The Emergency Planning Committee must consistently be aware of the type of emergency situations which could arise within the facility.

Additionally, identifying any events which could reasonably produce emergency situations within a facility must be kept top of mind for EPC members.

The Emergency Planning Committee are the body of individuals who are in charge of developing a facilities emergency plan.

This plan will highlight all considerations for a facility, to best ensure occupant safety during emergencies.

Emergency Planning Committee members are the primary group involved in ensuring resources are provided to their facility, to assist with the development and implementation of the emergency plan.

Emergency plans must be updated every 5 years in order for a facility to remain compliant in accordance with Australian Standard 3745:2010 – Planning for Emergencies in Facilities.

Your EPC members are responsible for ensuring this happens.

Finally, the EPC must also test emergency response procedures at minimum annually, to ensure they remain viable for the facility and occupants. The emergency plan must also be reviewed before the validity period is complete, if any changes are made to the facility, or emergency exercises are performed.

Occupants in a facility are the fundamental recipients of your emergency plan.

Without a high level of accessibility, occupant safety is significantly impacted during emergencies.

Because of this, it is the EPC’s role to ensure that emergency plans are consistently accessible to occupants. If there are any issues that arise impacting accessibility it is the EPC that are in charge of rectifying.

Finally, EPC members must also develop accessibility strategies to ensure that visitors are also aware of emergency response procedures within the emergency plan.

Your Emergency Planning Committee will be in charge of designating and managing your Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) members.

If outlined in the emergency plan or if necessary, the emergency response team will also be appointed by your EPC.

Finally, the EPC will also ensure your registry of ECO members is kept up to date.

The EPC must authorise the release of the emergency plan across the facility. Authorisation requires: 

• Spreading awareness about the plan.
• Training Emergency Control Organisation members.
• Testing emergency procedures, including emergency evacuation procedures.
• Reviewing procedures after they’ve been tested.

Maintaining records of each emergency event within a facility must be done by the Emergency Planning Committee as soon as they’ve occurred.

These records must also be compiled and retained by the EPC for future reference.

The Emergency Planning Committee must identify gaps and deficiencies in the emergency plan, emergency response procedures, and offer opportunities for improvements.