Templates and records · ISO 45001 · Clause 8.2

ISO 45001 emergency plan and drill record

An emergency plan is only credible if it is rehearsed. This template brings together the plan, which is maintained, and the record of each drill, which is retained and makes the plan better.

In one sentence

The emergency plan and its drill record define how foreseeable emergencies are handled —fire, spillage, serious accident—, who acts and with what resources, and document every exercise and what was learnt, because ISO 45001 requires documented information on the process and the response plans to be maintained and retained, tested periodically and evaluated (8.2), and article 20 of Spanish Law 31/1995 requires emergency measures to be adopted.

Content reviewed on 17 October 2026

Where the standard requires it: ISO 45001 · Clause 8.2 Clauses are cited using the numbering of ISO 45001:2018, the current edition, which includes the 2024 amendment on climate change.
Type of information: Mandatory document Documented information to be maintained and retained (8.2)
Who fills it in: Health and safety practitioner and emergency coordinator With the designated response and evacuation teams; the drill is observed by people who do not take part in it
When: Current plan and periodic drills The standard sets no frequency; at least one drill a year per site is usual
How long it is kept: Current plan and drills for the cycle The plan is kept up to date; drill reports are retained to show that it is tested and improved

What the standard requires

What ISO 45001 demands and what it leaves to your judgement

The standard requires a process to prepare for and respond to the emergencies identified in the risk assessment: planning the response, including first aid; training those who intervene; periodically testing and exercising response capability; evaluating performance and revising the plan, particularly after drills and real emergencies.

It also requires roles to be communicated to all workers, information to be given to contractors, visitors and emergency services, and interested parties to be taken into account in planning.

Article 20 of Spanish Law 31/1995 requires possible emergencies to be analysed and first aid, firefighting and evacuation measures to be adopted, with designated and trained staff. Some activities, because of their risk, must also have a self-protection plan under their specific regulations.

Read it in context: Operation, in the ISO 45001 Academy

Structure

Fields the template should include

Emergency scenarios identified in the risk assessment
Organisation: emergency coordinator, response, evacuation and first aid teams
Resources available and where they are located
Response, alarm, evacuation and external services notification procedures
Information for contractors and visitors
Team training and date
Drill programme
Report on each drill: scenario, timings, observers, deviations
Improvement actions and revision of the plan

Example

Example: spill drill in the chemical store

Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.

Field	Content
Scenario	Rupture of a 200 l solvent drum in the loading area · 22 May 2026, 10:15
Alarm	Alarm call point activated 40 seconds after detection
Response	Response team with spill kit in 4 min · area cordoned off in 6 min
Partial evacuation	23 people from the adjacent building at the assembly point in 5 min 30 s
Observers	Health and safety practitioner and a manager from another plant in the group
Deviation 1	The spill kit was behind a pallet; it took time to reach
Deviation 2	Two visitors did not know where the assembly point was
Actions	Kit in a marked, unobstructed area · warehouse · 31 May; emergency information added to the visitor log · reception · 15 June
Plan revision	Plan updated to version 5 on 10 June

At the audit

Mistakes auditors commonly flag

The plan describes a building or a workforce that no longer exists.
Drills always rehearse the same fire evacuation and never the other scenarios.
There is no drill report, or the report records no deviations.
Deviations found lead to no actions and no change to the plan.
Night or weekend shifts never take part in a drill.

In Kimobox

How this record is kept in Kimobox

1The emergency plan is published as a controlled document, with read receipts from those who have assigned roles.
2Drills are scheduled as recurring records, with an alert before the date.
3Each deviation becomes an action with an owner and a deadline.
4Emergency team training has its expiry date and alert on each person’s record.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask us before getting started

How often should drills be held?

ISO 45001 requires response capability to be tested periodically, without setting an interval. At least one drill a year per site is sensible, and more if there are several shifts or different scenarios. Some activities have their own intervals under self-protection regulations.

Does a tabletop exercise count?

Yes, for rehearsing decision-making and communications. But it does not replace a practical exercise, which is what reveals real timings, blocked access routes or equipment that does not work.

What is the difference between maintaining and retaining here?

The plan and the process are maintained: they must be current and up to date. Records of drills and real emergencies are retained: they are the proof that the plan is rehearsed and improved. Clause 8.2 requires both.

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Sources

Where each figure comes from

References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.

ISO 45001:2018 — Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use ISO · 2018 ed., with Amd 1:2024
Ley 31/1995 of 8 November on the prevention of occupational risks BOE-A-1995-24292 · Consolidated text