How to Set Up an Emergency Planning Committee in Australia

Australian Standard AS 3745 requires most facilities to establish an Emergency Planning Committee (EPC). The EPC is the group responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining the emergency plan for a facility. If your building has evacuation diagrams, the EPC is the team that should be keeping them current.

This guide covers how to set up an EPC from scratch, who should be involved, and what the committee actually does.

What Is an Emergency Planning Committee?

The EPC is a formally constituted group responsible for:

• Developing the facility emergency plan
• Appointing and training wardens
• Scheduling and reviewing evacuation drills
• Maintaining evacuation diagrams and emergency signage
• Liaising with the fire authority and emergency services
• Reviewing and updating the emergency plan after incidents, drills, or building changes
• Ensuring fire safety equipment is maintained

Who Needs an EPC?

AS 3745 recommends an EPC for all facilities. In practice:

• Large buildings with multiple tenants almost always need a formal EPC
• Single-tenant workplaces with more than 25 occupants should have an EPC or at minimum an Emergency Coordinator
• Small businesses with fewer than 25 occupants may appoint an Emergency Coordinator instead of a full committee
• Strata buildings should have the body corporate or owners corporation fulfil the EPC role for common areas
• Schools, hospitals, and aged care facilities are required to have emergency management committees under their sector regulations

Who Should Be on the Committee?

The EPC should include:

• Building owner or representative (often the property manager)
• Senior management representative from major tenants
• Chief Warden
• Building maintenance or facilities manager
• WHS (Work Health and Safety) representative
• Security manager (if applicable)
• Representative from each major zone or floor (in large buildings)

The committee should have a chairperson (usually the building owner's representative or facilities manager) and a secretary to maintain records and minutes.

Setting Up the EPC: Step by Step

Follow these steps to establish your EPC:

• Step 1: Identify the committee members based on the roles above
• Step 2: Hold an inaugural meeting to establish terms of reference (scope, meeting frequency, roles)
• Step 3: Conduct a risk assessment of the facility (identify hazards, assess emergency scenarios)
• Step 4: Develop or review the emergency plan
• Step 5: Appoint wardens for each floor or zone
• Step 6: Arrange warden training
• Step 7: Install or update evacuation diagrams throughout the building
• Step 8: Schedule the first evacuation drill
• Step 9: Establish a regular meeting schedule (quarterly is standard)
• Step 10: Document everything (minutes, plans, drill records, diagram register)

Meeting Frequency and Agenda

The EPC should meet at least quarterly. A typical meeting agenda includes:

• Review of any incidents or near-misses since the last meeting
• Review of evacuation drill results and lessons learned
• Status of warden training (new wardens, refresher training)
• Building changes that affect the emergency plan or evacuation diagrams
• Fire equipment maintenance status (service records, deficiencies)
• Upcoming events or changes that may require temporary evacuation planning
• Review of action items from previous meetings

How the EPC Relates to Evacuation Diagrams

The EPC is directly responsible for ensuring evacuation diagrams are:

• Installed at all required locations
• Current and accurate (reflecting any building changes)
• Consistent with the emergency plan (same exit routes, same assembly area)
• Reviewed after every building modification, drill debrief, or incident
• Replaced when damaged or outdated
• Included in the building's fire safety documentation

A diagram register (listing every diagram location, version, and installation date) should be maintained by the EPC and updated at each meeting.

Get Your Diagrams Sorted

If your EPC is reviewing evacuation diagrams or setting up a new emergency plan, EvacPath can help with the diagram component. We create AS 3745-compliant evacuation diagrams from floor plans, delivered as print-ready PDFs in 3 to 5 business days.

Pricing starts at A$70 per diagram. Volume pricing available for multi-floor buildings.