Salvage Plans are a vital component of an Emergency Response Plan

A good Salvage Plan is made up of a few different documents, and we've included some templates and examples of those documents (provided by Historic England) below, including grab sheets, Inventory template for salvaged items, salvage store equipment list and much more.

Considerations for choosing your priority objects

In an emergency situation firefighters may be operating in a dark, smoke-filled environment, wearing breathing apparatus and protective wear. In these circumstances it would be difficult for firefighters to remove anything very large, very heavy, or that require specific tools to remove. Please bear these limitations in mind when prioritising objects to save.

If items cannot be removed due to their weight, size or being permanently fixed in place, then consideration needs to be given to how these can be protected in situ. In this instance you may need to provide fire resisting covers that firefighters can place over objects to provide a level of protection.

What to do with your finished salvage plan

We recommend that you keep multiple laminated copies of the salvage plan in strategic locations, which can be easily reached by fire crews or handed to them on arrival. Consider keeping copies off-site to ensure the plan can be reached even if access to the premises is restricted.

Make sure the people working in your building are aware of the plan and know what’s expected of them.

Need more help?

If you need more help creating your salvage plan contact our Heritage team who can offer you advice.