their roles.

AS 3745:2010 (Planning for emergencies in facilities) requires that evacuation exercises be conducted at intervals appropriate to the building type and occupancy. The WHS Regulations 2011, Regulation 43 requires the PCBU to prepare, maintain and implement an emergency plan that includes procedures for evacuation, and to ensure workers are trained in those procedures. Most state fire safety regulations mandate at least one evacuation drill per year for commercial buildings and more frequent drills for high-risk occupancies. Failing to conduct and document evacuation drills means the building has no evidence that its emergency plan works, wardens are untested and occupants are unprepared, which creates both regulatory exposure and genuine risk to life in a real emergency.

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Benefits of using this emergency evacuation drill record

Emergency preparedness: regular drills ensure occupants and wardens know the evacuation procedure before a real emergency occurs.
Regulatory compliance: satisfies AS 3745:2010 evacuation exercise requirements and WHS Regulations 2011, Regulation 43.
Performance benchmarking: recording evacuation times by floor or zone allows comparison against previous drills to track improvement.
Warden competency: evaluating warden actions during the drill identifies training gaps and areas for improvement.
Corrective action tracking: issues discovered during the drill (blocked exits, slow assembly, missing wardens) are documented and resolved.
Annual Fire Safety Statement: documented drill records are required evidence for the AFSS in most jurisdictions.

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What to include in a emergency evacuation drill record

This emergency evacuation drill record covers 9 key areas:

Building details: building name, address, number of floors or zones, total building population, drill date and time.
Drill type: scheduled or unscheduled, full building or partial (zone), scenario (fire, bomb threat, gas leak).
Timeline: alarm activation time, floor-by-floor evacuation start and completion times, total evacuation time.
Warden performance: chief warden actions, floor wardens actions, communication effectiveness, use of warden equipment (vest, megaphone, radio).
Assembly area: occupants directed to correct assembly area, headcount conducted, headcount time, headcount result (all accounted for or missing persons).
Fire authority interaction (if applicable): fire brigade notified, arrival time, handover from chief warden.
Issues observed: blocked exits, lifts used inappropriately, mobility-impaired person assistance, occupants not responding to alarm.
Corrective actions: issue description, responsible person, target completion date, status.
Sign-off: chief warden, building manager, date.

How to use this emergency evacuation drill record

Plan the drill scenario and brief the evacuation team: Select the drill scenario (fire, gas leak, bomb threat) and whether it will be a full building or partial evacuation. Brief the chief warden and floor wardens on the scenario but, where possible, do not pre-announce the drill to occupants to test genuine response. Arrange observers on each floor to record warden actions and evacuation times.
Activate the alarm and begin timing the evacuation: Activate the fire alarm or evacuation tone at the designated time. Record the exact alarm activation time. Observers note when each floor begins evacuating and when the last person leaves each floor. Floor wardens conduct their sweep and report their floor is clear.
Manage the assembly area and conduct the headcount: Direct evacuees to the designated assembly area. Floor wardens report their headcount to the chief warden. The chief warden compiles the total count and compares it to the building population. Record the time the headcount is completed and whether all occupants are accounted for.
Debrief and record observations: After the drill, conduct a debrief with all wardens and observers. Discuss what worked well and what needs improvement. Record specific observations: which floors evacuated fastest, any blocked exits, whether mobility-impaired occupants were assisted, whether wardens used correct procedures and equipment.
Complete the drill record and assign corrective actions: Fill in all sections of the evacuation drill record including timeline, warden performance, assembly results and issues. Assign corrective actions with responsible persons and target dates. Distribute the record to building management and retain a copy for the Annual Fire Safety Statement file.

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How often should you complete this report?

AS 3745:2010 requires evacuation exercises at intervals appropriate to the facility type and risk. For most commercial office buildings, at least one full evacuation drill per year is considered minimum best practice. High-risk facilities (hospitals, aged care, schools, shopping centres) may require more frequent drills, typically six-monthly. New buildings or buildings with significant occupancy changes should conduct a drill within the first three months. Table-top exercises and partial evacuations can supplement full drills. State fire safety regulations vary, with some mandating six-monthly drills for certain building classes. All drills must be documented and records retained for the Annual Fire Safety Statement.

Frequently asked questions

Applicable regulatory standards

This template aligns with the following regulations and standards:

AS 3745:2010 - Planning for emergencies in facilities
WHS Regulations 2011, Regulation 43 - Emergency plans

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