How-to
How to do an emergency roll call at work
By the TrackBadges team · Updated · 7 min read
The short answer
An emergency roll call is the headcount at a muster point after an evacuation that confirms every person got out. OSHA's emergency action plan rule (29 CFR 1910.38(c)(4)) requires procedures to account for all employees after evacuation. A good roll call works from a current list of who is on site, has a named warden, and reports anyone missing to responders within minutes.
Key takeaways
- OSHA requires an emergency action plan to include a way to account for all employees after evacuation (29 CFR 1910.38(c)(4)).
- Roll call needs a list of who is actually on site right now, not the schedule.
- Name a roll-call warden and a backup for every shift and every muster point.
- Count visitors, contractors and temps too, and never send anyone back inside to look.
- Drill it: practice shows whether your list is current and how long the count takes.
What is an emergency roll call?
An emergency roll call is the headcount you take at the muster point after an evacuation to confirm that everyone who was in the building got out. It answers one question for the fire department: is anybody still inside, and if so, who and where? It differs from a normal attendance check because the list has to match who is on site right now, not who was scheduled.
A head count alone isn't enough. If 30 people were inside and you count 29, you need the name of the missing person and where they were last seen. That's why an emergency roll call goes name by name.
What OSHA requires
OSHA's emergency action plan standard, 29 CFR 1910.38, requires the plan to include procedures to account for all employees after evacuation (1910.38(c)(4)). The full list of minimum elements in 1910.38(c) is:
- Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency.
- Procedures for emergency evacuation, including the type of evacuation and exit route assignments.
- Procedures for employees who stay behind to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate.
- Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation.
- Procedures for employees performing rescue or medical duties.
- The name or job title of every employee who can be contacted for more information about the plan.
The plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace and available to employees, though an employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally (1910.38(b)). You must also designate and train employees to help with a safe, orderly evacuation (1910.38(e)), and review the plan with each employee when it's created, when their responsibilities under it change, and when the plan changes (1910.38(f)).
1910.38 applies where another OSHA standard calls for an emergency action plan, and many general-industry workplaces fall under one. Construction has a parallel rule at 29 CFR 1926.35. Even where neither strictly applies, a roll call is how you know everyone got out.
Who does what during a roll call
Every muster point needs one person holding the list and a backup. Larger sites add a few more roles:
| Role | Usually | Job during the evacuation |
|---|---|---|
| Evacuation (floor) warden | A lead in each floor or area | Sweeps the area on the way out, checks restrooms and break rooms, closes doors |
| Roll-call warden | Shift supervisor or crew lead | Opens the list at the muster point and checks off each person by name |
| Backup roll-call warden | A second lead on the same shift | Takes over if the warden is absent or hurt |
| Visitor host | Front desk, or whoever signed the visitor in | Brings the visitor and contractor log and accounts for guests |
| Emergency coordinator | Site manager | Collects counts from each muster point and briefs the fire department |
Name these roles by job title in the plan, and fill them for every shift. The night shift needs its own warden.
Choosing a muster point
A muster point, also called an assembly point, is the pre-arranged spot where everyone gathers after evacuating so they can be counted. A good one is:
- Far enough from the building to stay clear of smoke, falling glass and the fire department's work area.
- Out of traffic lanes, loading docks and the path of arriving fire trucks.
- Easy to find and marked with a sign.
- Big enough for everyone on your largest shift.
- Paired with a backup point in a different direction, in case the first one is blocked.
Assign each area of the building to a muster point so the warden there knows whom to expect.
Step-by-step emergency roll call procedure
- Keep a live list of who's on site. Use the time clock's list of who's clocked in, plus the visitor and contractor log, not the schedule.
- Assign roll-call wardens. Name a warden and a backup for each muster point on every shift.
- Take the list on the way out. The warden opens it on a phone or grabs the printed copy while evacuating, and never goes back for it.
- Go straight to the muster point. Everyone goes to their assigned point and stays there until released.
- Check people off by name. Call names or walk the group; a head count alone can't tell you who's missing.
- Resolve the gaps. For each unchecked name, ask whether they left the site, went to another muster point or forgot to clock out.
- Report within minutes. The warden tells the emergency coordinator "all accounted for," or gives the names and last-known locations of anyone missing.
- Don't go back in. Nobody re-enters to search; that's the fire department's job.
- Release and review. After the all-clear, write down how long the count took and what went wrong, and fix it.
Visitors, contractors and temps
Your employee list won't include everyone in the building. Visitors, delivery drivers, subcontractors and agency temps are the people most often missed, because they're on nobody's roster. Close the gap:
- Have everyone sign in and out, with an employee sign-in sheet at the front desk or a construction sign-in sheet at the gate.
- Make each visitor's host responsible for getting them to the muster point.
- Tell contractors where the muster point is when they arrive.
- If temps come from an agency, put them on your time clock like everyone else so they appear on your list. More in time clocks for staffing agencies.
Why the time clock is your best roll-call list
The time clock already knows who arrived today and who has left. A schedule shows who was supposed to be there, and a sign-in sheet is often left on the clipboard inside. The time clock's list of who's clocked in shows who scanned in and hasn't scanned out.
| Source | Shows who's actually here | Available at the muster point | Main weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shift schedule | No | Only if printed | Absences, swaps and overtime |
| Paper sign-in sheet | Mostly | Only if someone grabs it | Left inside; hard to read |
| Time clock's clocked-in list on a phone | Yes | Yes | People who forgot to clock out show as present |
| Visitor and contractor log | Visitors only | If it's digital or someone grabs it | People skip signing in |
That weakness is why you check people off by name and ask about the gaps. It's also one more reason to fix missed punches quickly; see what happens if you forget to clock out.
Running roll-call drills
29 CFR 1910.38 doesn't set a drill schedule, but a drill is the only way to find out whether your list is current and how long the count really takes. Many employers drill at least once a year and again when the plan, the building or the crew changes a lot. Your local fire code, insurer or industry may require more. Measure:
- The time from alarm to a full count.
- Which names couldn't be accounted for, and why.
- Whether the warden could open or find the list.
- Whether visitors and contractors were on it.
A drill, worked through
At 10:14 the alarm sounds at a warehouse. The roll-call warden opens the clocked-in list on her phone as she walks out: 27 people. By 10:18 she has checked off 25. One unchecked name is a driver who left the yard on a delivery at 9:40 without scanning out, and a phone call confirms he's on the road. The other walks out at 10:20 with the floor warden, who found him in the back restroom with earbuds in. Full count: 6 minutes. The fixes: drivers scan out when they leave the yard, and the floor warden adds restrooms to the sweep.
Keep a printed roll-call sheet as backup
Phones die and signals drop. Keep a paper backup: print the emergency roll call sheet, fill in each shift's names, and keep copies with the wardens and by the main exit. Paper is also where you record the drill: the time to full count, who was missing and what you'll change.
Using TrackBadges for roll call
If your crew already clocks in with TrackBadges, you have the list: open the dashboard on your phone at the muster point and tap Roll call. It shows everyone clocked in right now, across all your locations, with a checklist to tap each person off as they're accounted for. Because the list comes from badge scans, it reflects who actually arrived today. The check-offs stay on the phone that opened the list and aren't saved, and it needs a connection to load, so keep the printed sheet as a fallback and as your written record. Add visitors from your sign-in log.
Frequently asked questions
What is a muster point?
A muster point, or assembly point, is the pre-arranged place outside a building where everyone gathers after an evacuation so they can be counted. It should be clear of the building, traffic and fire trucks, marked with a sign, and paired with a backup point in case it's blocked.
Does OSHA require a roll call after an evacuation?
OSHA's emergency action plan rule requires procedures to account for all employees after an evacuation (29 CFR 1910.38(c)(4)). It doesn't prescribe the method, but a name-by-name roll call at the muster point is the usual way to meet it.
Who should take roll call during an evacuation?
A designated roll-call warden, usually a shift supervisor or crew lead, with a named backup for every shift. The warden works from a list of who's on site, checks each person off by name, and reports the result to the emergency coordinator.
What should you do if someone is missing at roll call?
Report the person's name and last-known location to the emergency coordinator or fire department right away. Don't send anyone back inside to look. Meanwhile, check whether the person left the site earlier, went to another muster point or forgot to clock out.
How often should you run fire drills at work?
OSHA's emergency action plan rule doesn't set a drill schedule. Many employers drill at least once a year and again when the plan, building or crew changes. Local fire codes, insurers and some industries require more, so check yours.
Does a small business need a written emergency action plan?
Where OSHA's rule applies, the plan must be in writing, but employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally (29 CFR 1910.38(b)). Even a small crew should know the muster point and who takes roll call.
Keep reading
- Emergency roll callAn emergency roll call built into your time clock: one tap lists everyone clocked in, with a checklist to account for each person at the muster point.
- Emergency roll call sheetFree printable emergency roll call sheet for fire drills and evacuations: name, crew, present, missing and notes, with site, muster point and warden fields.
- WarehousingA warehouse time clock on a tablet by the door: workers hold up a QR badge to clock in. Phones stay in lockers, no hardware to buy. Free for 3 people.
- ManufacturingA manufacturing time clock with no terminal: workers scan a QR badge at a tablet by the plant door. Overtime and CSV export built in. Free for 3 people.
- Employee sign-in sheetFree printable employee sign-in sheet with time in, lunch out, lunch in and time out columns. Print, save as PDF or download as an Excel-ready CSV.
- ConstructionA construction time clock where the foreman scans each worker's QR badge at the gate with any phone. No app for the crew, every site tracked. Free for 3 people.
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