A building’s evacuation strategy is often more important than its hardware. The right strategy turns the fire risk assessment, the fire alarm design, and the passive fire protection into a set of actions that people can actually carry out under stress. Getting the strategy wrong — even in a well-protected building — was repeatedly identified by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry as a critical failure, and the modern regulatory environment now places specific duties on duty-holders to document evacuation strategy and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs).
Care homes, hospitals, and high-dependency environments rely on progressive horizontal evacuation — moving occupants into adjacent fire-resisting compartments rather than taking them outside the building. This requires staff training, clear compartment lines, and hardware (evac chairs, mattresses, transfer boards) maintained and tested regularly. Office and retail environments typically use simultaneous evacuation, with nominated fire wardens leading staff and visitors out of the building.
PEEPs are the specific plan for each individual who would need help to evacuate — mobility impairment, visual or hearing impairment, cognitive or mental-health conditions. Under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 and the Equality Act 2010, responsible persons in higher-risk residential buildings now have explicit duties around PEEP engagement, sharing information with the fire and rescue service, and reviewing plans at defined intervals.
INFIRISK lists consultants specialising in evacuation strategy, with filters for sector (care, healthcare, education, residential) and services offered (PEEP writing, fire drill design, evac chair training, staff role-play).
