Emergency Plan Template

Every PCBU in New South Wales must prepare, maintain and implement a written emergency plan for the workplace — it is not optional, and it is one of the first documents an inspector asks for after any incident. The duty covers emergency procedures, evacuation, notifying emergency services, medical treatment and assistance, and effective communication between the person authorising the evacuation and everyone at the workplace. This template turns that duty into a completed plan: emergency contacts and site details, response procedures for the scenarios a workplace actually faces (fire, medical emergency, chemical spill, bomb threat, severe weather), evacuation routes and assembly areas, warden structure and responsibilities aligned to AS 3745, emergency equipment registers, and the drill and review schedule that keeps the plan live rather than filed. It is written so a small business can complete it without a consultant, while still standing up to scrutiny.

Hazards identified

9 hazards covered, sorted by priority.

Control measures

Hierarchy-of-controls order: elimination → substitution → isolation → engineering → administrative → PPE.

1. 1Walk the site and identify the emergency scenarios that actually apply — fire, chemical, medical, severe weather, threat
2. 2consult workers who do the work
3. 3record the outcome in the plan
4. 4Verify every nominated exit and route on foot
5. 5confirm assembly areas are clear of vehicle movement and a safe distance from the building
6. 6check egress is unobstructed and doors open in the direction of travel
7. 7Include spill and environmental release in the response procedures
8. 8identify drains and containment points on the site plan
9. 9Nominate a chief warden and area wardens with named deputies
10. 10train them and record it
11. 11brief all workers during induction
12. 12Cover every shift and roster
13. 13publish the warden list where workers can see it
14. 14assign responsibility for a headcount at the assembly area and for accounting for visitors and contractors
15. 15Document who isolates gas, power and plant, and the order in which it is done
16. 16Run and document an evacuation exercise at least annually
17. 17debrief and record what failed
18. 18brief new starters on induction
19. 19Maintain an emergency equipment register with inspection dates
20. 20test alarms and emergency lighting on schedule
21. 21keep exits and equipment unobstructed
22. 22Review the plan after any incident, near miss, or change to the site, hazards or workforce, and record the review date

Applicable Codes of Practice

Worked example

A distribution business had evacuation diagrams on the wall but no written emergency plan, no nominated wardens and no record of a drill. A small fire in the battery-charging bay led to an uncoordinated evacuation — two staff were unaccounted for at the assembly area for several minutes because nobody was responsible for a headcount. Completing this plan, appointing and training wardens, and running a documented drill closed the gap that the wall diagram had disguised.

Related legislation

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) — primary duty of care, s.19
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 3 Risk Management
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Part 4.2 Hazardous Manual Tasks
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 7 Hazardous Chemicals (register, SDS, labelling, placarding, manifest)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — emergency plan duty (s. 43)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2025 (NSW) — Chapter 3 Part 3.2 general working environment, first aid and facilities

Frequently asked questions