How to Determine Assembly Areas for Your Workplace: AS 3745-2010 Requirements

How to Determine Assembly Areas for Your Workplace

The assembly area — sometimes called the muster point — is one of the most critical elements of any workplace emergency management plan. It is the designated location where all occupants must gather after evacuating a building, allowing wardens to account for everyone and emergency services to operate without obstruction.

Choosing the wrong assembly area can turn a manageable emergency into a catastrophe. This guide explains how to correctly determine and designate assembly areas for your workplace in accordance with AS 3745-2010.

What AS 3745-2010 Says About Assembly Areas

AS 3745-2010 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities requires that every facility have one or more designated assembly areas that are:

• Located at a safe distance from the building and any potential hazards
• Large enough to accommodate all occupants of the facility
• Clearly identified on the facility's evacuation diagrams
• Known to all occupants and wardens
• Accessible for people with disabilities

The standard also requires that assembly areas be reviewed as part of the regular review of the emergency management plan, and that their suitability be assessed during evacuation exercises.

Key Criteria for Selecting an Assembly Area

Distance from the building: The assembly area must be far enough from the building to ensure that occupants are not at risk from the emergency itself. For a fire, this means being outside the potential zone of falling debris, smoke, and heat. A minimum distance of 15-20 metres from the building is commonly recommended, but this should be assessed based on the specific building and hazards.

Clear of emergency vehicle access routes: Emergency services need unobstructed access to the building. The assembly area must not block driveways, fire hydrant access points, or any other routes that emergency vehicles may need to use.

Away from hazardous areas: The assembly area must not be located near areas that could themselves become hazardous during an emergency, such as gas meter locations, chemical storage areas, or transformer bays.

Suitable for all weather conditions: In Perth's climate, this means considering shade and shelter from the summer heat, as well as protection from rain during winter. Occupants may need to remain at the assembly area for extended periods while emergency services deal with the incident.

Accessible for people with disabilities: The assembly area must be accessible via a route that can be used by people with mobility limitations. This includes ensuring the path from the building to the assembly area is free of steps, uneven surfaces, or other obstacles.

Multiple Assembly Areas

For larger facilities or buildings with multiple exits on different sides, it may be necessary to designate multiple assembly areas. Each assembly area should be associated with specific evacuation routes and exits, and wardens should be assigned to direct occupants to the correct assembly area based on their location in the building.

When multiple assembly areas are used, it is essential that the Chief Warden has a clear system for accounting for all occupants across all assembly areas. This typically requires a designated warden at each assembly area who can report headcounts to the Chief Warden.

Marking and Signage

Assembly areas must be clearly marked with appropriate signage. The standard assembly area sign is a green sign with a white pictogram showing people gathered at a point, accompanied by the words "Assembly Area" or "Muster Point." These signs should be:

• Visible from the evacuation routes leading to the assembly area
• Illuminated or made of reflective material for visibility in low-light conditions
• Maintained in good condition and replaced if damaged or faded

The location of assembly areas must also be clearly shown on all evacuation diagrams displayed within the building.

Common Mistakes in Assembly Area Selection

Selecting a car park as the assembly area: Car parks are often chosen for their size and proximity to the building, but they present significant hazards. Vehicles may be moving, fuel tanks can ignite, and emergency vehicles need access. Car parks should generally be avoided as primary assembly areas.

Assembly areas that are too close to the building: Occupants gathered too close to a burning building are at risk from heat, smoke, falling debris, and explosions. Ensure there is adequate separation distance.

Failing to account for the full occupant load: The assembly area must be large enough for all occupants to gather comfortably. This includes accounting for peak occupancy periods, such as when contractors or visitors are on site.

Not communicating the assembly area to all occupants: Every person who enters the building — including visitors and contractors — should be informed of the assembly area location. This is typically done through induction processes and by ensuring evacuation diagrams are prominently displayed.

Reviewing Assembly Areas

Assembly areas should be reviewed whenever there are changes to the facility that might affect their suitability. This includes building extensions, changes in land use around the facility, new hazardous materials being introduced to the site, or changes in occupant numbers. The suitability of assembly areas should also be assessed during every evacuation exercise.