Conducting Effective Drills: The Hard Truth About Emergency Plans

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Summary

Most Canadian businesses have an emergency plan — but too many are collecting dust in binders or buried in SharePoint folders nobody opens. The plan looks good on paper. It’s compliant enough to get through an inspection. But when alarms blare, smoke fills the hallways, or a worker collapses — that glossy plan is suddenly exposed for what it is: ineffective.

Here’s the reality: in an emergency, you don’t rise to the level of your plan — you fall to the level of your training. And if your drills are just half-hearted walk-throughs or paperwork exercises, your people won’t be ready when it counts.

This is where the Canadian OH&S framework is clear. Employers are legally obligated to not just create emergency procedures, but practice them. The Canada Labour Code, provincial OHS acts, and even fire codes in cities like Calgary and Edmonton demand that employers plan for fire, medical emergencies, chemical spills, violence, and more. Having a plan isn’t enough. Testing the plan through drills is what saves lives.

(Canada Labour Code, Part XVII – Safe Occupancy of the Workplace)

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Why Emergency Drills Go Wrong

Before we talk solutions, let’s be honest about why so many drills flop:

  1. Box-Checking Mentality – Drills are treated like paperwork, not real training. The fire alarm rings, everyone shuffles outside, someone checks a roster, and that’s it. No learning, no improvements.
  2. No Clear Objectives – Nobody sets measurable goals. Was evacuation time improved? Did supervisors give correct instructions? Did anyone forget PPE or fail to help a coworker? If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
  3. Unrealistic Scenarios – Too many drills are cookie-cutter. Real emergencies don’t wait for sunny days at 10 AM when everyone is calm. Emergencies happen during shift changes, in storms, in winter, when systems are down.
  4. Poor Communication – Workers don’t know their roles. Some freeze, some follow the herd, some disappear. That’s not their fault. It’s on the employer for not giving clear, repeated training.
  5. No Follow-Through – The debrief is either skipped or watered down. Issues identified in the drill never get fixed. So the same mistakes happen next time.

If any of that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It’s a problem across Canada — from small shops in Red Deer to high-rise offices in Toronto. But the fix is straightforward if you’re willing to commit.

What Effective Drills Look Like

An effective drill isn’t about perfection — it’s about progress. It’s about finding the gaps in your response before reality exposes them. Here’s what good practice looks like:

  1. Start With a Risk Assessment
    Every business has unique risks. A construction site in Fort McMurray doesn’t face the same emergencies as a law office in downtown Calgary. The drill should reflect your hazards: confined space rescues, propane leaks, active shooter scenarios, power failures in extreme cold.
    (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety – Emergency Planning)
  2. Set Measurable Goals
    Maybe you want to cut evacuation time from 6 minutes to 4. Or maybe you want to test whether your new supervisors can give instructions under pressure. Make the drill about more than just walking outside.
  3. Communicate Roles Clearly
    Fire wardens, first aiders, supervisors, floor leads — everyone should know what to do. If one person drops the ball, it could cost lives. Train, then drill, then retrain.
  4. Use Realistic Scenarios
    Don’t stage everything perfectly. Throw in surprises. Block a primary exit. Pretend the power’s out. Remove a key person from the drill to see if others can step up. Reality is messy — drills should be too.
    (Continuing Care Safety Association – Emergency Drill Scenarios)
  5. Debrief Like It Matters
    After every drill, sit down and dissect it. What worked? What failed? Who hesitated? Who showed leadership? Write it down, fix what needs fixing, and commit to improving before the next drill.
  6. Repeat Regularly
    Once a year is the legal minimum in most jurisdictions, but if your workplace is high-risk or constantly changing, annual isn’t enough. Train new staff. Drill after renovations. Practice different scenarios every few months.
    (WorkSafeBC – Emergency Planning & Response)

The Canadian OH&S Context

Canadian safety culture is evolving. Regulators like WorkSafeBC, Alberta OHS, and Ontario’s Ministry of Labour are stepping up inspections. If you think “a dusty plan is enough,” think again. Employers are being held accountable not just for plans, but for training, practice, and documentation.

  • Alberta OHS Code, Part 7 requires employers to develop emergency response plans specific to worksite hazards, train workers in those plans, and conduct drills. (Alberta OHS Code)
  • WorkSafeBC explicitly requires annual evacuation drills and reviews.
  • Ontario OHSA has the same expectations under the “general duty clause.”

Translation: if you’re not running real drills, you’re out of compliance.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Let’s imagine two scenarios.

Scenario A: You’ve got a plan but never tested it. A chemical spill happens. Workers panic. One exits through the wrong door and ends up exposed. Another refuses to re-enter for a first aid kit. Minutes are lost. Someone ends up hospitalized. Inspectors come, lawyers call, fines pile up.

Scenario B: You’ve run tailored drills every quarter. Workers know evacuation routes by heart. Supervisors carry radios. A first aid lead retrieves the kit while the spill response team sets up containment. Everyone moves with purpose. The incident is contained quickly. Inspectors still come, but they find a company that prepared — not one that gambled.

The difference between A and B isn’t the plan. It’s the drills.

How Calgary Safety Consultants Can Help

Now here’s where my team comes in. At Calgary Safety Consultants (https://calgarysafetyconsultants.ca), we’ve seen firsthand how Canadian businesses fail at emergency preparedness — and how they can fix it.

We don’t hand you a binder and leave. We build, run, and refine drills until your people are confident and your plans are more than words.

Here’s what we deliver:

  • Site-Specific Risk Assessments – We identify the emergencies most likely to hit your workplace. Not generic, not boilerplate.
  • Custom Drill Design – From fire evacuations to code black scenarios, we create realistic exercises that push your team without overwhelming them.
  • Facilitated Drills – We run the drill, watch how your team reacts, and collect data. Evacuation times, decision-making, communication — all measured.
  • Debrief & Gap Analysis – Post-drill, we sit down with you and your team. We don’t just tell you what went wrong — we give you an action plan to fix it.
  • Training & Education – From frontline staff to supervisors, we make sure everyone knows their role. Because a plan without trained people is worthless.
  • Documentation for Compliance – You’ll have clean, professional records that prove compliance with Alberta OHS, Canada Labour Code, and fire codes.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about confidence. When the unexpected happens, you’ll know your team won’t freeze.

Moving From Theory to Practice

Here’s how you can start tomorrow, even before calling us:

  1. Dust Off Your Plan – Review it. Check if contacts, exits, and roles are still current.
  2. Run a Tabletop Drill – Sit your supervisors down. Walk through a “what if” scenario and see how they respond.
  3. Schedule a Full Drill – Set a date, design a scenario, and run it. Even if it’s rough, it’s better than nothing.
  4. Debrief Immediately – Get feedback, note gaps, and commit to fixing them.
  5. Make It a Cycle – Plan, drill, debrief, improve, repeat.

(Public Safety Canada – Emergency Preparedness)

The Bottom Line

Emergencies are unpredictable. Fires, floods, medical events, violence — they don’t give warnings. But your response can still be predictable: fast, effective, life-saving.

That only happens if you drill. If you practice until it’s muscle memory. If you stop treating emergency preparedness as a box to tick and start treating it as the difference between chaos and control.

Canadian businesses that ignore this reality are playing with fire — literally. But those that commit to effective drills not only meet OH&S requirements, they build workplaces where people feel protected, valued, and confident.

At Calgary Safety Consultants, that’s what we do. We help you prepare for the unexpected — so when the sirens wail, you and your team don’t freeze. You act. You protect. You survive.

Connect with us here and let us help you improve your OH&S practices. 

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FAQs on Conducting Effective Drills: The Hard Truth About Emergency Plans

Emergency drills ensure workers know their roles and can respond quickly during real incidents. Under the Canada Labour Code and provincial OH&S laws, drills aren’t optional — they’re legally required for compliance and worker safety.

At minimum, drills should be held annually, but high-risk workplaces or those with frequent changes (staff turnover, new layouts, new hazards) should practice more often. Alberta OH&S and WorkSafeBC emphasize ongoing review and updates.

Effective drills are based on actual workplace risks. These might include fires, chemical spills, medical emergencies, active shooter scenarios, power failures, or severe weather events. The goal is to practice real-world situations, not generic checklists.

Secure Your Workplace Safety Today

Calgary Safety Consultants is here to help you ensure compliance, enhance safety, and streamline your OH&S program. Don’t wait—fill out the form, and we’ll connect with you to discuss how we can support your business. Let’s get started!