Posted By Laurie Mike In your deliberations don't forget that in some scenarios evacuation is not the best, or most risk free, strategy. In some cases the the refuge principle is safer. Your local brigade's fire safety/ prevention officer is a valuable free local source of advice on this. I speak both as a safety professional and someone who has a mobility impaired wife Laurie

Posted By Ken Taylor You are quite correct, Mike. Refuges are for some disabled people to await assisted evacuation arranged by management and not rescue by the fire brigade. I am less than enthusiastic about evacuation chairs in some buildings and keen on the greater provision of evacuation lifts - particularly in new-build. I have also come across fixed slides (rather like larger versions of those found in children's playgrounds) and escape chutes (like a large meal going down inside a perpendicular snake). You could also try asking your question of the FireNet Fire Safety Forum to see if they have any other suggestions. http://www.globalcrisisc...2b34040c1d3aab30453054f3

Posted By Stephen Lambert Please beware of the "Refuge" mentality. Specifically, consider what the refuge is for i.e. temporary holding of persons until the nature of the incident is ascertained. IT IS NOT A "SAFE" AREA TO HOLD PEOPLE UNTIL THE FIRE SERVICE REMOVE THOSE PERSONS FROM THE BUILDING! It is the occupier's duty to ensure that their safety system is robust enough to evacuate all persons from the building without the intervention of the Fire Service. This means that the employer will have to consider the employees' capabilities when allowing MI persons onto their premises - unless those persons provide carers to evacuate them without placing a burden on staff. I know this runs directly contrary to the received wisdom re the DDA - but remember which legislation has the criminal penalty (it isn't the DDA). The employer's primary responsibility is currently to the employee not the visitor so some form of control may be required when physical capabilities of staff do not allow unlimited numbers of MI persons to be evacuated. This issue has exercised several local authority H&S departments: it hasn't been tested in court but I think it would be difficult to argue against in terms of safety of staff. Hope this throws a stone in the pond! Steve Lambert H-and-S