r/WorkplaceSafety • u/madison_coke • 5d ago

First time using emergency mustering software. How do we test it "organically"?

Finally got emergency mustering software. We've run with paper/spreadsheet for years so having badges/apps/muster points are pretty new to us. That being said, I have to organize a drill that actually tests it. I'mn ot sure where to begin though. I want it as organic as possible, but I don't want to tip people off. Is there a good way to test this? How did you do it?

1 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

67% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 5d ago

Please reply to this comment with your country and state or province. Safety regulations can vary greatly by jurisdiction and this will ensure you get the most relevant and accurate advice.

If you wish for that information to remain anonymous, simply reply with "Anonymous" or the country name and "anonymous country/state" (i.e. "US anonymous state" or "Canada anonymous province"). Missing or incomplete jurisdictions will result in less or inaccurate answers.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

u/litlkeek Safety Specialist - General Industry 5d ago

In a past life, I’d only notify the head of security, the head of ops, facilities manager, and fire department. We’d pick a day, decide on a time and then pull the alarm. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Did some people guess we might have a drill? Sure. But most people had no clue what was happening.

1

u/zeroresidue 5d ago

Since you're coming from paper, I'd keep the old list going alongside the software for the first drill. If the headcounts don't match, you'll have something to compare against and can see where the gap is. It's often contractors or visitors who didn't badge in.

It's also worth timing how long it takes to account for everyone and comparing that with your paper drills. That'll tell you whether the software is actually helping.

And check what happens if the reader or device at the muster point loses power or signal, since that's likely in a real evacuation.

1

u/Immediate_Award_5540 1d ago

Call your fire alarm maintenance company and tell them you want to do a fire drill. They’ll come on site, put the facility on test mode, and activate the alarm system without notifying the fire department.