Most Australian facilities know they need an emergency evacuation plan. Fewer know what the actual project looks like, end to end. The result is plans that are bought off a template, signed off without scrutiny, filed, and never tested until something goes wrong. This guide treats plan development as the project it actually is, walking through seven phases of work with the deliverables, decisions and time investment each one requires.

For context on what a plan is and what it must contain, see our complete guide to emergency evacuation plans for Australian business. For the business case, see why your business needs an emergency evacuation plan. For the governance and training framework that sits behind it all, see our pillar guide on the AS 3745 Emergency Control Organisation explained. This page focuses on a different question: how do you actually deliver the project?

The seven-phase project at a glance

A small to mid-size facility moves through this in four to eight weeks with focused effort. A large multi-tenanted building or high-risk facility (healthcare, dangerous goods, heritage, multi-site) may take three to six months. The work cannot be compressed without compromising quality, especially in Phases 2, 5 and 7.

Phase 1. Project kickoff

The project starts by appointing the body that will own the plan: the Emergency Planning Committee (EPC). Under AS 3745:2010 the EPC develops, implements and maintains the plan throughout its life, and the project cannot proceed compliantly without one. For the full EPC framework, membership, meeting frequency and functions, see EPC membership and functions under AS 3745.

Project kickoff deliverables

• Written EPC terms of reference (purpose, membership, meeting frequency, decision-making protocol)
• Project plan with phase milestones and target completion date
• Confirmed scope (whole-building master plan, single tenancy, single floor, multi-site portfolio)
• Named owner of the final emergency plan document and the version control approach
• First EPC meeting minutes recorded

In multi-tenanted buildings, confirm at kickoff whose plan is being developed: the master plan owned by the building, the tenancy sub-plan owned by the occupant, or both. This single decision avoids the most common compliance gap in multi-tenanted facilities.

Phase 2. Hazard mapping

The work in this phase drives every later procedural decision. You cannot author procedures for emergencies you have not named.

Four environments to map

AS 3745 expects the assessment to consider:

• Human environment. Occupant numbers, peak occupancy times, visitor and contractor flows, occupants requiring assistance, vulnerable populations, shift patterns, lone workers.
• Physical environment. Building geometry, exits and stairwells, fire-load areas (kitchens, server rooms, stores), hazardous areas, exterior site, neighbouring properties, emergency vehicle access.
• Technological environment. Alarm and EWIS systems, suppression systems, HVAC interactions, IT and life-safety dependencies, lithium-ion battery storage, automated systems.
• External environment. Weather exposure, bushfire interface, flood plain, traffic, neighbouring high-risk facilities, civic infrastructure.

Foreseeable emergencies to name

For each environment, name and rank the foreseeable emergencies. AS 3745 groups them into three families:

• Human-induced: bomb threat, civil disorder, armed intruder, suspect object, medical incident, arson
• Natural: bushfire, cyclone, earthquake, flood, severe storm, heatwave
• Technological: hazardous substance release, structural failure, lithium-ion battery fire, telecommunications outage, utility failure

For how procedures actually differ across emergency types, see our guide to emergency evacuation procedures by emergency type.

Hazard mapping deliverables

• A documented risk register naming every foreseeable emergency with likelihood, consequence and response category (full evacuation, partial evacuation, shelter-in-place, lockdown)
• Identification of facility-specific hazards requiring named procedures (lithium-ion storage, hazmat areas, high-occupancy zones)
• Named list of occupants requiring assistance, with PEEPs flagged for development in Phase 5

Phase 3. Stakeholder consultation

Plans developed in isolation tend to be wrong on the ground. This phase brings in the people who will operate or respond to the plan.

Emergency services

Contact your local Fire and Rescue, police and ambulance services. Specifically:

• Confirm typical response times to your address
• Arrange a site familiarisation visit
• Document hazardous materials storage and locations
• Provide current evacuation diagrams (or note that new ones will be produced in Phase 5)
• Note access information (gate codes, key safes, after-hours contacts)
• Identify access constraints (height restrictions, narrow roads, locked compounds)

Following the September 2025 Optus and November 2025 TPG Triple Zero outages, also plan for telecommunications resilience. The plan must document an alternative path for emergency service notification when the primary carrier is unavailable.

Building and tenant stakeholders

For multi-tenanted buildings, formally engage the building owner or manager. Confirm shared elements: building-wide alarm and EWIS, common-area evacuation routes, master ECO arrangements, shared assembly areas. The single most common gap in multi-tenanted facilities is each tenant developing their own plan in isolation from the master.

Occupants requiring assistance

Engage the occupants identified in Phase 2 as needing PEEPs. PEEPs developed without the occupant’s involvement are not useful in an actual emergency. Identify and confirm the named assistants who will support each occupant.

Stakeholder consultation deliverables

• Fire and Rescue, police, ambulance liaison records
• Master plan coordination notes (multi-tenanted facilities only)
• Confirmed list of occupants requiring PEEPs, with their consent to participate
• Named PEEP assistants

Phase 4. Procedure authoring

This phase produces the operational substance of the plan: the procedures the Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) will execute under stress, and the named team that will execute them.

Confirm the ECO

Confirm the ECO membership (Chief Warden, Deputy, Communications Officer, Floor/Area Wardens, Wardens, First Aid Officers). For the full role definitions, identification colours and training framework, see the AS 3745 Emergency Control Organisation explained pillar. For what wardens actually do during an emergency, see the role of fire wardens in evacuation planning.

Author a procedure for each foreseeable emergency

For every emergency named in Phase 2, write a one-page procedure that covers:

• Triggers and indicators. How is the emergency recognised?
• Initial actions. Who does what in the first 60 seconds?
• Decision points. Evacuate, partial evacuate, shelter, lockdown?
• Communication. How are occupants alerted? Who calls Triple Zero?
• Execution. Routes, assembly, sweep, accounting.
• Handover. When and how does control pass to emergency services?
• Stand-down. How is the all-clear given? What is the re-entry protocol?

Procedures should be short, decisive and one page wherever possible. Long, prescriptive procedures are not used in real emergencies. Procedures that fit on a card are.

Procedure authoring deliverables

• Named ECO with current contact details and substitution rules
• Written procedures for every foreseeable emergency identified in Phase 2
• Internal and external communication tree
• Documented decision authority (who makes the evacuate-or-shelter call)

Phase 5. Site walk and diagram production

The procedures define what happens. This phase defines where it happens.

Walk the routes

Confirm primary and secondary routes from every occupied area. Walk them. Check for obstruction (stacked stock, locked doors, construction). Confirm they remain useable for occupants with mobility needs. Confirm signage is in place and visible. Diagram-only verification is the most common cause of evacuation route failure in real incidents.

Assembly areas

Designate primary and secondary assembly areas. Each must be:

• At a safe distance from the building and from foreseeable hazards
• Accessible by foot from all evacuation routes
• Of sufficient capacity for the full occupant count including visitors and contractors
• Clear of likely emergency vehicle paths
• Pre-briefed to occupants

The secondary area exists because the primary may be compromised by the emergency itself (bomb threat, hazmat plume, structural collapse, fire spreading outward) or by access issues.

Evacuation diagrams

Produce AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams. Each diagram must be oriented to the viewer’s location, show “You Are Here” clearly, show primary and secondary routes, include fire-fighting equipment and assembly areas, and be installed with the bottom edge at least 1200mm above the floor.

For the full design specifications, see essential elements for evacuation diagrams. For the diagram service, see our emergency evacuation diagrams page.

PEEPs

Develop a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan for every occupant identified in Phase 3. Each PEEP documents that occupant’s specific egress routes, equipment, named assistants, communication arrangements and assistant training requirements. For the PEEP framework see what a PEEP is and when one is required. For the service, see our PEEPs service.

Site walk and diagram production deliverables

• Walked verification of primary and secondary routes
• Confirmed primary and secondary assembly areas with capacity check
• AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams produced and ready for installation
• PEEPs drafted for all occupants requiring assistance

Phase 6. Launch

The substance is done. This phase produces the controlled document and starts the human readiness work.

The Emergency Management Manual (EMM)

The plan is packaged as the Emergency Management Manual (EMM): the controlled, versioned document that brings together EPC and ECO records, the risk register, all procedures, the spatial elements, diagrams, PEEPs and supporting documentation. For the required sections of an EMM, see the required sections of an Emergency Management Manual. For end-to-end EMM development, see our facility emergency evacuation plan service.

Install diagrams

Install evacuation diagrams in compliant locations throughout the facility. Photograph each installation as part of the compliance record.

Initial training

Deliver initial training to:

• All ECO members on their specific role
• The Chief Warden and Deputy Chief Warden on leadership and decision-making
• General occupants on the alarm, the procedure, the assembly area and what they will be asked to do
• PEEP assistants on their specific occupant’s plan

For the warden training program, see our fire warden training service. AS 3745 expects ECO skills retention training at intervals no greater than six months thereafter.

Launch deliverables

• Published Emergency Management Manual (EMM) with version control
• Evacuation diagrams installed and documented
• Initial training records for ECO, occupants and PEEP assistants
• Plan launch communication log

Phase 7. First validation cycle

A plan that has never been tested has never been validated. This phase begins the operational cycle.

Initial validation exercise

Within a reasonable interval after launch, conduct an initial validation exercise. This is more demanding than a routine annual drill because the plan has never been run. Vary the scenario from the obvious fire alarm. Realistic options include partial evacuation, bomb threat with quiet evacuation (see our bomb threat procedures guide), hazmat shelter-in-place, medical incident with meet-and-escort, or telecommunications failure during an evacuation. For exercise design pointers see running effective evacuation drills and exercises.

Debrief and revise

Within 24 to 48 hours, conduct a structured debrief. Capture what worked, what did not, what surprised the ECO, and what needs to change. Lessons feed back into the plan via the EPC.

Lock in the ongoing review schedule

The plan now enters its operational life. AS 3745 expects review at least annually, after every evacuation exercise, after every real incident, on significant change (building, occupancy, work activities, ECO membership), and on regulatory change.

For a one-page audit tool to support each review, use our emergency evacuation procedure checklist.

First validation cycle deliverables

• Validation exercise report
• Debrief notes with action items
• Revised plan (version 1.1) incorporating exercise lessons
• Documented 12-month review schedule

Common project pitfalls

From more than 30 years delivering AS 3745-compliant plan development to Australian facilities, these are the recurring failures we see:

• No properly constituted EPC. One person develops the plan in a hurry, without the cross-functional input the standard expects, and without governance backing for the operational changes the plan requires.
• Hazard mapping done as a tick-box. “Fire, medical” written on a single page. Real hazard mapping names every foreseeable emergency, including the inconvenient ones.
• Routes never walked. Routes look fine on a diagram but are blocked by stacked stock, locked doors or construction. Walked verification is not optional.
• PEEPs generic and unowned. Templates filled in without engaging the occupant. The named assistant has not been told they are an assistant.
• Training delivered once, never refreshed. AS 3745 requires skills retention at intervals no greater than six months. Annual training does not meet the standard.
• No initial validation exercise. The plan is published, filed, and the first time it is tested is during a real incident.
• The EMM lives in a binder no one can find. Document control is taken seriously during development and then forgotten. Six months later no one knows where the current version is.

When to engage professional support

Small, low-risk facilities can deliver this project in-house if they follow the seven phases carefully. Engage professional support when one or more of the following applies:

• The facility is multi-tenanted, high-rise or has complex evacuation routes
• The facility is healthcare, aged care or special-needs accommodation (where AS 4083:2010 also applies)
• The facility handles hazardous materials, has lithium-ion storage, or has industry-specific risks
• The facility has insurance, regulatory or audit obligations requiring demonstrable compliance
• The internal team does not have the time to deliver the seven phases properly

First 5 Minutes has been delivering AS 3745-compliant plans across Australia for more than 30 years, with the largest Emergency Control Organisation training team in the country. Explore our facility emergency evacuation plan service, emergency evacuation diagrams, and PEEPs service, or contact our team on 1300 321 120 to discuss your facility.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to develop an emergency evacuation plan?
A small to mid-size facility typically completes the project in four to eight weeks with focused effort. Large multi-tenanted buildings, healthcare facilities, or sites with complex risk profiles can take three to six months. The seven-phase process cannot be compressed without compromising quality, particularly during hazard mapping, site walks and the initial validation exercise.

Who is responsible for developing the plan?
Under AS 3745:2010, the Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) develops, implements and maintains the plan. The PCBU has the underlying statutory duty under WHS law. In multi-tenanted buildings, the building owner or facility manager typically coordinates the master plan, with tenants developing sub-plans that integrate with it.

What is the difference between an emergency evacuation plan and an Emergency Management Manual?
The plan is the strategic and operational substance. The Emergency Management Manual (EMM) is the controlled document that packages the plan with supporting records: EPC and ECO membership, training records, diagrams, PEEPs, exercise reports and version control. For most Australian facilities, the EMM is the deliverable that demonstrates AS 3745 compliance.

Do I need to consult emergency services during development?
Yes. AS 3745 expects the plan to be developed in consultation with Fire and Rescue, police and ambulance services. At minimum, confirm response times, arrange a site familiarisation, and provide them with your current evacuation diagrams. For Triple Zero specifically, the plan should document a fallback path following the 2025 Optus and TPG outages.

What if my workplace is in a multi-tenanted building?
The building owner or facility manager typically coordinates a master plan covering common areas, shared routes and assembly points. Each tenant develops a sub-plan that integrates with the master. Tenants developing plans in isolation from the master plan is the most common compliance gap in multi-tenanted facilities.

How do I map the hazards for my facility?
AS 3745 expects a four-environment assessment (human, physical, technological, external). For each environment, identify every foreseeable emergency across human-induced, natural and technological families, rank by likelihood and consequence, and confirm the response category. The output is a risk register that drives every later procedural decision.

What is the difference between a primary and secondary assembly area?
The primary assembly area is the default destination after evacuation. The secondary area is used when the primary is compromised by the emergency itself (bomb threat, hazmat plume, structural collapse, fire spreading toward the primary) or by access constraints. Every plan must designate both, at a safe distance from the building and from foreseeable hazards.

Who needs a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)?
Any occupant who cannot evacuate unaided requires a PEEP. This includes permanent mobility, sensory or cognitive impairments, certain medical conditions, and temporary disability (e.g. injury, late-stage pregnancy). The PEEP is individual to the occupant, developed with their input, and reviewed whenever circumstances change.

How often must the plan be reviewed after launch?
At least annually, plus after every evacuation exercise, after every real incident, on significant change (building, occupancy, work activities, ECO membership), and on regulatory change. Evacuation diagrams are reviewed every five years or whenever the building layout or fire-fighting systems change.

Does AS 3745 apply if my facility has fewer than 20 occupants?
Yes. AS 3745:2010 applies to facilities of all sizes. The ECO structure and procedural depth can be scaled, but the core requirements (documented plan, designated responsible person, trained occupants, annual exercise, review cycle) apply regardless.

Can I download a template and just fill it in?
Templates can help structure the EMM document, but they cannot replace the project work in Phases 1 to 5. Hazard mapping, ECO formation, route verification, PEEP development and stakeholder consultation are facility-specific and cannot be templated. A “plan” that is a filled-in template without the underlying project work is not compliant under AS 3745.

What happens after the first validation cycle?
The plan enters its operational life. The EPC reviews it on the schedule established in Phase 7. ECO skills retention training runs at intervals no greater than six months. An annual evacuation exercise tests the plan. Real incidents trigger reviews. The plan is a living document under version control, not a publish-and-forget artefact.