---
title: "Evacuation Diagrams for Schools and Universities in Australia"
description: "Complete guide to evacuation diagram requirements for Australian schools and universities. Covers WHS obligations, Education Act requirements, campus-specific challenges, classroom and corridor placement, lockdown vs evacuation, and how many diagrams a typical school needs."
canonical: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-schools-universities
source: https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagrams-for-schools-universities
---

# Evacuation Diagrams for Schools and Universities in Australia

> Complete guide to evacuation diagram requirements for Australian schools and universities. Covers WHS obligations, Education Act requirements, campus-specific challenges, classroom and corridor placement, lockdown vs evacuation, and how many diagrams a typical school needs.

_EvacPath Team · 2026-04-07 · 7 min read_

Schools and universities sit at the intersection of multiple regulatory frameworks when it comes to evacuation planning. Between Work Health and Safety legislation, state and territory Education Acts, and Australian Standard [AS 3745](https://evacpath.com/blog/evacuation-diagram-requirements-australia):2010, education facilities face some of the most detailed emergency management obligations of any building type in Australia.

This guide covers what schools, TAFEs, and universities need to know about evacuation diagrams: the legal requirements, the practical challenges unique to education settings, where diagrams must be placed, and how to calculate how many you need.

## Legal Obligations for Education Facilities

Evacuation diagram requirements for schools and universities come from several overlapping sources. Understanding which laws apply to your facility helps you prioritise compliance efforts.

At the federal level, the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (and its state equivalents) requires persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) to maintain safe premises. For schools, the PCBU is typically the school authority, religious organisation, or government department. For universities, it is the institution itself.

State and territory Education Acts and departmental policies layer additional requirements on top of WHS legislation:

- NSW: NSW Department of Education requires all public schools to follow CEMO (Critical Incident and Emergency Management) guidelines, which reference AS 3745 for evacuation diagram standards
- Victoria: Department of Education (DE) schools must comply with the Emergency Management in Schools policy and the Victorian School Building Authority's guidelines
- Queensland: Department of Education guidelines require Emergency Management Plans (EMPs) that include compliant evacuation diagrams for all school buildings
- WA: Department of Education WA requires Emergency Response Plans, with evacuation diagrams reviewed annually or after any building changes
- SA: SA Department for Education references AS 3745 in its emergency management guidelines for all government schools
- ACT: Education Directorate schools follow ACT Emergency Management Framework requirements alongside AS 3745
- Independent and Catholic schools are generally required to follow the same AS 3745 standard, with oversight from their respective sector bodies

Universities and TAFEs are regulated primarily under WHS legislation and their own internal health and safety policies, with some institutions also subject to specific state building regulations depending on their facilities and the age of their buildings.

## Unique Challenges in Education Settings

Schools and universities present evacuation planning challenges that simply do not arise in offices or retail buildings. Understanding these challenges is the first step to creating diagrams that actually work in an emergency.

## Vulnerable and Diverse Occupants

Unlike an office building where all occupants are adults who can self-evacuate, schools include children who depend on adult direction during emergencies. Primary school children in particular need clear, supervised evacuation routes that avoid congestion points. Students with disabilities, students with limited English proficiency, and students who are new to the school all need to be accounted for in evacuation planning.

At the university end, campuses host thousands of people who may be unfamiliar with individual buildings, particularly during O-Week, open days, and when students move between faculties. Lecture theatres can hold hundreds of people simultaneously, making crowd flow management a critical design consideration for evacuation routes.

## Multiple Buildings and Large Campuses

A typical secondary school has multiple distinct buildings: main classroom blocks, a separate hall or gymnasium, a library, a canteen, demountable classrooms, outdoor covered areas, and administration buildings. Each building is a separate facility for evacuation planning purposes, and each one needs its own set of diagrams oriented to that building.

Universities are effectively small cities. A medium-sized Australian university campus might have 50 or more buildings, each requiring its own evacuation diagrams. Faculties, administrative buildings, student accommodation, libraries, research facilities, and sports centres all have different layouts and potentially different assembly areas.

High-risk spaces require particular attention in evacuation diagrams:

- Science laboratories with hazardous chemicals and gas lines require diagrams that clearly mark the location of gas shut-offs, emergency showers, and eyewash stations in addition to standard fire equipment
- Workshops and technology rooms have restricted movement around heavy machinery and workbenches
- Assembly halls and gymnasiums with large open floor areas and limited exits need diagrams that show crowd flow capacity
- Libraries and exam halls with dense seating arrangements can create bottlenecks during evacuation
- Home economics rooms and commercial kitchens with fixed equipment near exits need careful route planning
- Demountable classrooms at the perimeter of the campus may have assembly areas different from the main campus assembly point

## After-Hours and Community Use

School facilities are frequently used outside standard hours for community events, evening classes, sporting fixtures, and weekend activities. During these periods, the regular staff who know the building are often absent, and the occupants may never have been in the building before.

This makes accurate, clearly placed evacuation diagrams even more important. The diagram at the main hall entrance may be the only safety information available to a parent attending a school concert, a community group running a meeting, or a sporting team using the oval change rooms. Diagrams must be placed at every entry point used during after-hours events, not just the main daytime entries.

## What Must Evacuation Diagrams Show in Education Facilities

AS 3745:2010 sets out the mandatory content for all evacuation diagrams. For schools and universities, this means each diagram must include:

- A floor plan of the level or zone showing the actual layout, including classroom walls, corridors, and stairwells
- "You Are Here" marker accurately positioned for the diagram's installed location
- All exit routes and exit doors highlighted
- Fire stair locations and direction of travel
- Location of fire extinguishers, hose reels, and hydrant boosters
- Manual call point (fire alarm break glass) locations
- Assembly area clearly labelled with directional arrow if it is not visible from the building
- Emergency contact numbers including 000, the school's main office number, and relevant department emergency contacts
- Building name, block reference, and full street address
- Date of creation or last review

For science labs and workshops, it is strongly recommended (and in some jurisdictions required) to also include the location of gas isolation valves, chemical storage rooms, emergency eyewash stations, and first aid kits. These can be shown as additional optional elements under AS 3745.

## Lockdown vs Evacuation: A Critical Distinction

One area where education facilities differ significantly from commercial buildings is the requirement to plan for lockdown scenarios as well as fire evacuation. A lockdown is the opposite of an evacuation: occupants shelter in place, doors are secured, and movement is restricted. Lockdowns are initiated in response to external threats such as an armed intruder, a dangerous person near the school, or a hazardous materials incident in the vicinity.

Evacuation diagrams under AS 3745 cover fire and emergency evacuation. They do not serve as lockdown instructions. Schools must maintain separate lockdown procedures, and staff must be trained to distinguish between the two responses.

However, the evacuation diagram must not conflict with lockdown procedures. For example, if a classroom's designated evacuation route passes an area that would be used as a lockdown shelter, this needs to be reconciled in the emergency management plan. The evacuation diagram shows where to go during a fire; the lockdown plan shows where to stay during a security threat. These documents must be consistent with each other and clearly labelled to avoid confusion during a real emergency.

## Placement: Classrooms, Corridors, and Administration

Placement requirements for school evacuation diagrams follow AS 3745 rules but need to be applied thoughtfully to the education environment:

- Every classroom should have a diagram mounted near the door at 1,200mm to 1,600mm from the floor, oriented so "up" on the diagram matches the forward direction from the viewing position
- Every corridor junction and fire door should have a diagram showing routes to the nearest exit stair or exit door
- Administration and staff areas (staffrooms, principal's office, front reception) need diagrams for staff who work in those areas
- Gymnasium, assembly hall, and canteen entrances all need diagrams, especially given after-hours use
- Science labs and workshops: a diagram near the door and a second diagram near the emergency equipment location is recommended
- Toilets and change rooms: at least one diagram near the exit from each facility
- Demountable classrooms: each demountable needs its own diagram because the exit route from a demountable is different from the main building

## How Many Diagrams Does a Typical School Need?

This is one of the most common questions from school business managers and facilities staff. A rough guide for a medium-sized Australian secondary school with 1,000 students:

- Main classroom block (2 storeys, 20 classrooms): approximately 20 classroom diagrams plus 6 to 8 corridor and stair diagrams
- Science and technology building (separate): approximately 8 lab/workshop diagrams plus corridor diagrams
- Library: 2 to 3 diagrams depending on size
- Administration building: 3 to 5 diagrams
- Gymnasium and sports centre: 4 to 6 diagrams (entry, hall, change rooms)
- Assembly hall: 4 diagrams (main entrance, side entrances, backstage)
- Canteen and outdoor covered area: 2 to 3 diagrams
- Demountables (say 6 units): 6 individual diagrams

A school of this size would typically need between 55 and 80 individual diagrams. A primary school or small independent school might need 20 to 40. A large university building such as a multi-floor science complex could need 30 or more diagrams for that single building alone.

The number is driven by the number of distinct installed locations, not the number of floors. Every room used by students or staff needs at least one diagram oriented to that room's exit point.

## Working with Department of Education Requirements

Government school staff often ask how to work within the department's existing templates and processes. Each state department has its own preferred format for emergency management documentation, but these formats are generally consistent with AS 3745.

Key points when working within a departmental framework:

- Use the department's branded template if one is provided, ensuring all AS 3745 mandatory elements are included
- Submit diagram reviews as part of the annual Emergency Management Plan review process
- Engage the school's Principal (or delegated responsible person) as the facility's Emergency Planning Committee representative
- Document all diagram updates with dates and retain old versions in the school's emergency management records
- For multi-campus schools, each campus needs its own set of diagrams and emergency management documentation

## Order Evacuation Diagrams for Your School or University

EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for schools, TAFEs, and universities across Australia. We work entirely remotely from your floor plans. [No site visit](https://evacpath.com/how-it-works) is needed, which keeps costs low and turnaround fast.

We understand the complexity of education campuses: multiple buildings, room-specific diagrams, science lab requirements, after-hours placement needs, and departmental formatting preferences. Send us your floor plans and a marked-up version showing fire equipment locations, and we will produce print-ready PDFs for every location.

Pricing: A$70 per diagram. Basic Package A$280 for up to 4 diagrams. Standard Package A$420 for up to 8 diagrams. For larger schools and universities, contact us for volume pricing. All diagrams delivered in 3 to 5 business days. No site visit fees. No travel charges.