Emergency preparation
Commercial plant room emergency checklist
Prepare before something fails: what to have ready, what to do during a mechanical breakdown, and what to review afterwards. Designed for facilities managers and building operators.
In short
A good plant room emergency plan has three parts. Before an incident: contacts, asset information, isolation points, the asbestos register and access arrangements kept up to date. During an incident: protect people, record alarms and readings, isolate only if authorised, and call the right contractor. Afterwards: get a written cause, close out remedial work and update the plan.
1 Before an emergency
Contacts on the plant room door and in the FM office
- Emergency services: 999
- National Gas Emergency Service: 0800 111 999
- Mechanical contractor and out-of-hours number
- Electrical contractor, landlord or managing agent
- Internal escalation: who can approve emergency spend
Information to keep ready
- Asset list: boilers, pumps, pressurisation units, flues, AHUs, controls
- Plant room layout with gas, electrical and water isolation points
- Asbestos register and any access restrictions
- Normal operating pressures and setpoints, marked on gauges where possible
- Recent maintenance records and known defects
Access arrangements
- Keys or codes for plant rooms and roofs available out of hours
- Named on-site contact for evenings and weekends
- Parking and loading arrangements for engineers
- Permit-to-work and induction requirements written down
Agree what counts as urgent
- Loss of heating or hot water for occupants or vulnerable people
- Loss of ventilation or critical cooling
- Leaks, pressure loss or plant room flooding
- Anything involving gas, CO, fire or electrical danger (emergency services first)
2 During a breakdown
- Protect people. If you smell gas or a CO alarm sounds, evacuate the area and call 0800 111 999. If there is fire, smoke or risk to life, call 999.
- Keep the plant room safe. Keep unauthorised people out. Do not enter if there is steam, flooding near electrics or a gas smell.
- Record before resetting. Photograph alarm lists, controller screens and gauges. Note the time and what the building has lost.
- Isolate only if authorised. Only trained people should isolate gas, electrical or pressurised water supplies.
- Call the contractor. Give the postcode, equipment, symptoms, alarms, readings and access details. Our line: 020 7998 9005.
- Manage the impact. Inform occupants, protect stock and equipment, and consider temporary measures that are safe and suitable.
Never
- open gas appliances, bypass flue interlocks or safety devices
- repeatedly reset boilers, pumps or plant that keeps tripping
- open live electrical panels or work on pressurised equipment without authorisation
- disturb damaged pipe lagging that could contain asbestos
- work on refrigerant circuits without F-gas certification
3 What to record for the engineer
4 After the emergency
- Get a written record of the cause, the work done and any temporary measures still in place
- Agree remedial works and a date to remove temporary repairs
- Check whether planned maintenance covers the equipment that failed, including standby equipment
- Update the asset list, contacts and isolation information
- Review what went well and what slowed the response
Emergency preparation questions
What should a commercial plant room emergency plan include?
Contacts (emergency services, gas emergency line, mechanical contractor, electrical contractor, landlord or managing agent), an up-to-date asset list, plant room layout and isolation points, the asbestos register, safe-access arrangements, criteria for what counts as urgent, and who is authorised to isolate plant.
Who should be allowed to isolate plant?
Only people who are trained, authorised and familiar with the specific plant. Gas, electrical and pressurised water isolations must be done in the right order. Everyone else should know who to call and when.
How often should the plan be reviewed?
At least annually, and after any incident, plant change, contractor change or change of building use. Test contact numbers and make sure the asset list matches what is installed.
What information helps engineers assess a breakdown faster?
Site postcode and access details, the equipment affected, make and model, fault codes and BMS alarms, gauge readings, when it started, what changed beforehand, and photos of displays and rating plates.
UK guidance and references
Primary and industry sources relevant to this subject. Always check the current edition and how it applies to your building.
- Gas safety Health and Safety Executive
- Asbestos Health and Safety Executive
- Pressure systems Health and Safety Executive
- Workplace temperatures Health and Safety Executive