What's in this template?
This Emergency Evacuation Plan gives Australian healthcare practices a complete plan aligned to regulation 43 of the WHS Regulations 2011 and AS 3745-2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities. It is the standard plan an inspector, accreditor or insurer would expect to see in any healthcare workplace.
The plan covers 14 sections plus a sign-off block:
- Purpose and authority
- Scope — workers, patients, visitors; internal and external emergencies
- Emergency types and codes — Red, Blue, Black, Yellow, Brown, Purple, Orange
- Emergency Planning Committee and wardens — Chief, Deputy, Floor, First Aid, Communications
- One-page evacuation procedure — RACE acronym, on-alarm steps, refuge protocol
- Patient evacuation considerations — ambulatory, semi-ambulatory, non-ambulatory, mid-procedure
- Code-by-code response — Code Blue medical, Code Black violence, Code Yellow internal, Code Brown external
- Equipment and infrastructure — extinguishers, alarms, lighting, AED, drug kit, comms
- Drills and training — annual evacuation, tabletop, warden, first aid
- People with additional needs — mobility, sensory, cognitive, pregnancy
- Recovery and post-event — accounting, triage, regulator notification, debrief
- Emergency contact directory
- Related documents
- Approval and review
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Who needs an Emergency Evacuation Plan?
Every Australian healthcare practice. The WHS Regulations require every PCBU to have an emergency plan, and AS 3745 sets the standard for healthcare-grade content. The template is suitable for:
- General practices, day procedure clinics and specialist medical practices
- Allied health practices of any size
- NDIS providers and disability support services — particularly where participants may have evacuation needs
- Pharmacies, pathology and diagnostic imaging providers
- Aged care providers, private hospitals and outpatient clinics
- Multi-site practice groups — the plan is per-site, drawing on a shared framework
Building owners may also have an evacuation plan covering shared spaces — coordinate the practice plan with the building plan rather than relying solely on the building's plan.
WHS requirement at a glance
WHS Regulations regulation 43 — Emergency plans. A PCBU must ensure that an emergency plan is prepared for the workplace. The plan must provide for:
- Emergency procedures, including effective response, evacuation procedures, notifying emergency services, medical treatment and assistance, and effective communication
- Testing of the emergency procedures, including the frequency of testing
- Information, training and instruction to relevant workers in relation to implementing the emergency procedures
AS 3745-2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities. The Australian Standard sets out:
- Establishment of an Emergency Planning Committee
- Identification of emergencies through hazard analysis
- Emergency response procedures
- Wardens and warden training
- Evacuation diagrams (current within 5 years)
- Drills and review cycle
Healthcare practices generally meet AS 3745 by adopting the structure in this plan and customising for their building, occupancy and clinical mix.
Australian Healthcare Emergency Codes
Healthcare practices use a colour-coded emergency code system that allows clear communication without alarming patients. The plan uses the standard codes:
| Code | Emergency | |---|---| | Code Red | Fire / smoke | | Code Blue | Medical emergency | | Code Black | Personal threat / occupational violence | | Code Yellow | Internal emergency (gas, chemical, infrastructure, IT outage) | | Code Brown | External emergency (bushfire, flood, storm, mass casualty) | | Code Purple | Bomb threat / suspicious package | | Code Orange | Evacuation |
Smaller practices may operate with a simplified code set — at minimum: fire, medical, occupational violence, evacuation. The plan should reflect what's practical for your team size.
Why patient evacuation deserves its own section
Healthcare evacuation is more complex than a typical office because patients may have reduced mobility, be sedated, be receiving treatment, or be partway through a procedure. The plan's section 6 sets out the patient evacuation hierarchy:
- Move ambulatory patients first by walking with a staff member
- Move semi-ambulatory patients with assistance — wheelchair, two-person assist
- Move non-ambulatory patients last — using carrier sheets, evacuation chairs or stretchers
- Assess clinical status — a patient mid-procedure may need sedation reversal or temporary stabilisation before evacuation
- Take medication / oxygen as part of the move where time allows
- Account for every patient signed in at reception against the patient list at the assembly point
How to customise this template
- Download the Word document and replace every
{{placeholder}}with your details - Walk the building — confirm exits are unobstructed, evacuation diagrams posted at every exit (current within 5 years), emergency lighting works (test 6-monthly per AS 2293), fire extinguishers tagged within last 6 months
- Nominate the Chief Warden, Deputy, Floor Wardens and First Aid Officers — book them onto annual training
- Choose your assembly point — somewhere safe, away from the building, accessible to emergency services
- Adapt the codes to your practice size — drop codes you don't need, simplify Code Yellow if you don't use lab chemicals
- Coordinate with the building owner if you are a tenant — your plan should align with the building's plan
- Print the one-page procedure (section 5) and post it next to every fire extinguisher
- Run a drill at least annually — a real walk-through, not a tabletop exercise — and update the plan with lessons
Related templates and tools
The Evacuation Plan is the cornerstone of emergency preparedness:
- WHS Policy — the high-level commitment that the plan implements
- Hazard and Risk Register — fire and emergency hazards link to this plan
- Workplace Inspection Checklist — section 5 (electrical and fire safety) audits the plan
- Incident and Hazard Report Form — used after every emergency event
- Business Continuity Plan — activated when the building cannot be reoccupied
- Psychosocial Hazards and Workplace Wellbeing Policy — debrief after traumatic emergencies
- WHS Induction Checklist — new workers learn the plan on Day 1
- Emergency Response Plan (RACGP library) — broader response covering pandemic, IT outage and clinical emergencies
Frequently asked questions
Is an Emergency Evacuation Plan mandatory?
Yes. Regulation 43 of the WHS Regulations requires every PCBU to have an emergency plan, and the standard practice is to align it with AS 3745-2010. Without a plan, the practice is exposed to WHS regulator action, accreditor non-conformance and potential liability if an emergency goes badly.
How is this plan different from the building's plan?
The building plan covers shared spaces, structure, alarms and the building-wide assembly point. The practice plan covers what the practice's workers and patients do — patient evacuation, codes, internal procedures, the practice's wardens and first aiders. Both are needed for a tenant — coordinate them.
How often does the plan need to be reviewed?
The Emergency Planning Committee reviews the plan at least annually, after every drill, after every emergency event, and after any change to the building, occupancy, layout or local emergency services arrangements. Evacuation diagrams must be reviewed at least every 5 years per AS 3745.
Do we need a defibrillator (AED)?
Not legally required for general practice, but recommended and increasingly expected by accreditors and indemnity insurers. The plan's section 8 (equipment) lists AED among the recommended emergency equipment. If installed, monthly visual checks and pad expiry monitoring are standard.
What about CPR and First Aid certification?
The plan recommends HLTAID011 Provide First Aid (3-yearly) and annual CPR refreshers for at least one trained worker on every shift. Higher-acuity practices (day procedure, sedation) typically require more advanced certification matched to the clinical scope.
How do we handle people who can't evacuate independently?
Section 10 of the plan covers people with additional needs — mobility, sensory, cognitive, pregnancy. Workers can self-disclose specific evacuation needs to the Chief Warden, who maintains a confidential register. For patients, the Floor Warden assesses needs at the time and assigns assistance. Refuge areas and evacuation chairs handle stairwell scenarios.
How often should we drill?
At least annually for a full evacuation drill, and at least annually for a tabletop exercise covering Code Black or Code Brown. Some accreditors and insurers expect more frequent drills for higher-risk environments. Drill outcomes are documented and used to revise the plan.
Will accreditors accept this template?
Yes, when populated. RACGP 5th Edition Criterion C3.3 (emergency response plan) requires a documented plan covering medical, fire, natural disaster and evacuation scenarios. NDIS Practice Standards Core Module 1 (governance) and ISO 45001 (clause 8.2 emergency preparedness and response) cover the same territory. The plan's structure — committee, codes, procedures, drills, recovery — maps cleanly to all three frameworks.