Do I Need an Evacuation and Rescue Plan?
Creating evacuation and rescue plans is an essential step in ensuring safety because evacuation and rescue encompass a set of actions, processes, and rules that need to be implemented in the event of an unexpected incident (such as a fire, earthquake, natural disasters, and the like) that could endanger people's health and lives. Employers are obliged to prepare an evacuation and rescue plan for extraordinary events and inform all employees about it.
An evacuation and rescue plan consists of a textual part and graphical attachments, including markings for evacuation routes. In addition to creating the plan, it is mandatory to conduct practical evacuation and rescue exercises at least once every two years.
For Those Who Want to Know More About:
Evacuation and Rescue Plans
The creation of evacuation and rescue plans consists of two segments: the floor plan of the space and the evacuation document.
The floor plan of the space must, in essence, contain the following: marked evacuation routes, exit locations, locations of fire extinguishers, and first-aid cabinets, the location of the distribution board, and the assembly point location.
Evacuation Document
is a written evacuation procedure designed to explain the evacuation procedure and rules of conduct during the evacuation process.
Another important aspect of creating evacuation plans is to have directional signs in the space using appropriate labels.
What is the cost of an evacuation plan?
The cost of creating an evacuation document or evacuation plan is determined after an initial meeting, during which our occupational safety experts will assess what needs to be included in the evacuation plan. Based on the complexity, they will provide you with a specific price.
Feel free to contact us using the contact information below so that we can provide you with a quotation for the creation of an evacuation plan as quickly as possible.
Once you have an evacuation and rescue plan in place, it is necessary to conduct an evacuation and rescue exercise, which must be performed at least once every 2 years.
You can learn more about creating evacuation and rescue plans on the Ministry's website.
Does every legal entity need a risk assessment at work?
No. Only legal entities that are employers - meaning those who employ at least one person who is not a member of the management, owner, and the like. It doesn't matter if you're a company, sole proprietorship, school, association, and the like - all legal entities that are employers are obliged to take care of occupational safety.
How long is the risk assessment valid?
Once a risk assessment is made, it is permanent. However, the assessment must always be up to date. This means that the assessment must be periodically updated depending on the following circumstances: changes to existing locations or opening new ones, introduction of new job positions, implementation of new work processes and technologies, hiring new employees, and the like.
We had a risk assessment for a j.d.o.o., and now we are a d.o.o. - do we need a new risk assessment?
If everything else remains the same and the existing d.o.o. is a successor to the j.d.o.o. (meaning employees are the same, work processes are the same, locations are the same), there is no need for a new risk assessment.
I have only one room, do I need an evacuation plan?
We understand that in such a case, the need might be questionable, but the legislator has determined that every business premises must have an evacuation plan.
I have a business space within a larger building. That building has its own evacuation plan, do I need one as well?
Yes. Regardless of the fact that there is an evacuation plan for the building, you must have an evacuation plan specifically for your space. An example in practice is shopping centers that have their general evacuation plans, but individual stores within them still need to have plans made for their spaces.
Does the evacuation plan need to be in my company's name?
No. If your space already has an existing evacuation plan, and the layout corresponds to the real situation, you do not need to create a new plan.
If multiple companies share the same space (e.g., an office), does each of them need their own evacuation plan?
No, they do not. The evacuation plan applies to the space, not to individual companies. It is sufficient for one company to create it, and it will be valid for all other users of the same space.
When do I need to change the evacuation plan?
If essential elements for evacuation have changed (e.g., if you have blocked an existing evacuation route), then the evacuation plan must be updated to reflect the current situation.
Where should the evacuation plan be placed?
There is no specific designated location for the evacuation plan. What is important is that it is visible and accessible to everyone (so it should be near the entrance or in a hallway, rather than in someone's office, for example).
If we have multiple floors, how should the plan be done in that case?
Each floor must have its own evacuation plan.
Specialist for this service is:
Tomislav Nimac
Senior Expert in Occupational Safety
+385 (1) 28 52 117
+385 95 802 71 73
tomislav.nimac@anparo.hr
