Evacuation Diagrams for Pop-Up Shops and Temporary Venues

Pop-up shops, temporary retail activations, market stalls, food trucks in fixed locations, and short-term event venues are a growing part of Australia's retail and hospitality landscape. Operators often assume that because their occupancy is temporary (a few days, weeks, or months), they are exempt from emergency planning requirements. That assumption is incorrect.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, every PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) has a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers and others at the workplace. This duty applies regardless of whether the workplace is permanent or temporary. The WHS Regulations require emergency plans for all workplaces. AS 3745:2010 provides the framework for implementing those plans, including evacuation diagrams.

When Does a Temporary Premises Need Evacuation Diagrams?

The practical answer depends on the type, duration, and location of the temporary operation. There is no blanket exemption in AS 3745 or the WHS Regulations for temporary premises. However, the standard of "reasonably practicable" means that what is required for a two-day market stall differs from what is required for a three-month pop-up shop in a retail tenancy.

A pop-up shop occupying a standard retail tenancy for weeks or months is, for practical purposes, a regular retail operation. It needs an Emergency Management Plan, evacuation diagrams posted at the required locations, and staff trained in the emergency procedures. The fact that the lease is short-term does not change the WHS obligations during the period of occupancy.

A market stall at an outdoor weekend market is a different situation. The market operator (not the individual stallholder) is typically responsible for the overall emergency plan for the market site. Individual stallholders should be briefed on the site emergency plan, know the exit routes and assembly area, and understand their responsibilities in an emergency. Individual stallholders do not typically need their own evacuation diagrams, but the market site does.

• Pop-up shop in a retail tenancy (weeks/months): full evacuation diagram required
• Temporary event in a venue (days/weeks): event-specific diagram required
• Market stall at an organised market: market operator provides site-level plan
• Food truck in a fixed location: depends on duration and whether inside a structure
• Temporary construction site offices: covered by construction WHS requirements

Pop-Up Shops in Existing Retail Tenancies

When a pop-up shop occupies a vacant retail tenancy, the operator inherits the emergency planning obligations for that space. The building may already have a base building Emergency Management Plan and common area evacuation diagrams, but the tenancy itself needs its own diagram showing the internal layout, exit routes, and firefighting equipment locations.

In practice, the pop-up operator should request the building's emergency plan from the landlord or property manager, identify the nearest fire exits and assembly area, and commission a tenancy-specific evacuation diagram. If the pop-up is in a shopping centre, the centre management will typically require the pop-up to comply with the centre's emergency procedures as a condition of the licence agreement.

The challenge for pop-up operators is speed. If you are moving into a tenancy for a four-week activation, you need the diagram before you open, not three weeks later. This is where working with a provider that can deliver quickly is important. EvacPath delivers diagrams in 3 to 5 business days, which is fast enough for most pop-up timelines.

Temporary Events and Festivals

Temporary events, from a small product launch in a rented venue to a multi-day festival in a park, have specific emergency planning requirements under state event legislation and the WHS Act. Most states require an Event Management Plan (EMP) for any event that uses a public space or involves more than a defined number of attendees.

The event EMP must include emergency procedures, exit routes, assembly areas, and (for events in enclosed or semi-enclosed venues) evacuation diagrams. For outdoor events, the equivalent is a site plan showing emergency exits, access routes for emergency vehicles, the locations of first aid posts, and the crowd management plan.

Event operators must submit their EMP to the relevant council and sometimes to the police and fire authority for approval before the event can proceed. Failure to have an adequate emergency plan is grounds for the council to refuse the event application or shut down an event in progress.

Practical Challenges of Temporary Evacuation Planning

The biggest practical challenge with temporary venues is that the layout changes. A pop-up shop may reconfigure its display layout midway through the activation. An event venue may change its seating arrangement between sessions. A market may have different stallholder layouts on different days.

Each significant layout change that affects exit routes, aisle widths, or the location of firefighting equipment should trigger a review of the evacuation diagram. For short-term operations, this means keeping the diagram simple and focused on the elements that are unlikely to change: the building exits, the fire stairs, the assembly area, and the locations of fire extinguishers and alarm points.

For events with multiple configurations (a venue that hosts a conference layout on day 1 and a gala dinner layout on day 2), separate diagrams for each configuration are the most compliant approach. Alternatively, a single diagram showing all exits and fixed safety features, combined with verbal briefings and warden guidance for the specific layout, can be a practical compromise.

Landlord and Venue Obligations

When a temporary operator occupies a space owned by someone else, the WHS obligations are shared. The building owner or landlord must ensure that the base building fire safety systems (alarms, sprinklers, emergency lighting, fire stairs) are maintained and functional. The tenant or event operator must ensure that the space they occupy has a current emergency plan and evacuation diagrams.

Many short-term lease and licence agreements include a clause requiring the temporary occupant to comply with all applicable WHS and fire safety requirements. If you are signing a pop-up lease or an event venue hire agreement, check for these clauses and budget for the cost of evacuation diagrams as part of your setup costs.

Some venue operators include emergency planning support as part of their hire package, particularly for event venues that regularly host different configurations. Ask the venue what they provide before assuming you need to start from scratch.

Get Evacuation Diagrams for Your Pop-Up or Temporary Venue

EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for pop-up shops, temporary retail activations, and event venues across Australia. We understand the time pressure of temporary operations and deliver print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days.

Send us your floor plan and we will deliver print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days. No site visit required. Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Basic Package A$280 for up to 4 diagrams, Standard Package A$420 for up to 8 diagrams.