An exercise in safety

On 14 October, a large-scale evacuation exercise took place. Ten buildings (1-2-3-4-50-51-52-53-58-304), with a total capacity of almost 1900 people, were successfully evacuated.

 

The exercise, which for the first time involved all of the central buildings on the Meyrin site, was organised by the PH Department in collaboration with the HSE Unit, the GS Department and the safety officers of all the various departments involved. On the day, around 400 people were evacuated in just a few minutes.  “It took us three months to prepare for the exercise,” explains Niels Dupont, safety officer for the PH Department, who organised the exercise. “Around 100 people: safety officers, firefighters, emergency guides, observers, representatives from the control centre, etc. attended four preparatory meetings and five training sessions. We also purchased equipment such as evacuation chairs, high-visibility vests and signs to mark the evacuation route.”

The decision to carry out an evacuation exercise for this group of buildings was taken following an evaluation of fire hazards in 2012, which highlighted in particular hazards associated with the interconnected layout of the buildings, which could exacerbate the propagation of smoke in the event of fire and make it difficult for people to find their way around in an emergency.

by CERN Bulletin