EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS BEPREPARED
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) underpins the current fire safety legislation in England and Wales – the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that employers or organisations take responsibility for ensuring that all people, including disabled people, can leave the building they control safely in the event of a fire.
Equality in the workplace is essential in our ever-growing diverse society but do you have rigorous processes in place to allow this to meet the needs of all your employees?
Where an employer or a service provider does not make provision for the safe evacuation of disabled people from its premises, this may be viewed as discrimination. It may also constitute a failure to comply with the requirements of the fire safety legislation.
BUILDINGS ASSESSMENT What existing provision does your facility have for evacuation and access? Can a wheelchair user access all areas of your building if required? Can a wheelchair user be evacuated from your building if lifts are unusable in event of an emergency? Are you restricted to alterations due to the grade listing of your building or can you fit a permanent structure that meets the demands of access? If you are unsure to the answers to the above questions, please be reassured you’re certainly not alone.
SUITABILITY FOR SPECIFIC EMPLOYEES NEEDS AND
VISITORS NEEDS Would you know if your premises are accessible ready for an employee who has specific access needs? If your facility has a single lift access, do you have a plan for lift failure? Are there planned lift maintenance works this year, taking your lift out of action and do you have contingency plans in place?
What if your work space is below ground level? Basement steps go
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The Stair Climbing Company provides expert guidance on making sure your business is evacuation ready for disabled employees and visitors.
up to exit, but evacuation chairs do not climb stairs.
TRAINING AND EVACUATION
SCENARIO TRAINING The most important consideration for an employer is the training and the ability to deploy and execute your access and evacuation plan when required.
People learn by doing so your training should be practical, hands on and refreshed. Compliance is essential but the quality of training is critical for a real-life incident.
THE SOLUTION The value of a full risk assessment for evacuation and access is not to be underestimated.
The stair climber is a lifting device to be placed at the point of access for a disabled employee enabling access for employment and evacuation in the event of an emergency.
A battery-powered wheelchair carrier can be placed to provide an accessible place of work and is in line with fire regulation for the safe evacuation of a disabled person in the event of an emergency.
Paired with regular thorough training to prepare for using the evacuation chairs and stair climbers in the event of an emergency or everyday access for employees or visitors, you are delivering an all-bases-covered approach to access in your building
The Stair Climbing Company offers free professional audits of facilities, residential and commercial properties. More importantly, assisting you to introduce the relevant processes and protocols to ensure you are meeting the requirements of all staff and visitors. For more information, to book a free audit or to book a free professional CPD session please contact info@thestairclimbingcompany. com or call: 01787 379160.
www.thestairclimbingcompany.com
www.tomorrowshs.com
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