28 Mar 2022
People with disabilities are being put at risk by the lack of clarity over where responsibility lies for escaping from a building in an emergency - safety experts and evacuation specialists have warned.
Evac+Chair International is urging lawmakers
to close the legislative gap to encourage more accountability and transparency
on the evacuation equipment needed, in order to save lives.
At the same time, it is looking to educate
businesses, building managers and those responsible for fire safety on their
safety-related duty in emergency situations.
The call has been launched in the wake of
discussion around the topic during Business Safety Week 2021, Disability
Awareness Day 2021 and Fire Door Safety Week 2021 - all of which raise
awareness on safety in the workplace and those living with disabilities or
mobility impairments.
In total, there are 14.1 million disabled
people in the UK and more than 4.4 million of them are in work and should be
adequately protected in case of an emergency.
Currently,
fire safety regulations do not specify evacuation systems or equipment for
people with disabilities or temporary mobility issues, as a legal requirement
in buildings. And while there is a legal
responsibility for the person responsible for fire safety to have in place a
risk assessment and measures to support the safe evacuation of people from the
building, this does not state what should be in place to support people with
disabilities.
Now, Birmingham-based Evac+Chair
International wants
a rethink of the law and is calling on businesses to make sure they have the
right risk assessments and measures in place to keep everyone safe in an
emergency situation.
Gerard
Wallace, Managing Director of Evac+Chair International, said:
“It is
vital that businesses know their responsibilities and people with disabilities
- whether lifelong or temporary - know their rights around safely getting out
of a building in an emergency.
“There
is great confusion and a legislative gap
and lack of clarity around what business owners and building managers
responsible for fire safety need to have in place to properly protect staff,
visitors and the public.”
Under the Management of Health
and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, businesses must undertake assessments to
identify injury and illness risk, taking action to eliminate, or control that
risk. For those with more than five employees, results should be recorded,
while considering groups particularly at risk such as older, younger, pregnant or
disabled employees.
Gerard
Wallace added:
“The
emphasis has always been on giving disabled people access into buildings, but
little thought and planning is paid on how to support people to get out in an
emergency.
“We also
see a lack of awareness amongst building owners and managers around their
responsibilities for people with temporary disabilities or impairments - such
as a broken leg or pregnancy. The fact is, they are responsible and could be liable in a worst-case
scenario.
“We need
to make sure that everyone, whether able-bodied or not, can escape from a
building in an emergency situation.”
Evac+Chair International is joining forces
with other businesses, national advocacy groups and charities to highlight the
issue with the Government.
The
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and BAFE have already
shown their support for the call.
Nathan Davies,
RoSPA’s Executive Head of Policy and Portfolio, said:
“The efficiency of an emergency evacuation
can be the difference between protecting lives and serious injury or death.
“Therefore, we
support any initiative that encourages organisations to put correct measures in
place to create workplace environments that are safe for all.”
Lewis
Ramsay, Board Member – BAFE Fire Safety Register/former Assistant Chief Officer
for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said:
“The BAFE
Fire Safety Register believes that risk to life safety can be mitigated in many
ways. A safe evacuation strategy for all people is one of these, which can
greatly benefit firefighters (and other responders) in an emergency.
“BAFE would
welcome greater clarification (and promotion) where responsibilities lie for
fire safety and emergency evacuation actions, especially for more vulnerable
people. This will aid in getting the appropriate systems and provisions in
place for a safer built environment.”
Evac + Chair International Ltd.
Website
Email Us
T: +44 (0) 121 706 6744
Unit 4, Central Boulevard
Blythe Valley Park
B90 8AW
Solihull, West Midlands
United Kingdom
Evac + Chair International Ltd. will be exhibiting on Stand SH2454 at Safety & Health Expo 2022, 16 - 18 May 2023, ExCeL, London, UK
Evac + Chair International Ltd. will be exhibiting on Stand SH3056 at Safety & Health Expo 2019, 18-20 June, ExCeL, London, UK
The 300H is a lightweight evacuation chair which features a double handed, anti-slip grip and unique friction belts to ensure a safe and comfortable evacuation for the mobility impaired and has a payload capacity of a 182kg.
The 900H Power is a 24V, Lithium-Ion battery operated, motorised evacuation chair. Designed for a one-person operation, its Powered Belt Track System reduces manual handling and facilitates a smooth, safe and quick method of upward and downward evacuation.
The 500H MK5 is a robust evacuation chair that features a double handed grip and a foldable descent control handle. With an increased payload capacity of 227kg, this chair is suitable for passengers of any build
The 700H safely ascends and descends stairs. Suitable for spiral staircases and where space is restricted.
The 600H MK5 is a lightweight chair with both front and rear grab handles. The chair allows for a 2-4 person operation in locations with difficult access, including ascending evacuations.
Designed for easy storage, the 200H folds neatly in half, perfect for compact storage spaces. Unfolding in one swift movement, it is quick and easy to set up.
Safe evacuation isn’t just the purchase of an Evac+Chair. It is recommended that all operators carry out training to ensure the Evac+Chair is used in the correct and safe manner.
We are able to provide UK nationwide coverage with our team of qualified trainers. Our training courses are vali...
We offer a range of maintenance contracts. Our maintenance contracts provide you with complete peace of mind that your product will be fully operational. Our team of nationwide engineers will replace any worn parts, with genuine replacements that no other third party can supply.
As a Class I ...
We offer complimentary Evacuation Site SurveysEvac+Chair has a team of experienced professionals, providing complimentary UK-wide evacuation site-surveys to help ensure you meet your obligations in relation to:
Health & Safety at Work ActEquality Act 2010Regulatory Reform (Fire Saf...
Protect your Evac+Chair or other building assets using our anti-theft device, which is fitted with a key-controlled alarm.
The alarm is self contained in red polycarbonate housing with a compact design. It can easily be installed in minutes with corresponding symbols that can be used globally. It h...
The Evac+Chair Comfy Seat will provide patients with an equal level of comfort comparative to a wheel chair seating arrangement. It is ergonomically designed and manufactured from memory foam which aids in a horizontal transfer. It can easily fit onto the frames of the 300H, 500, 600H & 110 Evac+Chairs.
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