Checklist template

Emergency evacuation readiness for big box stores

A ready-to-use checklist with 117 items in 6 sections, covering Exits and routes, Alarms and lighting, Roles and drills, Customer assistance, Assembly, Records. Use it as-is in Bindy, or adapt it to your own standards in minutes.

  • 6 Sections
  • 117 Items
  • 100 Yes / No checks
  • 6 Scored ratings
  • 130 Points

Use this template How audits work

1. Exits and routes 22 items

  1. Emergency exit doors in the store Number
  2. Emergency exit doors opened and tested during the visit Number
  3. Every emergency exit door tested opened with one push on the panic bar Yes / No 1 pt
  4. No emergency exit door is locked, chained or bolted during opening hours Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Delayed-egress doors released within the delay stated on the door sign Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Exit doors swing fully open with nothing behind them outside Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The outside of each exit is clear of pallets, carts, dumpsters, snow and parked vehicles Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The walkway from each exit leads to the parking lot or a public way without a locked gate Yes / No 1 pt
  9. The main aisles leading to the exits are clear across their full width Yes / No 1 pt
  10. No pallet, display or stocking cart blocks a cross aisle leading to an exit Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Seasonal displays and promotional pallet stacks have not narrowed the route to any exit Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Checkout lanes that are closed can still be opened or passed through in an evacuation Yes / No 1 pt
  13. The garden center gates are unlocked whenever the garden center is open to customers Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Outdoor garden center exits are marked and clear of pallets of soil and mulch Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Exits from the receiving area and stockroom are clear of staged freight Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Mezzanine and office stairs are free of stored material Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Fire doors are not propped or wedged open Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Rolling fire shutters have nothing stored beneath them Yes / No 1 pt
  19. Evacuation maps are posted at the entrance, the break room and the receiving area Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Each evacuation map shows a "You are here" mark that matches its location Yes / No 1 pt
  21. Evacuation maps reflect the current store layout Yes / No 1 pt
  22. Condition of exits and routes Rating
    • Every exit and route clear and working 5 pts
    • Routes narrowed, exits working 3 pts
    • An exit blocked, locked or not opening 1 pt

2. Alarms and lighting 22 items

  1. The fire alarm panel shows normal, with no trouble or supervisory signal Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The fire alarm can be heard in the stockroom, the restrooms and the garden center Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Strobes or other visual alarms are installed in restrooms and on the sales floor Yes / No 1 pt
  4. No strobe or horn is hidden by signs, banners or top stock Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Manual pull stations are visible and unobstructed Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The monitoring company's phone number is posted at the fire alarm panel Yes / No 1 pt
  7. The fire alarm system has a current inspection tag from the service company Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Date of the last fire alarm inspection Date
  9. Every exit sign is lit Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Exit signs can be seen from the main aisles above fixtures, banners and hanging signs Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Directional exit signs point the right way where the exit is not in direct view Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Emergency lights came on when the test button was pressed on a sample of units Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Emergency light units tested during the visit Number
  14. Emergency light units that failed the test Number
  15. Emergency lighting covers the main aisles, the checkout area and each exit door Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Each emergency light unit checked shows its charging indicator lit Yes / No 1 pt
  17. The emergency generator, where the store has one, was tested on its schedule Yes / No 1 pt
  18. The public address system can be heard clearly in every department Yes / No 1 pt
  19. The public address system works on backup power, or bullhorns are available Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Bullhorns have working batteries Yes / No 1 pt
  21. The sprinkler control valves are open and locked or supervised Yes / No 1 pt
  22. Alarm and emergency lighting condition Rating
    • All working and tested on schedule 5 pts
    • Working, test records incomplete 3 pts
    • Alarm trouble or lights failing 1 pt

3. Roles and drills 21 items

  1. The written evacuation plan names who orders an evacuation on each shift Yes / No 1 pt
  2. An evacuation coordinator is named for today's shifts on the schedule or the roles board Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Zone wardens or sweepers are assigned for each area of the store (sales floor, garden center, receiving, offices, restrooms) Yes / No 1 pt
  4. A backup is named for each role Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Employees with a role asked could describe their zone and their task Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Wardens have vests, flashlights or other identification kept where they can grab them Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Someone is assigned to call emergency services and confirm the alarm Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Someone is assigned to meet the fire department with keys and the site plan Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Cashiers asked knew to close and leave the register without cashing out Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Forklift and equipment operators asked knew to lower the load, park clear of aisles and leave on foot Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Employees asked knew not to use the elevator or the freight lift Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Vendors, demo staff and contractors sign in so they can be accounted for Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Tenants inside the store (pharmacy, optical, food counter, bank kiosk) are included in the plan Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Managers asked knew that the alarm is reset only after the fire department clears the building Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A full evacuation drill was held within the period set by company policy or local regulation Yes / No 1 pt
  16. Date of the last evacuation drill Date
  17. Minutes taken to clear the building in the last drill Number
  18. The last drill included a sweep of restrooms, fitting rooms and the break room Yes / No 1 pt
  19. A drill was held with the overnight or early-morning stocking crew Yes / No 1 pt
  20. Problems found in the last drill were corrected Yes / No 1 pt
  21. Readiness of evacuation roles Rating
    • Roles assigned and known on every shift 5 pts
    • Roles assigned, some not known 3 pts
    • No roles assigned 1 pt

4. Customer assistance 17 items

  1. A scripted evacuation announcement is kept at the public address microphone Yes / No 1 pt
  2. The announcement is available in the languages commonly spoken by the store's customers Yes / No 1 pt
  3. Employees asked knew to direct customers to the nearest exit, not the main entrance Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Employees asked knew to tell customers to leave carts and merchandise behind Yes / No 1 pt
  5. Wardens check restrooms, fitting rooms, the photo or service counters and in-store food seating Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Employees are assigned to help customers who use wheelchairs, walkers or mobility scooters Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Motorized shopping carts are steered out of the aisles so they do not block the route Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The plan covers customers with vision or hearing loss, with a person-to-person alert Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Areas of refuge or rescue assistance, where the building has them, are marked and clear Yes / No 1 pt
  10. Employees asked knew to tell the fire department where anyone who could not leave is waiting Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Children separated from an adult are taken out by an employee and brought to a set point at the assembly area Yes / No 1 pt
  12. The pharmacy, optical and service counters have a procedure for customers in the middle of a service Yes / No 1 pt
  13. Customers waiting for curbside pickup or loading are directed away from the building Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Employees at the doors stop customers from entering during an evacuation Yes / No 1 pt
  15. Employees asked knew not to stop a customer leaving with unpaid merchandise during an evacuation Yes / No 1 pt
  16. The evacuation plan covers the curbside pickup and lumber loading areas Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Employee knowledge of how to assist customers Rating
    • Every employee asked gave the right actions 5 pts
    • Some hesitated or missed a step 3 pts
    • Most did not know what to do 1 pt

5. Assembly 18 items

  1. A primary assembly point is designated in the parking lot, away from the building and the fire lanes Yes / No 1 pt
  2. A secondary assembly point is designated in case the first is unsafe Yes / No 1 pt
  3. The assembly point is marked with a sign or a numbered light pole Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Employees asked could name the assembly point Yes / No 1 pt
  5. The assembly point is clear of the route fire trucks take to the building Yes / No 1 pt
  6. The assembly point is not next to the propane exchange cage or the garden center chemical storage Yes / No 1 pt
  7. A current employee schedule or roster is taken out for the headcount Yes / No 1 pt
  8. The visitor and vendor sign-in sheet is taken out for the headcount Yes / No 1 pt
  9. A named person takes the headcount Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The headcount result is reported to the evacuation coordinator Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Missing persons are reported to the fire department, with their last known location Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Customers are directed to a separate area away from the entrances Yes / No 1 pt
  13. No one re-enters until the fire department or the coordinator gives the all-clear Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Employees asked knew not to move their vehicles during an evacuation Yes / No 1 pt
  15. A sheltered place is identified for long evacuations in cold or wet weather Yes / No 1 pt
  16. An emergency kit (first aid, blankets, flashlight, contact list) is kept where it can be taken out Yes / No 1 pt
  17. Fire lanes in front of the store are free of parked vehicles and displays Yes / No 1 pt
  18. Assembly and headcount arrangements Rating
    • Defined, marked and known 5 pts
    • Defined, not widely known 3 pts
    • Not defined 1 pt

6. Records 17 items

  1. The written evacuation plan kept at the store was reviewed in the last 12 months Yes / No 1 pt
  2. Date of the last review of the evacuation plan Date
  3. The plan lists current emergency contacts for the store, the district and the landlord Yes / No 1 pt
  4. Drill reports are kept with the date, the time taken and the problems noted Yes / No 1 pt
  5. New employees receive evacuation training in their first week, with a record on file Yes / No 1 pt
  6. Evacuation training is on file for a sample of 5 employees Yes / No 1 pt
  7. Seasonal hires receive the evacuation briefing before their first shift Yes / No 1 pt
  8. Emergency light and exit sign tests are recorded on the schedule set by the fire code or company policy Yes / No 1 pt
  9. Sprinkler and fire alarm service reports are on file Yes / No 1 pt
  10. The last fire department inspection report is on file Yes / No 1 pt
  11. Violations from the last fire inspection have been corrected Yes / No 1 pt
  12. Exit door checks appear on the opening checklist Yes / No 1 pt
  13. False alarms and actual evacuations are logged with the cause Yes / No 1 pt
  14. Actual evacuations and false alarms in the last 12 months Number
  15. Name of the store manager Short text
  16. Overall evacuation readiness Rating
    • Exits, alarms, roles and drills all in order 5 pts
    • Exits and alarms working, gaps in roles, drills or records 3 pts
    • An exit or the alarm not working 1 pt
  17. Corrective actions required Comments

About this template

This checklist is part of the Bindy template library. Yes / No checks score 1 point when met; ratings score the points shown for each option. The overall score is the percentage of points earned, with N/A answers excluded. In Bindy you can add photos, assign corrective actions, require sign-off and compare results across sites.

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