COVER STORY
Put simply, it is not enough to ensure that your building is accessible – you also have to make sure it can be exited safely by all employees in an emergency.
In law, under the Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1997, it is the responsibility of the occupier of premises, not the Fire Service, to ensure all workers are safely evacuated in the case of an emergency. Fire risk assessments must, therefore, take into account anyone for whom mobility issues mean that they rely on a lift to move up and down a building.
The structural provision of escape – eg fire stairs or escapes - are clearly inappropriate for those with disabilities. That makes the inclusion of evacuation equipment such as evac chairs and team training, vital.
An emergency evacuation caused by a fire or security incident is, of course, a worst-case scenario. There are, however, other situations that could be problematical for people with
mobility issues and which, while less serious, can have health and safety implications unless proper planning and provision is made.
Probably the most common is a lift failure or power outage. While not life-threatening, these situations could be distressing for someone unable to use stairs. While colleagues may be willing to help, without proper equipment or training, there is always a risk of personal injury in such situations.
ASSISTED EQUIPMENT The decision to install assistive equipment such as evac chairs needs to be taken on a building-by-building basis to fit the needs of each employee. Very often, when people think of ‘the disabled’, they automatically think of people in wheelchairs.
In fact, under the Equality Act 2010, a ‘disabled person’ is defined as someone with a physical or mental impairment, which has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ effect on their ability
to do normal daily activities such as descending stairs unaided.
Equally, there are some medical conditions that, while they do not qualify as disabilities, can impede mobility. With an older workforce, given national statistics, it is almost inevitable that a percentage will suffer from osteoarthritis (figures show that 33% of the population aged 45 plus have sought treatment for the condition).
While these and other age-related conditions could impact on someone’s physical capabilities in terms of mobility, they certainly shouldn’t be considered a bar to employment on health and safety grounds. Evac chairs offer a simple and effective solution to ensure a safe exit from work for an increasingly diverse workforce.
www.evac-chair.co.uk
Evacuating today’s diverse workforce out of a building 10 MILLLION
3
PEOPLE WITH VISUAL
IMPAIRMENT
IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE TO NOT HAVE CORRECT
EVACUATION FOR ALL
EVACUATION EQUIPMENT MUST: NO LIFTING,
NO CARRYING, NO WEIGHT BEARING OVER 30%
IN 2020 OVER 30% OF YOUR WORK FORCE WILL BE OVER 50
6 OUT OF 10
PEOPLE ARE OBESE
7 MILLLION
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AT WORK
www.tomorrowshs.com
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