Fire drills: how often, who leads them, and what to record
The Fire Safety Order asks for drills but does not give a number. What the guidance says, and the record that satisfies an inspector.
30 July 2026 · 4 min read
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 puts the duty on the responsible person to ensure that employees are given adequate safety training, including fire drills. The Order does not set a frequency; government guidance does.
How often
Guidance for factories and warehouses says drills should be carried out at least annually, and more often where there is high staff turnover, shift working or a change in the building. Many businesses run one per shift pattern per year so that night staff are drilled too, not just the day shift that happens to be in when the alarm sounds.
Who leads
Fire marshals, sometimes called fire wardens, are the nominated people who sweep their area, assist evacuation and report to the person in charge at the assembly point. Every shift needs cover. If your only marshal works days, your night shift has none.
What to record
- Date and time, and whether the drill was planned, unannounced or a real evacuation.
- Time from alarm to all clear at the assembly point.
- Number of people evacuated and whether everyone was accounted for.
- Who led the drill.
- Issues found: blocked exits, alarm not heard in the plant room, a marshal missing, people carrying things out. Each issue should have an owner and a date.
The point of the record
An inspector is looking for evidence that you drill, that you find problems, and that you fix them. A drill log with no issues ever recorded looks less credible than one that finds a blocked exit and shows it cleared a week later.
Safegen's fire page brings the fire risk assessment, marshals, drills and equipment together per site. Drill issues are actions with owners, and a site with no drill in twelve months is called out.
