How often must drills be held?

At least once (1) a year, with the participation of all workers (Article 2.2.4.6.25(10) of Decreto 1072 de 2015). The company may hold more according to its emergency plan.

Must workers on every shift take part?

Item 10 requires the participation of all workers, and the plan must cover all workplaces and shifts (Article 2.2.4.6.25 of Decreto 1072 de 2015). Resolución 0312 de 2019 adds that the plan must take into account all working hours in all workplaces (Article 16).

What evidence should be kept?

Records showing the drill was held and analysed, and proof that the recommendations were built into the emergency plan, which is what the Minimum Standards check (Article 16 of Resolución 0312 de 2019).

Do drills also apply to small companies?

Article 2.2.4.6.25 of Decreto 1072 de 2015 binds every employer or contracting party and makes no distinction by size. Resolución 0312 de 2019 spells out drills in the standards for companies with more than fifty workers (Article 16) and requires an emergency plan and brigade from those with eleven to fifty (Article 9).

CO · Expiry & renewal tracking

Make sure your company's annual emergency drill gets done

As part of the emergency prevention, preparedness and response plan, Colombian employers must hold at least one drill a year in which all workers take part (Article 2.2.4.6.25(10) of Decreto 1072 de 2015). There is no grace period, and non-compliance is punished under Article 2.2.4.6.36.

The employer or contracting party must implement and maintain the necessary emergency prevention, preparedness and response arrangements, covering all workplaces and shifts and all workers, whatever their type of contract, including contractors and subcontractors, suppliers and visitors (Article 2.2.4.6.25 of Decreto 1072 de 2015). To do so, it must implement an emergency prevention, preparedness and response plan that, among other things, identifies threats, analyses vulnerability, defines facility plans and evacuation routes, and informs, trains and drills all workers.

One of the minimum elements of the plan is to hold drills at least once (1) a year with the participation of all workers (Article 2.2.4.6.25(10)). The same article requires the emergency brigade to be set up, trained, drilled and equipped according to the risk level and available resources, including first aid (item 11), and all emergency prevention and response equipment, including alert, signage and alarm systems, to be inspected at the frequency set in the SG-SST (item 12). Threat identification, the vulnerability assessment and emergency plans are part of the documentation the employer must keep available and up to date (Article 2.2.4.6.12(12)).

Resolución 0312 de 2019 (SG-SST Minimum Standards) requires companies with more than fifty workers to have a plan that includes at least facility plans showing emergency areas and exits, signage and drills at least once a year, that covers all working hours in all workplaces and that is communicated; it is checked by asking for evidence of the drills and their analysis and confirming that the recommendations were built into the plan (Article 16; standard 5.1.1 in the table of Article 27). Companies with eleven to fifty workers must prepare and communicate the plan and set up, train and equip the brigade (Article 9).

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At a glance

Frequency	At least once (1) a year (Article 2.2.4.6.25(10) of Decreto 1072 de 2015)
Who takes part	All workers (item 10); the plan covers all workplaces and shifts, contractors, suppliers and visitors (Article 2.2.4.6.25)
Framework	SG-SST emergency prevention, preparedness and response plan (Article 2.2.4.6.25)
Brigade	Set up, trained, drilled and equipped according to the risk level, including first aid (item 11)
Evidence	Records of the drill and its analysis, with recommendations built into the plan (Article 16 of Resolución 0312 de 2019)
Who checks	Ministry of Labour; ARLs carry out delegated supervision (Article 2.2.4.6.36, paragraph; Article 35 of Resolución 0312 de 2019)

The rule requires at least one drill a year without fixing a month; because the plan must cover all shifts and workplaces, more than one exercise may be needed so that every worker takes part.

Who is responsible?

The employer or contracting party must implement the emergency plan and hold the drills (Article 2.2.4.6.25 of Decreto 1072 de 2015). The SG-SST lead usually coordinates them with the emergency brigade. In companies with more than fifty workers, inspections of emergency prevention and response equipment are carried out with the participation of the COPASST (Article 16 of Resolución 0312 de 2019). Responsibility for the system lies with the employer.

If the deadline passes

Decreto 1072 de 2015 provides no grace period for the annual drill. Non-compliance with the SG-SST chapter is punished under Article 91 of Decreto Ley 1295 de 1994, as amended by Article 13 of Ley 1562 de 2012 (Article 2.2.4.6.36), and non-compliance with the Minimum Standards on the same terms (Article 36 of Resolución 0312 de 2019).

The drill must leave a mark on the plan

For the Minimum Standards, holding the exercise is not enough: inspectors check the records of the drill and its analysis, and that the resulting recommendations were used to improve the emergency plan (Article 16 of Resolución 0312 de 2019). Keep the drill report together with the updated version of the plan.

Tracking it with ExpirySuite

Add each site or workplace as a record and enter as the expiry date one year after the latest drill held.
Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before and on the day, in time to prepare the scenario, bring in all shifts and coordinate the brigade.
The SG-SST lead can upload the drill report and its analysis through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account; then move the expiry date to one year from the new drill.
Assign the SG-SST lead or the brigade coordinator as the responsible person; if the date passes without a drill, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.

Frequently asked questions

How often must drills be held?: At least once (1) a year, with the participation of all workers (Article 2.2.4.6.25(10) of Decreto 1072 de 2015). The company may hold more according to its emergency plan.
Must workers on every shift take part?: Item 10 requires the participation of all workers, and the plan must cover all workplaces and shifts (Article 2.2.4.6.25 of Decreto 1072 de 2015). Resolución 0312 de 2019 adds that the plan must take into account all working hours in all workplaces (Article 16).
What evidence should be kept?: Records showing the drill was held and analysed, and proof that the recommendations were built into the emergency plan, which is what the Minimum Standards check (Article 16 of Resolución 0312 de 2019).
Do drills also apply to small companies?: Article 2.2.4.6.25 of Decreto 1072 de 2015 binds every employer or contracting party and makes no distinction by size. Resolución 0312 de 2019 spells out drills in the standards for companies with more than fifty workers (Article 16) and requires an emergency plan and brigade from those with eleven to fifty (Article 9).

Sources

Last checked: Oct 11, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.

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