Evacuation plans for retail and shopping

All shops, supermarkets, hypermarkets, shopping centres, boutiques and specialty stores are classified as ERP type M under the French fire-safety regulation (decree of 25 June 1980 as amended, articles M 1 to M 53). From the applicable occupancy threshold, this triggers the display of evacuation plans on each level and near exits, along with general fire-safety instructions per NF X 08-070.

The category (1 to 5) is determined by total occupancy: public + staff. For a retail outlet, public occupancy is calculated based on the surface accessible to the public — typically 2 people per m² on the ground floor and 1 person per m² on basements and upper floors.

Beyond display, type M imposes strict rules on smoke control of large areas, compartmentalisation of stockrooms, isolation of storage zones, protection of escalators and shopping galleries. The evacuation plan must reflect this logic and be readable by a public unfamiliar with the premises.

Shopping centres and shopping galleries pose particular challenges: a heterogeneous public (families, elderly people, prams, wheelchair users), large open surfaces with numerous metal shelving units, escalators and lifts, multiple emergency exits, several brands within the same building.

For a shopping centre, the evacuation plan can combine a global plan of the floor (the shopping gallery) and dedicated plans for each store whose surface exceeds the threshold. Consistency between these plans is essential so the public can move without hesitation to the nearest exit.

For multi-floor stores, attention must be paid to escalators (not to be used during evacuation), enclosed staircases, lifts (except fire-fighter priority lifts) and routes from areas furthest from exits. The plan must also clearly show fire hose reels, extinguishers, manual call points and emergency exits.

Retail is a sector where displays change regularly: new season, new merchandising, addition of a corner, relocation of a checkout. With an online editor like Fabrik, you update the evacuation plan in minutes, regenerate the high-resolution PDF and replace the printouts — no more bureau d'études.

Vector exports guarantee perfect legibility for large-format display (A2 or A1 in big-box stores) and for sharing with the safety commission. The version history lets you prove that the displayed plan reflects the current layout at the date of the periodic inspection.