A PEEP is a tailored plan for individuals who need assistance evacuating a building during a fire. If you own, manage, or occupy a commercial building, it’s your responsibility to develop and update a PEEP to ensure everyone in your building can reach a place of safety in an emergency.
Maintaining an accurate PEEP is essential for peace of mind, with 3,924 primary fires in Wales in 2023-24. Writing a PEEP gives you and your people a plan to make sure everyone, regardless of individual mobility, receives the help they need to evacuate.
What Does PEEP Stand for in Fire Safety?
PEEP is an acronym for Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan. It applies to individuals, unlike a General Emergency Evacuation Plan (GEEP), designed for most building occupants.
What is a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan?
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan is a protocol for individuals to leave a building in the case of a fire. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to evacuate, but a few examples would be:
- Assisted evacuation with the help of a designated buddy or trained staff member
- Evacuation chairs or sledges for stairwells if lifts aren’t an option
- Alternative routes that avoid obstacles, for example, with ramps or wider corridors
- Personalised alarms or alerts to summon support where needed
The key question to determine whether you need a PEEP is ‘Can the individual safely evacuate the building without assistance?’ If the answer is no, you need a PEEP.
People may require a PEEP if they have one or more of the following:
- A mobility condition
- Limited hearing
- Limited sight
- Neurodiversity in some circumstances
- A mental health condition
- A short-term condition like pregnancy or a broken leg
An individual may need a PEEP for many reasons, including short-term factors.
What Should a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan Contain?
A fire safety PEEP will contain the following elements:
- Personal evacuation routes and refuge areas
- Equipment required, such as sledges or evacuation chairs
- Staff responsibilities and training required
- Any adaptations to the building needed
It’s important to remember that a fire safety PEEP is only as effective as the staff who are aware of and able to follow it. Everyone with a role in fire safety in your building must read and review the PEEP. The individual will also be able to provide feedback on your PEEP and may want to change the evacuation method suggested.
If you need help creating your PEEPs or with any other aspect of fire safety, our FSE Group engineers can offer tailored advice for your building.
Individuals requiring a PEEP may need bespoke emergency evacuation routes, for example, with wider corridors or ramps.
Writing a PEEP
When individuals identify themselves as needing assistance during an evacuation, they will be required to identify any disabilities, health conditions, or other factors that would hinder their ability to leave the building in an emergency. It’s worth noting that no confidential information is needed; your only priority is to provide the proper support.
This questionnaire is the foundation of your PEEP, which will also be informed by the specific characteristics of your building. When writing a PEEP, you’ll need to detail an evacuation plan for the individual and ensure relevant staff are trained to assist where needed.
Staff training is essential to ensure individuals with disabilities or other conditions receive the assistance they need in evacuations.
Updating a PEEP
Your PEEP must be updated and reviewed at least annually. As you purchase and install new equipment, you must include it in your PEEP and carry out necessary training for staff members on its use. You must also record any changes to your building layout in your fire risk assessment.
How We Can Help
We hope this guide has provided a solid basis for answering the question, ‘What does PEEP mean in fire safety?’
It’s important to remember that PEEPs are just one element of your fire safety plan. Prioritising fire safety is essential for protecting the lives of the people in your building. Moreover, a clear strategy will give you the confidence that, in the case of an emergency, you and your staff have a clear plan to help everyone reach a place of safety.
If you need fire safety advice, equipment, or servicing at this stage, our experienced engineers can help. Contact us here for a quote. Our case studies provide examples of businesses we have helped.