Create an escape plan: Obligations according to ASR A2.3 and DIN ISO 23601 are clearly implemented

An escape and rescue plan is required by law as soon as the location, extent or type of use of a workplace requires it. Section 4 Paragraph 4 of the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV) and the Technical Rules for Workplaces ASR A2.3 Escape routes and emergency exits, escape and rescue plan are relevant. DIN ISO 23601:2010-12 regulates the formal requirements for presentation and content. Violations of the obligations can be punished with a fine of up to 30,000 euros according to § 9 ArbStättV in conjunction with § 25 ArbSchG.

This article shows when an escape plan is mandatory, how it must be structured according to DIN ISO 23601, who is technically responsible for it and how the obligation to update it is carried out in practice. The focus is on the role of the fire protection officer and the contribution of CIVAC's compliance platform and officer-as-a-service to audit security. Deadline expires as soon as we become aware of it.

The obligation to draw up an escape and rescue plan results from Section 4 Paragraph 4 ArbStättV: Necessary safety markings, escape and rescue plans are required if the location, extent and type of use of the workplace require this. ASR A2.3 specifies the requirements. It names typical applications: confusing buildings, accommodation facilities, meeting places, sales outlets of certain sizes and workplaces with particular risks.

There are also special legal regulations. The model building regulations and the special building regulations of the states regularly require escape and rescue plans for assembly, sales and accommodation facilities. The workplace guidelines for educational institutions, supplementary school construction recommendations and the sales premises regulations require identical plans in specific execution.

The fire protection officer is expressly entrusted with the creation, maintenance and training of the escape plan in most orders. If there are several properties, the task is often coordinated centrally and carried out for each location, with documented acceptance by management.

DIN ISO 23601 specifies the content of an escape and rescue plan. Mandatory components are: floor plan with clearly visible escape routes in green, emergency exits, collection points, firefighting equipment, first aid facilities, location marking You are here, rules of conduct in the event of fire and accidents as well as emergency numbers. The plan must be displayed as a notice in DIN A3 format or larger.

The symbols follow DIN EN ISO 7010, which specifies standardised safety signs for rescue, fire protection and warning systems. A scale of 1:100 to 1:250 is common, with exceptions for large properties up to 1:350, in exceptional cases up to 1:1000 with additional partial plans. Legibility must be ensured under normal lighting and in emergency lighting, photometrically proven via fluorescent materials or illuminated version.

A bilingual version is mandatory if non-German-speaking employees or guests are regularly on site. Hotels, hospitals and manufacturing companies with international staff typically require German and English, and in border regions the neighboring language is also required. Others run compliance like a filing cabinet. We run it like software.

The creation of an escape and rescue plan requires fire protection expertise, knowledge of the structural conditions and experience with evacuation scenarios. In practice, fire protection officers, fire protection planners or specialised service providers take on this task. The fire protection officer is responsible for maintenance and updating in accordance with the respective state building regulations and vfdb guideline 12-09.

The task cannot be outsourced exclusively to external planners. Confirming the accuracy of the content, in particular the marked escape routes and collection points, is the responsibility of the facility management in conjunction with the fire protection officer. This responsibility must be anchored in the appointment certificate and the task description. The appointment certificate, signed, filed, verifiable.

Interfaces exist with the occupational safety specialist in the risk assessment according to § 5 ArbSchG, with the safety officer in employee information and with facility management in the case of structural changes. A clear reporting line prevents changes to the building from making the plan obsolete without anyone responding.

A resilient creation process includes seven steps. First: obtain a current floor plan, preferably in DWG or DXF format from the architect or facility management. Secondly: walk on site, walk down all escape routes, identify any stumbling blocks and bottlenecks. Third: Locate firefighting equipment, first aid facilities and emergency exits and mark them on the plan. Fourth: Define collection points outside, ideally two per building for different fire scenarios.

Fifth: Formulate rules of conduct in German and the other required languages, coordinated with the fire protection regulations Part A according to DIN 14096. Sixth: Location markings They should be set individually for each notice because the position of the marking makes the plan understandable. Seventh: Printing on age-resistant material, lightfast colors, illuminated version in areas without safety lighting.

The entire process is documented in the workspace, with versioning, approval by management and a reminder function for update deadlines. CIVAC's 490 audit templates contain a checklist for escape and rescue plans according to DIN ISO 23601, which guides this process step by step.

The ASR A2.3 requires a regular review of the escape and rescue plan, at least every two years. An immediate update is required as soon as changes affect escape routes, assembly points or firefighting equipment. Typical triggers are renovations, new rental spaces, changes of use, relocation of fire extinguishers or changes to emergency exits.

In practice, updating is the most common weak point. Plans are created once, not touched for years and become outdated unnoticed. During an inspection by the supervisory authority or the property insurer, this becomes apparent as soon as the actual inventory differs from the plan. Fines and requirements are the result, and damage cases in which the insurance company reduces benefits have a worse effect.

A workspace with a resubmission function solves this problem. Each plan receives a validity date, a reminder 90 days before expiry and a link to the construction file. Anyone who creates a conversion report in the workspace automatically triggers a check task for the escape plan. The auditor calls, the evidence is ready.

The best escape plan doesn't work if no one knows about it. Section 12 ArbSchG obliges employers to instruct employees before starting work and in the event of significant changes, at least annually. The instruction must include the escape plan, the meaning of the symbols according to ISO 7010, what to do in the event of a fire and evacuation and the individually responsible collection point.

Eviction drills are mandatory in many federal states for special buildings, such as schools and accommodation facilities. Vfdb guideline 12-09 recommends annual evacuation exercises for companies with more than 50 employees or with a particular fire risk. An evacuation exercise is also the most effective plausibility check for the escape plan: If employees take the wrong route despite the plan, the plan is incomprehensible.

The notices must be placed in clearly visible places in the building, each plan with an individual location point. In the CIVAC workspace, poster locations can be managed in a versioned manner, with photo evidence of the posting and the date of the last visual inspection. Audit-proof, documented, ASR-A2.3-proof.

Recurring defects emerge from inspections. Firstly, a lack of notices in areas with public traffic, especially in foyers, warehouses and branch offices. Secondly, outdated plans that do not reflect a renovation. Thirdly, non-ISO 7010 compliant symbols from old as-built plans. Fourthly, unclear or too small collection points without signage at the collection point.

Fifth, language versions that are missing in multilingual workforces. Sixth, non-photometrically effective plans in emergency lighting. Seventh, evacuation exercises that are missing from the documentation or remain unevaluated. Eighth, plans without a visible location marking You are here, which is crucial for orientation.

A pre-audit inspection by the fire protection officer, with spot checks on at least three different floors and wings of the building, eliminates these deficiencies in advance. CIVAC's compliance platform and officer-as-a-service provides a checklist that can be completed in under two hours per location. Licence the workspace for your internal representatives or have our representatives order it.

Property insurers check escape and rescue plans as part of the risk inspection before the contract is concluded and during regular follow-up inspections. Defects lead to requirements, premium adjustments or, in the event of a claim, a reduction in benefits due to gross negligence. The VdS guideline 2516 contains additional recommendations on escape and rescue routes, which are often referenced in insurance conditions.

In terms of liability law, Section 130 OWiG (breach of the duty of supervision in companies) as well as Section 222 StGB (negligent homicide) and Section 229 StGB (negligent bodily harm) are relevant in the event of damage. A documented appointment of the fire protection officer, a fire protection regulation approved in writing and a demonstrably up-to-date escape plan significantly reduce the management's liability risk.

In the event of damage, the question is also asked whether the employees were aware of the plan. Evidence of training in accordance with Section 12 ArbSchG, listed by name, with date, content and participants, is the most reliable defence in this situation. The appointment certificate, fire protection regulations, escape plan versions and training matrix are stored centrally and in version form in the CIVAC workspace.

An escape plan is a security measure with legal effect. Anyone who is expecting a property insurance inspection in the next few weeks, is planning an evacuation exercise or has completed a renovation can decide between two paths. Path one: You have a trained fire safety officer and need the methodology. Licence the CIVAC workspace for your internal representatives, use the templates according to DIN ISO 23601 and the resubmission function for the two-year period.

Path two: The position is not filled or the hours are not enough. Have a fire protection officer ordered via Officer-as-a-Service, with an appointment certificate, job description and reporting line to management within 2 working days. The escape plan is then drawn up according to a coordinated schedule, usually four to six weeks per location.

If you would like to be specific, write to info@civac.de or use the contact form. You will receive an initial assessment of the mandatory situation and the next step within one working day. Turn reading into an assignment.