A Spotlight On... Evacuation Chairs

Article | Lauren Spencer, Content Developer at Blue Stream Academy

If there was an emergency at your workplace and you had to evacuate the building, how would you get everyone out? If it wasn’t safe to use the lift – such as in a fire – would everyone in the building have a means of escape, including people with mobility issues?

Evacuation chairs give you another way to get people out of the building in an emergency. Understanding how to use them and who they are for makes workplaces safer and could save lives.

What Is an Evacuation Chair?

An evacuation chair is used to transport a person with mobility issues out of a building in an emergency. Evacuation chairs are specially designed to navigate stairs, because in some types of emergencies it wouldn’t be safe to use the lift.

Most evacuation chairs are lightweight but sturdy. They usually have a caterpillar track to allow the chair to get down flights of stairs without being lifted, and wheels that make it easier to travel on level ground. They tend to be foldable and are normally kept in or near a fire refuge point.

Various types of evacuation chairs made by different manufacturers are available. For example, some are designed to support heavier loads, and others can navigate narrow or spiral staircases. Some have power assistance so the chair can move a person upstairs, but most are manually operated and are designed for transporting people downstairs.

Who Might Need to Use an Evacuation Chair?

Evacuation chairs can be used by staff, visitors and members of the public who might otherwise find it difficult to leave the building in an emergency because of mobility issues. This may include people who:

• have a mobility impairment

• are heavily pregnant

• are older

• are injured

• have a mental health condition that affects their ability to move independently.

There may also be other reasons that someone might need to leave a building with the assistance of an evacuation chair.

Equally, not everyone in the groups listed above will need or want to use an evacuation chair – some will be confident that they can exit the building unaided.

Is an Evacuation Chair Right for Everyone?

An evacuation chair might not be suitable for every person who has a mobility issue. If someone has a complex health issue or disability, using an evacuation chair could be uncomfortable or injure them.

Some people might not be able to transfer into an evacuation chair or stay in a comfortable position once they are seated.

Does Your Organisation Need an Evacuation Chair?

Having an evacuation chair is not a legal requirement for any workplace, but the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that in the event of danger, people must be able to leave the premises as quickly and safely as possible.

With that in mind, having at least one evacuation chair on site will help organisations to fulfil their responsibilities under the Order.

Think about your workplace:

• Does the building have stairs that staff and visitors regularly need to use?

• Are there people in the building who have mobility issues and might need help to get out in an emergency?

• Is your workplace a residential facility for people who are older and who may be frail?

• Is it open to members of the public, who may have varying mobility needs?

A risk assessment should consider all these questions. It should identify people who would be especially at risk in an emergency and whether they would need to use an evacuation chair to escape the building. This should be set out in an evacuation plan.

Who Can Operate an Evacuation Chair?

If you need an evacuation chair for your workplace, you’ll also need someone to operate it. This can be any employee or volunteer who is physically fit and has no back, leg or arm injuries.

Many evacuation chairs are advertised as only needing one person to operate them, but it’s generally recommended that a second person is available to assist with evacuations; this is safer for the main operator and for the person in the chair.

Evacuation chair operators and assistants must be able to stay calm in an emergency and provide reassurance to the person who is in the chair.

Anyone who is involved in operating an evacuation chair will need some practical training so they understand how to use their evacuation chair safely and correctly.

How Do Evacuation Chairs Work?

Several different manufacturers make evacuation chairs, and different models have different functions and features, so the way each type of chair works is likely to differ slightly.

However, many evacuation chairs that are used for transporting people downstairs work in a similar way; most are manually controlled and need one or two people to operate them.

First, the chair has to be carefully unfolded. The operator then locks the frame into place and holds the chair securely while the person transfers into it. The person might need help from a carer to do this, who should follow the organisation’s guidance on manual handling.

Next, restraints are fastened to keep the person secure so they won’t fall out while the chair is moving.

When the person is secure and comfortable, they can be transported down the stairs. The operators guide the chair down the stairs. The chair’s rubber caterpillar tracks create friction as they slide down the stair nosings (the edges of each step), which slows down the descent so the operators can move the chair in a safe and controlled way.

When the person is secure and comfortable, they can be transported down the stairs. The operators guide the chair down the stairs. The chair’s rubber caterpillar tracks create friction as they slide down the stair nosings (the edges of each step), which slows down the descent so the operators can move the chair in a safe and controlled way.

Once the stairs have been navigated and the ground floor is reached, the person seated in the chair can be moved to a safe place, such as the fire assembly point.

Because so many different evacuation chairs are available, it’s vital that anyone who is responsible for operating one undertakes practical training and follows the instruction manual for the make and model used in their workplace

Want to Find Out More?

If you would like to enhance your or your team’s knowledge about evactuation chairs and how to use them, please phone us on 01773 822549 or use our website’s LiveChat feature at bluestreamacademy.com You can also email info@bluestreamacademy.com