Short answer: at least every five years, and straight away whenever your site changes. AS 3745-2010 (Planning for emergencies in facilities) asks your Emergency Planning Committee to set a validity period for the emergency plan and evacuation diagrams, and notes that it should not exceed five years. It also requires diagrams to stay accurate, so any change they show means an update sooner. The WHS (General) Regulations 2022 require an emergency plan that is current and that occupants can follow. This article explains what that means in practice, what triggers a review, and how CMG keeps 300+ WA schools and workplaces covered.
What AS 3745-2010 actually says
AS 3745-2010 sets out the minimum content of an evacuation diagram (the “You Are Here” point, exits, paths of travel, assembly area, fire equipment, a legend and the correct orientation) and requires diagrams to be kept accurate. It also asks the Emergency Planning Committee to nominate a validity period for the emergency plan and diagrams (clause 2.2), with a note that this should not exceed five years, and to review the plan at the end of that period. Just as important, the diagram must reflect the building as it is today. If your floor plan, exits, equipment or assembly area have changed and the diagram hasn’t, it is no longer compliant.
So the five-year figure is real: it is the longest validity period the standard recommends, and it is the review interval Craig recommends to every client. But it is a maximum, not a target. A diagram that stopped matching the building last month is already out of date, however recent its validity date.
When you must review your evacuation diagrams
Treat any of the following as a trigger to review, and usually to re-issue, your diagrams:
- Building works or refurbishment – new walls, demountables, extensions, relocated doors or a changed path of travel.
- Changes to exits or egress routes – a door that is now locked, blocked, re-hung or removed.
- Relocated or new fire equipment – extinguishers, hose reels, fire blankets, hydrants, break-glass alarms.
- A new or moved assembly area – including temporary changes during construction.
- Changes in occupancy or use – a classroom becomes a science lab, a warehouse adds mezzanine storage.
- Diagrams that are damaged, faded or missing – a diagram no one can read is a diagram you don’t have.
- After an emergency or drill that showed a problem – people went the wrong way or couldn’t find the assembly point.
If none of these apply, your diagrams still need a full review before their validity date runs out, and at least every five years. A quick check against the site each year, usually alongside your evacuation drill, is good practice and costs nothing.
What “reviewed” means for schools
Schools change more often than most workplaces: transportable classrooms arrive and leave, playgrounds move, and new buildings open at the start of a term. For WA schools we recommend a simple habit: when the site changes, email us the change. Because CMG holds the drawings for the schools we have worked with, we can usually update and re-issue the affected diagrams without a full re-survey.
How CMG reviews your diagrams
- Desktop review – we compare your current diagrams and floor plans against AS 3745-2010 and your site.
- On-site verification where needed – a technician walks the exits, equipment locations and assembly areas.
- Clear findings – you receive a plain-English summary of what is compliant, what has changed and what we recommend.
- Updated diagrams – re-issued diagrams, oriented correctly for each location, supplied as prints, framed displays or PDFs.
Quick self-check
- Does every diagram show a “You Are Here” point that matches where it is mounted?
- Are all current exits and paths of travel shown, and nothing that no longer exists?
- Is the assembly area correct?
- Is every extinguisher, hose reel and alarm point shown where it actually is?
- Is the diagram oriented to the way you are facing when you read it?
- Is there a legend, and is the print legible?
If you answered “no” or “not sure” to any of these, it’s time for a review.
Need a second opinion?
CMG offers a free, no-obligation evacuation diagram review for WA schools and workplaces. We check your existing diagrams against AS 3745-2010 and tell you plainly whether anything needs updating. Call Craig on 1300 355 686, or visit our evacuation diagrams Perth page to request a review.
This article is general guidance. Always refer to the current edition of AS 3745 and the WHS (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) for your specific obligations.
