In brief
In workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, a single specially trained support person is sufficient for firefighting, rescue and protection duties; however, the plan must still fully contain the minimum content set out in Art. 12 of the Regulation on Emergencies. This article builds the plan for a sample shop with six employees step by step, from identifying emergencies to the site plan, customer evacuation and the annual drill.
Why should a small workplace emergency plan be treated separately?
Imagine a hardware and paint shop with six employees: a sales area at the front, a shelved storeroom at the back and a small mezzanine office above the storeroom. Throughout the day, there are more customers in the shop than employees. In the storeroom there is thinner and spray paint, at the front cardboard and plastic packaging; the electrical distribution board is behind the storeroom door. This shop's emergency plan does not have to be as thick as that of a factory with hundreds of employees; but it has to answer the same questions.
The Regulation on Emergencies in Workplaces does not define a separate type of plan for small workplaces. A plan is prepared for every workplace and contains the minimum headings in Article 12. The relief granted to small workplaces concerns how the teams are set up. In this article, we build a small workplace emergency plan using the sample shop; for larger facilities, we explain the general steps in our article on how to prepare an emergency plan.
Emergency team with fewer than 10 employees: the single support person rule
Normally, for each of the firefighting, rescue and protection teams, at least one support person is assigned for every 30, 40 or 50 employees depending on the hazard class. Paragraph 4 of Article 11 of the regulation simplifies this for workplaces with fewer than 10 employees: at least one support person who is specially trained and suitably equipped is sufficient to liaise with national and local emergency bodies and to carry out the duties of the firefighting, rescue and protection teams.
When reading this rule, do not miss three details:
- First aid is kept separate. Support staff in the first aid team are assigned under the First Aid Regulation (Art. 11/5). One first aider is needed for every 20 employees in less hazardous, every 15 in hazardous and every 10 in very hazardous workplaces; so even in a six-person shop there is at least one certified first aider.
- A backup is designated. When designating support staff and their backups, the shift pattern is taken into account (Art. 11/8). If the shop is open six days a week and employees take days off in rotation, write down a backup for the days the support person is off.
- Responsibility remains with the employer. Making the assignment does not remove the employer's emergency obligations (Art. 5/2).
| Duty | Who in the sample shop? | Backup | Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support person (firefighting, rescue, protection) | Shop manager | Senior sales staff | Practical fire and evacuation training |
| First aider | Sales staff | A second certified employee is recommended for days off | Under the First Aid Regulation; certificate valid for 3 years |
| Notifying external bodies (112) | Support person | Employee at the till | Briefing on the plan |
Can the single support person also be the first aider? The regulation does not prohibit it; however, if all duties are concentrated in one person, the plan falls apart on the day that person is off. The support person's training may be given by the workplace's OHS specialist, workplace physician or the employer carrying out the service itself, and the training is documented with signatures (Art. 15). For the training content, see our article on support staff training, and for the certification process, our article on the first aid certificate.
How does the plan's minimum content apply to the shop?
The plan can be short, but no heading may be missing. The table below shows what each item in Art. 12/1 corresponds to in the sample shop.
| Item in Art. 12/1 | Equivalent in the sample shop |
|---|---|
| Workplace title, address, employer's name | Trade name, full address, employer |
| Names and titles of those who prepared the plan | The employer and, if the service is outsourced, the OHS specialist |
| Dates of preparation and validity | Date of preparation and expiry date according to hazard class |
| Emergencies identified | Fire in the storeroom, electrical fire, earthquake, flammable liquid spill |
| Preventive and limiting measures | Storing thinner and sprays on a separate shelf away from heat sources; keeping the area in front of the distribution board clear |
| Response and evacuation procedures | Alarm, use of extinguishers, directing customers, headcount |
| Evacuation plan (site plan) | Location of extinguishers and first aid supplies, exit, assembly point, people on duty, emergency phone numbers, flammable materials area, electricity and gas shut-off points |
The pages of the plan are numbered, those who prepared it initial each page, the last page is signed, and the plan is kept somewhere the teams can easily reach (Art. 12/2). In a small workplace this is usually the folder under the till; it is enough for the support person and the backup to know this.
Identifying emergencies in the sample shop
Emergencies are identified taking into account the results of the risk assessment and matters such as the possibility of fire and explosion, releases from hazardous chemicals, natural disasters and the possibility of sabotage (Art. 8). In a small workplace, the list can be short, but it must be specific to the workplace. For the sample shop:
- Fire in the storeroom: Thinner, spray paint and cardboard are kept together. Scenario: smoke is coming from the back of the storeroom.
- Electrical fire: The distribution board is in the storeroom; the window display lighting is powered by an extension cable.
- Earthquake: High shelves in the sales area and the mezzanine stairs.
- Flammable liquid spill: A can of thinner falling from a shelf.
- Effects from the surroundings: A fire starting in the adjacent shop or smoke filling the shared corridor. The regulation requires response and evacuation procedures to take account of adverse effects that may come from nearby workplaces and the surroundings (Art. 10/7).
For each scenario, write a one-paragraph "first five minutes" instruction: who notices, who raises the alarm, who goes to the extinguisher, who gets customers out, who calls 112. In a six-person shop, all of these instructions together do not exceed one page.
The small business evacuation plan in a shop's emergency plan
In a small workplace, the real challenge of evacuation is not the employees but customers who do not know the premises. The regulation requires visitors and customers to be taken into account in response and evacuation procedures (Art. 10/6), and the employer to inform customers and visitors about emergency exits and assembly points (Art. 5/1-g). In the sample shop, this means:
- One-page site plan: A simple drawing showing the sales area, storeroom and mezzanine, with extinguishers, first aid supplies, exit door, assembly point, distribution board and any gas valve marked.
- Posting the site plan: The evacuation plan is posted at entrances and exits and on each floor, at employees' eye level and in a visible place (Art. 12/3). Post a copy at the top of the mezzanine stairs too.
- Directing customers: The support person knows the sentence "Please leave through the door and wait across the street"; the employee at the till does not wait to close the till.
- Headcount: After evacuation, checks and a headcount are carried out (Art. 10/2). In a small workplace, the headcount list is that day's work rota; a separate check is made that no one remains in the storeroom or on the mezzanine.
- Assistance: If there is an elderly, disabled or pregnant employee, who will accompany them is written down (Art. 10/4).
For the type and number of extinguishers, see our article on how many fire extinguishers a workplace needs, and for storeroom and shelving risks specific to shops, our article on OHS in supermarkets and shops.
Drills, renewal and common mistakes
A drill is held at least once a year (Art. 13). In a six-person shop, the drill takes half an hour: the alarm is raised, the support person takes the extinguisher and goes to the fire point in the scenario, the other employees get a colleague playing a customer out, a headcount is taken at the assembly point and the time taken is recorded. For setting up the drill and the drill form, see our article on emergency drills.
Even without changes, the plan is renewed at least every 6, 4 or 2 years depending on the hazard class. In situations such as the shop moving, the storeroom layout changing or a new hazard arising, it is updated without waiting for the period to expire (Art. 14). If you do not know your class, our article on how to find out your hazard class will guide you.
The most common mistakes we see in small workplaces:
- A ready-made plan copied from another workplace, with dozens of names on the team list
- No one written in to replace a support person who has left (Art. 11/10 requires a new assignment)
- The site plan sitting in a folder in the storeroom rather than posted in the sales area
- The area in front of the distribution board blocked with boxes, and no one knowing where the electricity shut-off point is
- An expired first aider certificate
The 2026 basic administrative fine for breaching emergency obligations is 22,194 TL for each obligation not fulfilled, and it is applied every month while the breach continues. In a workplace with fewer than 10 employees, the amount stays the same in less hazardous workplaces and is increased by 25% in hazardous and 50% in very hazardous workplaces. You can track drill, certificate and renewal dates with the OHS calendar tool, and have your plan prepared after a site visit as part of our emergency plan service. Other topics specific to shops and offices are on our office and retail page.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have fewer than 10 employees; is an emergency plan still mandatory?
Yes. A plan is prepared for every workplace. The relief granted to small workplaces is that a single support person is sufficient for firefighting, rescue and protection duties; the plan's minimum content in Art. 12 must be complete.
Can the single support person also be the first aider?
The regulation does not prohibit it; the first aider must be certified under the First Aid Regulation. However, when that person is off, both duties fall vacant at once, so designate a backup for days off and shift days.
Can the employer prepare the plan themselves?
In less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, the employer or its representative may carry out the OHS service themselves if they complete the Ministry training, and may also prepare the plan. In other workplaces, the plan is prepared with the participation of the assigned OHS specialist and workplace physician; in all cases, responsibility lies with the employer.
Our shop is in an office block; is a joint plan made?
If more than one employer shares the same work area, the plan is prepared jointly (Art. 17/1). The plans of workplaces in an office block, business centre or industrial estate are coordinated by the management so that they work in harmony with each other (Art. 17/2). When preparing your own plan, align the alarm, escape routes and assembly point with the building management.
An emergency plan that really works on site, with scenarios, support teams, evacuation diagrams and an annual drill.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.