UK Pub Emergency Procedures 2026

Last updated: 11 April 2026

Most UK pub licensees spend more time worrying about their till system than they do planning what happens when something goes wrong. That’s a mistake that could cost lives, your license, and everything you’ve built. Emergency procedures aren’t optional compliance boxes to tick—they’re the difference between a controlled evacuation and chaos, between a minor incident and a tragedy that ends your business. This guide covers the practical emergency procedures every UK pub must have in 2026, written from the perspective of someone who’s actually had to use them.

Legal Requirements for UK Pub Emergency Procedures

The legal framework for pub emergency procedures is built around three main pieces of legislation: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and the Licensing Act 2003. Understanding which parts apply to you is essential.

The most effective way to ensure legal compliance for pub emergency procedures is to have a written risk assessment that you review and update annually, then create specific procedures based on the actual hazards in your premises. A generic template from the internet won’t protect you if you’re ever challenged by a licensing authority or in court.

Under fire safety law, you—the licensee—are the “responsible person” for fire safety in your pub. That means you must:

• Carry out a fire risk assessment and document it in writing
• Appoint staff to help you manage fire safety (these can be named individuals or a rotating system)
• Ensure all emergency exits are clearly marked, unobstructed, and kept in good working order
• Maintain fire safety equipment (extinguishers, alarms, emergency lighting)
• Provide staff with fire safety information and training
• Review and update your assessment if circumstances change

Your premises licence conditions will also require you to nominate a person or persons responsible for managing safety procedures during opening hours. This isn’t theoretical—licensing authorities can and do ask to see evidence that you’ve named someone and that they understand their role.

The Licensing Act and Incident Recording

Under the Licensing Act 2003, your premises licence requires you to maintain records of certain incidents. These include serious assaults, sexual assaults, and any incidents involving weapons or serious disorder. You must keep these records for at least one year and produce them to the police or licensing authority on request. Many licensees miss this requirement entirely until they’re inspected.

Fire Safety and Evacuation Procedures

Fire is the most common emergency in a pub setting, and it’s also the one you have the most control over. A proper evacuation procedure can be the difference between a minor incident and a tragedy.

Creating Your Evacuation Plan

Your evacuation plan must identify at least two separate exit routes from every area of your pub, with clearly marked emergency exits that are never blocked, even briefly. This isn’t just about complying with fire safety law—it’s about the physical reality of getting 60 people out of a building quickly when visibility is poor and everyone is panicking.

When you write your evacuation plan, physically walk through it. Stand at the bar during a busy Saturday night and look at your exits. Can you get from the toilets to outside in under 90 seconds without passing through the main bar? Can someone in a wheelchair reach an accessible exit? Where would you tell someone to wait outside if they couldn’t navigate stairs?

Your evacuation plan should include:

• Assembly point location (a safe place outside where you can account for everyone)
• Named staff responsible for checking toilets, storage areas, and other locations
• Procedure for helping customers with mobility difficulties or disabilities
• How staff will be alerted (alarm system, verbal instruction, both)
• What staff do once everyone is out (check the building is empty, don’t let anyone back in)
• How you communicate with emergency services

Post this plan where staff can see it. Not in a file somewhere—visible, laminated, and backed up digitally.

Fire Safety Equipment and Maintenance

Fire extinguishers, emergency lighting, and alarm systems all have specific maintenance requirements. Extinguishers must be serviced annually. Emergency lighting must be tested monthly. Alarms must be tested weekly. These aren’t suggestions—they’re legal requirements, and they’re the first things an inspector will check after an incident.

Keep a maintenance log. Document every test, every service, every repair. When you’re managing multiple staff across FOH and kitchen operations—as we do at Teal Farm Pub in Washington, Tyne & Wear—it’s easy for these checks to slip. A simple spreadsheet or checklist prevents that.

Fire Drills and Staff Awareness

Conduct fire drills at least once a year, ideally twice. Run them when the pub is quieter so you can walk staff through the procedure without disrupting service. Time how long it takes to evacuate. Identify any bottlenecks or confusion.

More importantly, talk to staff about fire safety regularly. A five-minute conversation during a quiet shift is worth more than an annual training session that no one remembers. Ask them: where’s the nearest exit from where you’re standing right now? How would you help a customer in a wheelchair? What do you do if the main alarm isn’t working?

First Aid and Medical Emergencies

Medical emergencies in pubs are often alcohol-related: someone collapses, has a seizure, or chokes. Your response in the first few minutes directly affects whether they survive and what happens after.

The legal minimum for first aid provision in a pub is one person trained in first aid at work present during all opening hours, though most pubs benefit from having multiple staff with first aid skills. This is not a box-ticking exercise—it’s the difference between stabilising someone and watching them deteriorate while you wait for an ambulance.

First Aid Training and Qualifications

Your first aider should hold a Level 3 First Aid at Work certificate. This is different from basic first aid (Level 1) or emergency first aid (Level 2). The Level 3 qualification covers dealing with serious injuries and medical emergencies in a workplace setting and is valid for three years.

Beyond the legally required first aider, consider training additional staff. At Teal Farm, we have three members of staff with first aid qualifications spread across different shifts. One person being away sick shouldn’t leave you without first aid cover.

Train staff on recognising common medical emergencies in pubs:

• Alcohol poisoning (confusion, loss of consciousness, slow breathing)
• Choking (inability to speak, difficulty breathing, coughing)
• Cardiac events (chest pain, collapse, difficulty breathing)
• Seizures (loss of consciousness, muscle contractions)
• Severe allergic reactions (difficulty breathing, swelling, rash)

First Aid Kit and Equipment

Your pub must have a clearly marked first aid kit, positioned where staff can access it quickly. It should include:

• Sterile dressings in various sizes
• Sterile gauze
• Adhesive tape
• Triangular bandages
• Elastic bandages
• Disposable gloves
• CPR face shield or pocket mask
• Paracetamol (optional)

Check the kit monthly. Replace used items. Discard expired products. Keep a record of what you’ve replaced and when.

Consider whether your pub should have a defibrillator (AED). They’re not legally required in pubs, but they dramatically increase survival rates after cardiac arrest. If you’re a busy venue or have an older customer base, it’s worth exploring.

Calling Emergency Services

This sounds obvious, but have a clear procedure. Who calls 999? Who stays with the casualty? Who directs paramedics when they arrive? Who opens the front door?

When you call 999, have someone in your team ready to provide them with:

• Your full premises address (including postcode)
• A description of what’s happened
• The person’s level of consciousness and breathing
• Any relevant medical history if the casualty tells you
• Easy access to the building (unlock side doors if needed)

The call handler will talk you through what to do next. Don’t hang up until they say it’s safe to do so.

Managing Incidents and Conflict

Not every emergency is a fire or medical crisis. Incidents involving aggression, theft, or serious disorder require a different response and have specific legal reporting requirements.

UK pubs must report incidents involving serious assaults, sexual assaults, or weapon offences to the police and local licensing authority within ten working days, maintaining written records that can be produced on request. Failing to do this can result in licensing action against you.

De-escalation and Conflict Prevention

The best response to a serious incident is preventing it. Train staff on recognising early signs of escalation: raised voices, aggressive body language, sudden mood changes. Early intervention—moving closer, speaking calmly, offering water or a seat outside—stops most situations before they become serious.

Your premises licence typically includes conditions about managing noise and preventing disorder. This often requires you to employ SIA-licensed door supervisors on certain nights or during certain hours. Check your specific licence conditions—they vary by local authority.

Incident Recording and Reporting

Maintain an incident log. Record the date, time, nature of the incident, who was involved, staff response, and any injuries or damage. This serves multiple purposes:

• It demonstrates to licensing authorities that you’re taking safety seriously
• It helps you spot patterns (certain times of day, days of the week, types of customers)
• It protects you legally if you’re ever asked why something happened
• It provides evidence for police investigations or court proceedings

Some incidents must be reported to the police and licensing authority. These include:

• Serious assaults resulting in injury requiring medical treatment
• Sexual assaults
• Incidents involving weapons or serious threats
• Serious disorder or criminal damage

Others should be recorded but might not require formal reporting to authorities—a minor scuffle, a customer being ejected for disruptive behaviour, a till shortage caused by theft. The point is: document everything, then follow your licence conditions and local authority guidance on what gets reported formally.

Managing Banned Customers

If someone’s behaviour is a persistent problem, you have the right to refuse them entry and to eject them from your premises. Document these decisions. Some operators maintain a written “banned customers” list with photos and the reasons for the ban. This helps all staff enforce the ban consistently.

Be clear about your policy: communicate it to the customer (either verbally or in writing), make it apply equally to everyone, and enforce it consistently. If a banned customer returns, contact the police rather than confronting them yourself.

Staff Training and Drills

Emergency procedures only work if your staff understand them, can remember them under pressure, and are willing to follow them. That requires regular, practical training—not once a year in a cramped staff meeting.

Induction and Ongoing Training

Every new member of staff must receive emergency procedure training as part of their pub onboarding training. Walk them through:

• Location of all emergency exits and assembly point
• How the fire alarm works and what to do if it sounds
• Location of first aid kit and basic first aid procedures
• How to call 999 and what information to provide
• Procedures for managing conflict or aggression
• Who the responsible person for safety is on their shift

Refresh this training annually as a minimum, ideally more frequently. A 10-minute chat during a quiet shift is enough. The goal is to keep procedures top-of-mind so staff react automatically under pressure.

Fire Drills and Practical Exercises

A fire drill isn’t about rushing everyone outside and then walking back in. It’s about testing your actual evacuation procedure to see where it breaks down. Time the evacuation. Check that every area of the building has been cleared. Verify that the assembly point system works. Identify bottlenecks or confusion.

After the drill, debrief with staff. Ask what was confusing. Ask what they’d do differently. Use that feedback to refine your procedures. Then update your documentation to reflect what actually works in practice rather than what looks good on paper.

Specific Training for Named Responsible Persons

The staff members you’ve named as responsible for fire safety or first aid need additional training and authority. They should understand:

• Their legal responsibilities
• How to check that procedures are being followed
• How to report hazards or concerns to you (the licensee)
• That they can make decisions in emergencies without waiting for permission

Make sure they’re present during shifts when emergencies are most likely (busy nights, match days, events). If someone’s only in on quiet Tuesday afternoons, they shouldn’t be your only named responsible person.

Documentation and Record Keeping

Emergency procedures only work if they’re documented, communicated, and continuously updated. Vague expectations or procedures that only exist in someone’s head won’t hold up if something goes wrong.

What Documentation You Need

Create and maintain:

• Fire risk assessment – detailed, updated annually, specific to your building
• Evacuation plan – floor plan showing exits, assembly point, named responsible persons
• Emergency contact list – police, fire, ambulance, local authority, your insurer, your pubco (if applicable)
• First aid log – record of all first aid incidents, treatments provided, follow-up
• Fire safety maintenance log – extinguisher servicing, alarm testing, emergency lighting checks
• Incident log – all incidents, accidents, near-misses, with dates and details
• Staff training records – who’s received first aid training, when, when it expires
• Fire drill records – date, time, outcome, any issues identified

These don’t need to be elaborate—simple spreadsheets or even paper records are fine—but they need to exist and be kept up to date. When licensing authorities inspect or when something happens and police get involved, these records are the first things they ask for. If they don’t exist, you look unprepared or negligent. If they do exist and are detailed, you demonstrate professional management.

Digital vs. Physical Records

Keep copies of everything in two places: one physical copy and one digital copy. Fires destroy paper. Hard drives fail. Redundancy protects you.

Your incident log, fire risk assessment, and training records should be accessible to anyone you’ve named as responsible for safety. If someone needs to make a decision in an emergency or follow up on your procedures in your absence, they need immediate access to the information.

Regular Review and Updates

Review your emergency procedures at least annually. More importantly, review them whenever:

• You refurbish or alter the building
• You change opening hours or start hosting new types of events
• You increase or significantly reduce your capacity
• Staff members named in procedures leave
• You identify a near-miss or incident that reveals a gap in your procedures

After an incident, even a minor one, update your procedures to prevent it happening again. That’s not just good practice—it demonstrates to regulators that you learn from experience rather than simply reacting to problems.

Integration with Other Systems

Your emergency procedures should connect with your broader pub management systems. If you’re managing staff across FOH and kitchen using scheduling software—as we do—make sure the same software identifies who’s on shift and therefore who’s your responsible person that day. If staff training records are in your pub management software, you can see at a glance who has current first aid certification. Small integrations like this reduce the chance of gaps or confusion when you actually need the procedures.

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