EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS GET OUT PLAN
Direct Access provides expert advice to ensure the safety and comfort of care home residents and staff in an emergency evacuation situation.
Throughout history, buildings have generally been constructed to accommodate the needs of people without disabilities while ignoring those who do have them. As low as building standards can and have often been, however, the idea that care homes might not be truly accessible to its residents is now a worrying one for many a care home manager.
Given that many people will experience some form of disability at some point in their lives, designing care homes with accessibility in mind is crucial, as the consequences of not doing this can be truly devastating, particularly in emergency situations such as fires.
many fire refuges are required based on the number of disabled people using the building.
Furthermore, all care home staff should be trained annually to use, store, and test any evacuation equipment provided on site at least once a month. This ensures that equipment is ready for use in an emergency and stays in working condition. Staff should also be trained to inspect exit routes for any barriers as part of their daily routines. This includes checking exit doors, passageways, and routes that lead directly to the street to ensure they are clear and safe. Accessibility auditors can help with this process, as well as assess fire liſts, stairs, and other factors critical to creating an accessible escape route.
“All care home staff should be
trained annually to use, store, and test any evacuation equipment provided.”
Starting with the basics, evacuation procedures must be tailored to meet the needs of all individuals, which necessitates developing evacuation plans for individual residents. A personal emergency evacuation plan (or PEEP) accounts for the specific need of one person on the premises. Creating PEEPs with qualified fire risk assessors helps ensure everyone’s safety and allows building owners to make their facilities safer by understanding what equipment or accommodations might be needed, including how
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Procedure aside, many residents in care homes face challenges due to physical barriers built into the site. So, to accommodate all residents, including those with mobility limitations, some basic adjustments include incorporating features like ramps, platform and stair liſts, accessible toilets, and ensuring that communal spaces are easy to navigate, with enough width of space for wheelchair users during evacuation; 1800mm wall to wall is generally preferred, with 1200mm at absolute minimum over short distances.
In addition to addressing physical barriers, it is important to remember that emotional challenges can be just as significant as physical ones, so care homes should offer support to residents through services like counselling, support groups, and social workers. Staff should also be trained to identify emotional needs and offer a comforting presence when needed, which will be instrumental in times of stress and emergency. Many factors such as these which might not seem immediately obvious when preparing residents for evacuation can be very helpful during emergency situations, making life in a care home that much safer and more pleasant in general.
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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