Emergency mustering is the process of gathering employees at assigned assembly points after an evacuation and accounting for everyone, so that responders know whether anyone is still inside.
OSHA 1910.38 requires an emergency action plan to include procedures to account for all employees after evacuation. Many sites do this with paper rosters or badge lists. Electronic mustering uses a location system or badge readers to show who has reached a muster point and who has not, and some systems show the last known position of anyone missing.
In forklift operations, mustering also covers the trucks: drivers need to know where to park and shut down before leaving, so trucks do not block exits or aisles responders need. Electronic mustering depends on people carrying a working tag or badge, on reliable coverage at outdoor muster points, and on a manual fallback if power or the network fails. Visitors and contractors must be included in the count. A location system bought for collision warnings can support mustering, but only if tags are worn by everyone on site. The forklift emergency action plan guide covers evacuation and truck shutdown.