How to Choose and Mark an Assembly Point

How does legislation define an assembly point?

When the evacuation alarm sounds, everyone leaves the building. The real questions are where to go once outside, and how to know whether anyone is still inside. The assembly point is the answer to both.

Art. 4 of the Regulation on Emergencies in Workplaces defines an assembly point as "a safe place designated at a distance, or in a shelter, where employees will not be affected by the adverse consequences of emergencies". The regulation's other provisions on the assembly point are:

Layout plan (Art. 12): The evacuation plan includes a layout plan showing escape routes, assembly points and any warning systems. This plan is posted at entrances and on each floor at eye level.
Information (Art. 5): Subcontractor employees, customers and visitors, and those at the workplace for meetings or training, are also informed about assembly points.
Head count (Art. 10): After evacuation, the necessary checks, including a head count, are carried out to identify anyone who may have been left inside.
Protection team (Art. 11): Carrying out the head count is the duty of the protection team.

The regulation does not give a distance in metres for the assembly point; the definition is functional. This means the choice has to be made according to the workplace's own conditions, with the reasons written into the plan. For the general structure of the plan, see our article how to prepare an emergency plan.

Choosing an assembly point: seven criteria

An assembly point should be chosen by walking the site, not on the layout plan. If you can answer "yes" to the following questions, the place you have chosen is very likely right:

Is it outside the building's zone of influence? Is it outside the area where facade glass, signs, cladding and roofing material could fall; is it unaffected by heat and smoke in a fire?
Does it not obstruct the emergency response? Are the road the fire engine will use, the hydrants and the fire brigade inlet connections not left behind the gathered crowd?
Is it separate from traffic? Does it not intersect with forklift routes, loading docks, service vehicle and visitor car parks; can the crowd stand without spilling onto the roadway?
Has wind direction been considered? In a chemical release scenario, if the area is downwind, is a second area defined for use?
Does everyone fit? On the busiest shift, including visitors and subcontractor employees?
Is the route accessible? Is the route from the escape doors to the area unobstructed, lit and passable by wheelchair?
Is there a backup area? Has a second area been designated to go to if the first cannot be used?

In organised industrial zones, the assembly points of neighbouring factories may be close to one another. Art. 10 of the regulation requires adverse effects that may come from nearby workplaces and the surroundings to be taken into account as well. An area near a neighbouring facility's chemical tank or LPG tank is not a good choice, even if it looks safe on paper.

Assembly point distance: how many metres?

This is the most frequently asked question, and there is no single answer. The type of emergency determines the assembly point distance. In your plan, consider at least the following scenarios separately:

Scenario	Decisive factor	Approach to the assembly point
Fire inside the building	Heat, smoke, falling debris, fire brigade access	Outside the facade fall zone and the fire brigade's working area
Chemical release or gas leak	Wind direction, dispersion area	Upwind; a second area if the wind changes
Earthquake	Collapse of buildings, walls and lines	An open area away from tall structures, walls and power lines
Section with explosion risk	Pressure wave, flying fragments	Another structure or a wide open space between it and the section
Night shift	Few people, poor visibility	A lit area reached by a short route

A practical starting check for risks from the facade is not to place the area closer to the building than the building's height. This is not a legal measure and does not replace a site assessment. In facilities where chemicals are used, hanging a windsock in a visible place lets the protection team make the decision to change area quickly.

A separate note on earthquakes: the disaster and emergency assembly areas designated by AFAD (the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority) are places where the public goes in large-scale disasters. The workplace's own assembly point is the first point where the head count is made; the two should not be confused. The details of the earthquake scenario are in our article on the earthquake emergency plan at the workplace.

Emergency assembly point sign and directions

The regulation requires the assembly point to be shown on the layout plan and the people at the workplace to be informed. Marking the area on site is the most practical way of providing this information and the easiest to demonstrate during inspections.

Sign: The emergency assembly point sign is made with a white pictogram on a green background, like emergency exit signs. In practice, the assembly point sign (E007) in TS EN ISO 7010 is widely used.
Visibility: The sign is mounted on a post or wall at a height and orientation where people leaving the escape doors will see it. If there is more than one area, they are numbered (Assembly Point 1, 2) and the same numbers are used on the layout plan.
Route: Direction arrows are used on the external route from the escape door to the area, especially at building corners.
Night: In workplaces that operate at night, the area and the route to it are lit.
Ground: The boundary of the area can be painted on the ground. Marking the points where department leaders will stand speeds up the head count.

For details of colour and shape rules, see our article on health and safety signs.

Head count after evacuation: who, with what, how?

The head count after evacuation is the real purpose of the assembly point. If no head count can be made, the rescue team cannot know whom to look for inside and correct information cannot be given to the fire brigade. For the head count to work, four things must be ready:

List: Who is in the building right now? The shift list, the time and attendance (PDKS) record, the visitor book and the subcontractor entry list are the basis of the head count. These lists must be accessible even when power and the network are down.
Person responsible: A head count leader and a deputy are designated for each department. The protection team collects the information from department leaders.
Method: Departments gather at their own marked point in the area; the leader takes a roll call from the list. Asking "is everyone here?" is not a head count.
Reporting: If anyone is missing, their name, last known location and job are passed on by the protection team to the fire brigade and the rescue team. Nobody goes back into the building on their own to look for a missing person.

Art. 10 of the regulation requires older, disabled and pregnant employees to be accompanied during evacuation. Who the companion is and whom they will bring to the area should be noted separately on the head count list. For training support staff on this, see our article on support staff training.

Shared buildings and testing in drills

If more than one employer shares the same work area, the emergency plan is prepared jointly (Art. 17). If the assembly point is shared, each workplace is allocated a separate zone within the area; otherwise employees of the two firms mix together and the head count takes longer. For practical examples, see our article on the emergency plan in a shared building.

A drill is the best way to show whether an assembly point is suitable. A drill is held at least once a year and recorded on a drill form (Art. 13). In the drill, measure:

The time from the alarm to the last person arriving at the area,
The time taken to complete the head count and whether anyone was reported missing,
Whether the crowd blocked the fire brigade route or vehicle traffic,
Whether visitors and subcontractor employees knew the area.

The structure of a drill and sample scenarios are in our article how to carry out an emergency drill; you can track drill dates with the OHS calendar. When preparing an emergency plan for businesses in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, we determine the assembly point by walking the site together, and align the head count list and signs with the plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an assembly point the same as a disaster assembly area?

No. The workplace's assembly point is the first safe point where the head count is made immediately after evacuation. Disaster and emergency assembly areas designated by AFAD are places where the public goes in large-scale disasters. In the earthquake scenario, the two are written into the plan separately.

How far from the building should the assembly point be?

There is no fixed distance in legislation. The area should be outside the facade fall zone, the fire brigade's working area and any possible chemical dispersion. Not choosing a place closer than the building's height is a good starting check.

Is an assembly point sign mandatory?

The regulation requires the assembly point to be shown on the evacuation layout plan and employees and visitors to be informed. Marking the area on site is the most practical way of fulfilling this obligation and is easy to demonstrate during inspections.

How long should a head count after evacuation take?

Legislation does not set a time. Set a target time in your plan and measure it in drills. If the head count takes long, the reason is usually out-of-date lists or departments without a clear leader.