Covid-19 has changed the way that evacuation procedures should be monitored and take place. FIA has released a guidance paper to help aid the industry The Fire Industry Association (FIA) has published guidance on fire procedures during the Covid-19 pandemic. The guidance in this document is intended to clarify the requirements for ensuring that adequate fire evacuation procedures are in place in reoccupied and partially reoccupied premises. It offers answers to some common questions that have arisen due to COVID-19, and it also provides some suggestions as to how these requirements might be achieved. In addition, this guidance also examines the associated fire safety arrangements that support the evacuation procedures and that will need to be maintained while COVID-19 pandemic controls are in place. The guidance states: “Traditionally, the objective of a fire evacuation drill has been to provide staff and building occupants with the opportunity to practise the established evacuation procedures. These procedures would have been first explained as part of the induction training when a person joined the organisation. The fire evacuation drill provided an opportunity to test and time those procedures under simulated fire conditions, and to identify any anomalies that needed to be addressed.  “Owing to the potential risk of contracting COVID 19, the testing of procedures through full building evacuations is, in the case of many buildings, considered to present an unacceptable risk of person-to-person infection. Furthermore, the manner in which buildings are used and occupied is likely to have changed, and might have an impact on the pre-COVID 19 fire procedures.  “The guidance in this document is intended to clarify the requirements for ensuring that adequate fire evacuation procedures are in place in reoccupied and partially reoccupied premises. It offers answers to some common questions that have arisen due to COVID 19, and it also provides some suggestions as to how these requirements might be achieved. In addition, this guidance also examines the associated fire safety arrangements that support the evacuation procedures and that will need to be maintained while COVID 19 pandemic controls are in place.” Core requirements  “Irrespective of the risks arising from COVID 19, any applicable national fire safety legislation remains valid, and the duties arising therefrom are unchanged. However, fire safety legislation is not prescriptive, so providing that appropriate supplementary or alternative fire safety arrangements are implemented, and that they ensure that the overall objectives of the legislative requirements are met, then the Responsible Person will have discharged their duty.  “In all cases, the initial starting point must be a review of the existing fire risk assessment, fire safety arrangements and fire procedures to determine whether they remain valid, when considering the changes in the premises that have been introduced in response to COVID 19. Relevant changes to the premises can include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:  Reduced occupancy numbers  The absence of key personnel, such as fire wardens, assembly marshals and the like  Reduced ability to record the presence of, and account for, staff, contractors and visitors in the event of an evacuation.  The implementation of one-way or queueing systems  The erection of screens and barriers  Waste collection arrangements  The size and location of assembly points  The ability to establish the evacuation status of parts of the building that are under the control of others  The storage of significant quantities of alcohol-based hand cleanser.  “Having reviewed the changes that have been implemented within the premises, it will then be necessary to review the fire safety arrangements and amend them so that they remain suitable and sufficient, and most of all, workable under the prevailing circumstances.” The guidance document then begins to outline what changes might be needed to procedures to mitigate the issues of COVID 19? There are many policies and procedures that impact on the fire safety arrangements in a building or organisation. Any changes to the scope, scale and complexity of the activities being carried out within the building, might require amendments to those policies and procedures and will necessitate a review of the fire risk assessment. Matters that need to be reviewed include: Fire wardens: Are there sufficient present at all material times of the day, do additional wardens need to be appointed, do their duties and responsibilities need to be revised? Fire Risk Assessments: These should be reviewed to ensure that changes in occupancy numbers and working practices have been captured and properly assessed. To reduce the time that risk assessors need to spend on site, alternative arrangements for reviewing documents and records, such as electronic transfer of documents (preferably prior to the fire risk assessment) should be considered. One-way systems, safety screens and queuing systems. Do any of these arrangements impact on the escape routes and travel distances? Do screens obstruct fire detectors or sprinkler heads? Are sufficient, suitable fire extinguishers provided on one-way systems? Can fire alarm call points be accessed on one-way systems? In an emergency, can occupants easily leave the one-way system to access the nearest escape route? Does the one-way system lead occupants away from the nearest fire exit? Where considered relevant, there should be consultation with interested parties (insurers, fire and rescue authorities). Doors should not routinely be propped open to reduce contact points. Where it is considered that this is necessary, door hold-open devices are often acceptable, but care should be taken to conform to the recommendations of BS 7273-4 in this respect. For example, a “Critical (Category A)” interface between the fire alarm system and the door hold-open devices is necessary in certain circumstances, such as doors to staircases in single staircase conditions, sleeping risks and assembly or recreation buildings; under these circumstances, acoustically activated hold-open devices would not be appropriate. Assembly points: Does the current assembly point facilitate social distancing? Does the location of the assembly point bring the assembled people into close contact with passing members of the public? Can people safely disperse from the assembly point after they have checked in? Are a number of assembly points required to enable