Update on the changes to regulations on trial evacuations and training programmes during the COVID-19 restrictions
Due to the whole country now being in the Orange setting under the COVID-19 Protection Framework (CPF), all premises with approved evacuation schemes are required to resume conducting trial evacuations or deliver training programmes as per their approved evacuation scheme. The change to the Orange setting includes removing the mandatory use of vaccine passes, occupancy limits and physical distancing requirements.
All businesses are now required to resume trial evacuations or deliver training programmes, which must occur every six months. While this requirement was suspended due to previous CPF settings, from 14 April (when the country moved to the Orange setting) businesses need to ensure these are carried out to meet their own six month requirement.
Building owners are not expected to resume trial evacuations or evacuation training programmes immediately the changes come into force. To work out when your next trial evacuation or training programme notification is due, you need to calculate a 6-month period that excludes the time from 25 March 2020 to 31 January 2021, or any longer period when physical distancing requirements remain in force for the area where your building is located. For example:
If you were due to conduct a trial evacuation by 10 April 2020, 17 days after the suspension began, and there are no physical distancing requirements in force for the area where your building is located, the adjusted 6-month period will end 17 days after the changes take effect which will mean 17 February 2021.
Any trial evacuations voluntarily carried out during this period will have been considered ‘unscheduled evacuations’ for the purposes of regulation 29(2) of the Regulations and will count as a trial evacuation for timing purposes. The next trial evacuation for those buildings is due 6 months after the last voluntary trial evacuation was carried out.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.