Evacuation Diagrams for Truck Depots and Logistics AU

Truck depots, freight terminals, distribution centres, and logistics hubs are large, complex facilities where heavy vehicles, forklifts, dangerous goods, and large numbers of workers (often across multiple shifts) converge. These environments present evacuation challenges that go well beyond those of a standard warehouse. Vehicle movements, loading dock operations, fuel storage, cold chain areas, and the presence of transient workers (drivers who visit the site but do not work there permanently) all require careful consideration in the Emergency Management Plan and evacuation diagrams.

Under AS 3745:2010, Planning for Emergencies in Facilities, every truck depot and logistics centre must have compliant evacuation diagrams. This applies to the entire facility, including the office, warehouse floor, loading docks, yard, fuel storage area, and any maintenance workshop on site.

Heavy Vehicle Movements and Pedestrian Separation

The most immediate physical hazard in a truck depot is the movement of heavy vehicles. Trucks, prime movers, trailers, and forklifts are constantly moving within the yard and on the loading docks. During an evacuation, these vehicles must be stopped, and pedestrian evacuees must be directed away from vehicle movement areas.

The evacuation diagram should clearly show the designated pedestrian walkways, which should be physically separated from vehicle routes wherever possible. The assembly area must be located in a zone where vehicles cannot access, to protect evacuees from the risk of a vehicle striking them during the confusion of an emergency.

For facilities where the yard layout changes frequently (container stacking, trailer parking, temporary storage), the evacuation diagram should show the permanent features (buildings, fences, gates, fixed equipment) and the designated pedestrian routes. A notation should indicate that vehicle parking and container stacking areas are variable and that pedestrians should follow the marked walkways regardless of the current vehicle layout.

Loading Docks and Dock Levellers

Loading docks are a pinch point for evacuation. Workers on the dock may be trapped between a truck backed up to the dock and the warehouse wall. If a fire starts inside the warehouse, the dock area may fill with smoke rapidly because loading docks are often open to both the warehouse interior and the outside.

The evacuation diagram should show every loading dock door and indicate whether it can be used as an exit during an emergency. Some dock doors may be obstructed by trucks that cannot be moved quickly. The diagram should show alternative exits from the dock area, including any pedestrian doors, side exits, or stairways.

Dock levellers (the adjustable ramps between the dock and the truck) can be a trip hazard during an evacuation. If a leveller is in the raised or extended position, workers running across the dock area may fall. The Emergency Management Plan should include a procedure to lower all dock levellers to the stored position when an alarm sounds, but only if this can be done safely and quickly.

• Loading dock doors may be blocked by trucks; show alternative pedestrian exits
• Dock levellers in raised position are trip hazards; note their locations on diagrams
• Dock areas can fill with smoke quickly due to open connections to the warehouse
• Truck drivers at the dock must be included in the evacuation count
• The route from the dock to the assembly area should avoid active vehicle lanes

Dangerous Goods in Transit

Logistics centres frequently handle dangerous goods in transit. A truck loaded with Class 3 flammable liquids, Class 2.1 flammable gases, or Class 8 corrosive substances may be parked in the yard, backed up to a dock, or in the process of being unloaded. The evacuation plan must account for the possibility that a fire or spill involves dangerous goods.

Under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, the transport of dangerous goods is regulated by state and territory authorities. Facilities that receive, store, or dispatch dangerous goods must comply with the relevant state legislation (for example, the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations in Victoria or the Work Health and Safety Regulation in NSW).

The evacuation diagram should show the designated dangerous goods storage and staging areas. If the facility has a dangerous goods manifest (required above certain storage thresholds), the manifest should be accessible to emergency services. Some facilities include a reference to the manifest location on the evacuation diagram itself, which helps fire crews locate hazard information quickly upon arrival.

Shift Workers and Transient Personnel

Truck depots and logistics centres often operate 24 hours a day across multiple shifts. The occupant profile of the facility changes with each shift, and different areas of the facility may be occupied or unoccupied depending on the time of day. The warden roster must cover all shifts, not just the day shift.

Transient personnel, including delivery drivers, contractors, and agency workers, present a particular challenge. A truck driver who visits the depot once a week to pick up a load may have no training in the facility's emergency procedures and may not know where the exits or assembly area are. The evacuation diagram posted at the driver check-in point or weighbridge is often the only emergency information these drivers receive.

The diagram at the driver entry point should be clear and self-explanatory. It should show the yard layout, the pedestrian routes, the exits, and the assembly area. Some facilities include a simplified version of the evacuation diagram in the driver induction pack or display it on a digital screen at the gatehouse.

Fuel Storage and Maintenance Workshops

Many truck depots include on-site fuel storage (diesel tanks, sometimes petrol or AdBlue) and a maintenance workshop for fleet servicing. These areas introduce hazards similar to those in a fuel depot or auto repair shop, and the evacuation diagram must reflect these hazards.

The fuel storage area should be clearly identified on the diagram, along with the emergency fuel isolation valve. The maintenance workshop should show the gas isolation point (if welding or oxy-acetylene equipment is used), the location of spill kits, and the exits from the workshop. If the workshop has an inspection pit, it should be identified as a confined space on the diagram.

The route from the fuel storage area and maintenance workshop to the assembly area should be shown clearly. These routes should move evacuees away from fuel tanks and away from the main vehicle movement area. In a worst-case scenario (a fire involving the fuel storage), the assembly area may need to be relocated further from the facility. The Emergency Management Plan should include a secondary assembly area for this scenario.

Get Evacuation Diagrams for Your Truck Depot or Logistics Centre

EvacPath creates AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams for truck depots, freight terminals, distribution centres, logistics hubs, and transport yards across Australia. We understand large-scale facility layouts, vehicle and pedestrian separation requirements, and the specific challenges of dangerous goods and shift operations.

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.