PEEP: personal emergency evacuation plan
A PEEP is a written plan for one person who may need help to leave a building in an emergency, for example a wheelchair user, someone with limited mobility, a visual or hearing impairment, or a temporary injury. At work it is the usual way to meet your duty under the Fire Safety Order 2005 to get everyone out safely. Since 6 April 2026, high-rise residential buildings in England also have specific Residential PEEP duties.
Who needs a PEEP?
- Staff with a disability or condition that affects how quickly they can leave or hear an alarm.
- Staff with a temporary condition, such as a broken leg or late pregnancy.
- Regular visitors, students or residents in care settings. For occasional visitors, a general evacuation plan (GEEP) covers the support you provide.
Ask, don’t assume: offer everyone the chance to say if they need help, and agree the plan with the person.
What to include
| Section | Example |
|---|---|
| How the person is alerted | Vibrating pager, visual beacon, a named colleague |
| Escape route | Stair B to the east exit, avoiding the lift |
| Help needed and who gives it | Two trained buddies, with named backups for each shift |
| Equipment | Evacuation chair at the second floor landing |
| Refuge and communication | Refuge point with emergency voice communication |
| Review date | Every year or when anything changes |
A refuge is a temporary place of relative safety, not the end point. Your plan must say how the person gets from the refuge to the assembly point; don’t rely on the fire service to do it.
Residential PEEPs in England
The Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025 came into force on 6 April 2026. They apply to residential buildings with two or more flats that are at least 18 metres or seven storeys high, or over 11 metres with a simultaneous evacuation strategy. The responsible person must use reasonable endeavours to identify residents who would need help, offer them a person-centred fire risk assessment and a Residential PEEP, and share limited information with the fire and rescue service only with the resident’s explicit consent.
PEEPs belong in your fire risk assessment. The free fire risk assessment asks whether anyone needs help to evacuate and prompts you to agree a PEEP with them; drills go into the fire log book. Pro stores the documents together.
Free fire risk assessment See ProQuestions
Is a PEEP a legal requirement at work?
The law doesn’t use the word PEEP for workplaces, but the Fire Safety Order requires safe evacuation for everyone and the Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments. A PEEP is the accepted way to meet both.
Can a lift be used?
Only an evacuation lift or firefighting lift designed for this, and only as set out in your fire strategy. Ordinary lifts must not be used in a fire.
Who should be trained?
Everyone named in the PEEP, including backups. Practise the plan during fire drills, including using the evacuation chair.
Checked against the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, gov.uk Residential PEEPs guidance (updated 6 April 2026) and HM Government guidance on evacuation of disabled people, November 2026. Related: HMO fire risk assessment.