5 Signs Your Evacuation Diagrams Need Updating

Evacuation diagrams are not a set-and-forget item. Buildings change. Tenants move. Equipment gets relocated. If your diagrams do not reflect the current state of your building, they are a liability, not a safety tool.

Here are five clear signs your evacuation diagrams need replacing.

1. The Building Layout Has Changed

This is the most common reason diagrams become outdated. Any renovation, fit-out, or reconfiguration that changes the floor plan means your diagrams no longer match reality.

Examples include:

• Walls added or removed during a renovation
• New rooms, offices, or partitions installed
• Doorways sealed off or relocated
• A change of tenancy that altered the internal layout
• New furniture or equipment blocking previously clear pathways

If someone following your evacuation diagram would encounter a wall where the plan shows a corridor, the diagram is worse than useless. It actively misleads people during an emergency.

2. Fire Equipment Has Been Moved or Added

Evacuation diagrams must show the location of fire extinguishers, hose reels, manual call points, and other firefighting equipment. If any of these have been moved, added, or removed, the diagram is out of date.

This happens more often than you might think:

• A fire extinguisher was relocated during a renovation
• New hose reels were installed as part of a fire system upgrade
• A manual call point was moved to a new position near a changed exit
• Equipment was removed and never replaced

During a fire, people look at the diagram to find the nearest extinguisher or alarm. If the diagram points them to the wrong spot, critical seconds are lost.

3. Exit Routes or Assembly Areas Have Changed

Exit routes are the most critical element on an evacuation diagram. If an exit has been blocked, sealed, or a new exit has been added, every diagram showing that route needs to be updated.

Assembly areas change too. A car park that was once your designated assembly point may now be a construction zone, a new building, or a loading dock. If your assembly area has moved, your diagrams must reflect the new location.

4. The Diagrams Are More Than 5 Years Old

AS 3745 does not set a hard expiration date for evacuation diagrams. However, industry best practice is to review them every 5 years at minimum, even if nothing obvious has changed.

Why? Because small changes accumulate over time. A door that was propped open becomes permanently sealed. An extinguisher gets moved a few metres during cleaning and never goes back. A new tenant takes over the space next door and the shared corridor layout shifts.

If the date on your diagram is 2020 or earlier, it is time for a review. Check it against the current layout. If anything has drifted, get new diagrams made.

5. You Have a Fire Safety Audit or Inspection Coming Up

If your building is about to undergo a fire safety audit, council inspection, or insurance review, your evacuation diagrams will be checked. Inspectors compare the diagram to the actual building. If they do not match, you fail.

Common triggers for an inspection:

• Annual fire safety statement renewal
• New lease or change of tenancy
• Development application or building approval
• Insurance policy renewal or claim
• Complaint from a tenant, employee, or visitor

Do not wait for the inspector to tell you your diagrams are wrong. Get ahead of it. A failed inspection means follow-up costs, re-inspection fees, and potential fines.

What Happens If Your Diagrams Are Outdated?

The risks are real:

• Failed fire safety inspections and potential fines
• Insurance complications if an incident occurs and diagrams were not current
• Personal liability for building owners and managers
• Confusion during an actual emergency, putting occupants at risk
• Lease or compliance issues with tenants or local council

Evacuation diagrams are a legal obligation, not a decoration. If yours are outdated, the cost of replacing them is far less than the cost of non-compliance.

How to Get Your Diagrams Updated

Updating your evacuation diagrams is straightforward:

• Take a photo or scan of your current floor plan (or the outdated diagram itself)
• Mark any changes: new walls, moved equipment, changed exits
• Send it to a diagram provider
• Receive updated, AS 3745-compliant PDFs

At EvacPath, we make this simple. Send us your existing floor plan or even a photo of your old diagram, and we will create updated AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams. Print-ready PDFs delivered in 3 to 5 business days.

Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. No site visit needed. No hidden fees.