Free fire action poster for cafés
Raise the alarm, get out by the nearest exit, don't stop for belongings or use lifts, go to the assembly point, call 999 once you are out, and stay out. Those steps come from GOV.UK fire safety guidance (Home Office small premises guide; Fire safety in the home), and your own fire plan comes first.
What the poster says
What to do if you find a fire or hear the alarm, in seven steps, with spaces for your assembly point and nearest extinguisher or fire blanket.
Fire
If there's a fire
If you find a fire or hear the fire alarm:
- Raise the alarm Warn everyone straight away.
- Get out by the nearest exit Point customers to the exits as you go.
- Don't stop for belongings
- Don't use lifts
- Go to the assembly point
- Call 999 once you are out
- Stay out. Don't go back in
Only use an extinguisher or fire blanket if you've been shown how. If in doubt, get out.
Assembly point:
Nearest extinguisher / fire blanket:
From GOV.UK fire safety guidance for small premises and small and medium places of assembly (Home Office), and Fire safety in the home (Home Office). Your own fire plan comes first. Checked 11 October 2026.
Free from managero.co.uk
How to use it
- Put it in the staff room and the kitchen, by the fire exit or the alarm call point.
- Write in your assembly point and where the nearest extinguisher or fire blanket is.
- Check it matches your own fire plan. If your building has a lift meant for evacuation, change the "Don't use lifts" line.
Questions café owners ask
- Does a café need a fire action notice?
- Home Office guidance for small premises says that in premises of more than one storey, fire action notices should be provided in prominent areas, to tell people what to do if there is a fire and where the assembly point is (A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire (accessible)).
- Do I need a fire risk assessment for my café?
- Yes. GOV.UK says the responsible person must carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment of the premises, and must keep a written record of it (Fire safety in the workplace: fire risk assessments).
- How often should we have a fire drill?
- GOV.UK says you should carry out at least one fire drill a year and record the results (Fire safety in the workplace: equipment, drills and training).
- Should staff try to put a fire out?
- Only if they've been shown how, and only if it doesn't put anyone at risk. Home Office guidance says staff should know which extinguishers you have and how to use them, and that if in doubt they should raise the alarm, leave and call the fire and rescue service (Home Office small premises guide).
- What fire equipment does a café kitchen need?
- Home Office guidance says that where there is a risk from cooking with fat fryers or similar equipment, a fire blanket and a Class F fire extinguisher should be provided in the kitchen or cooking area (Home Office small premises guide). Your fire risk assessment decides the rest.
Sources
Every source below was read on 11 October 2026. Where the poster states the law it says so, and where it gives official guidance it says that too.
- A guide to making your small non-domestic premises safe from fire (accessible)
- Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly
- Make your home safe from fire
- Fire safety in the workplace: fire safety and evacuation plans
- Fire safety in the workplace: fire risk assessments
- Fire safety in the workplace: equipment, drills and training
Keep the records that go with it.
Keep your fire risk assessment record and log every fire drill in managero HR & Safety, with reminders when a review is due. £18.99 excl VAT a month for your first site, with managero HR & Safety included.