When the fire alarm sounds, the first question at the assembly point is simple: is everyone out? Answering it needs an accurate list of who is on site right now.
What the law asks
In England and Wales, whoever controls a workplace, usually the employer, is the responsible person for fire safety. Government guidance says the responsible person must:
- carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises and review it regularly;
- tell staff or their representatives about the risks identified;
- put in place, and maintain, appropriate fire safety measures;
- plan for an emergency; and
- provide staff with information, fire safety instruction and training.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own fire safety rules. A roll call is not named in the guidance, but for most workplaces with shifts, knowing who is inside is a practical part of planning for an emergency.
Why a signing-in book lets you down
- People forget to sign out, so the list shows people who left hours ago.
- Nobody grabs the book on the way out, or it is in the building that is on fire.
- It is one list for the whole site, so fire wardens cannot split it by area.
Running a roll call
- Name wardens for each area and a person who takes the list to the assembly point.
- Use a live list: everyone clocked in, grouped by department or area.
- Mark people safe as they arrive, and report anyone missing to the fire service straight away. Do not send anyone back inside.
- Remember who is not on the list: visitors and contractors who do not clock in need their own record.
- Practise it during fire drills, and review what went wrong.
How Yumee Workforce helps
The clock-in tablet has a fire roll call: everyone clocked in on that site, grouped by department, with a tap to mark each person safe and an option to print the list. It works offline, so it keeps working if the power or the internet goes down with the alarm. Visitors are not on it unless they clock in. More about the clock-in tablet.
This guide is general information, not fire safety advice. Your fire risk assessment should set out your emergency plan.