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Posted By Katiem
Good day All,
can anyone point me in the right direction.
I'm looking for some information on how to notify deaf workers when the fire alarm goes off.
This is in a care environment and I'm also looking for a simialr solution for our call system. In the past we have used pagers can be linked in to the fire panel, but the panel in this premises is very old....and tips?
Thank you once again.
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Posted By J Knight
Hi Katie,
A buddy is the cheapest and arguably the most reliable way I know of; that is, make it somebody's job to let their deaf colleague know what's happening. If its a lone worker, you could investigate some kind of vibrating talisman linked into the alarm; I haven't seen these but bet your life somebody can provide one for you.
At the Healthcare SG yesterday we were informed about the group of deaf support workers, supporting deaf people, who were given panic alarms as a lone working safety measure. Nothing to do with fire, but, good grief!
John
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Posted By Glyn Atkinson
Wire in some coloured alarm beacons in parallel into the alarm circuit so lights and noise goes off together in all required areas, we have a similar scenario with a stone deaf cabinet worker, and his bench is the only one with a beacon as well as a sounder in the circuit.
Fitted by a competent BS 7671 NICEIC qualified electrician of course.
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Posted By Calum Clark Have you tired looking at the Deaf Alerter system or is this the pager system you were referring to? If not try: http://www.deaf-alerter.com/website.htmYou can buy a message manager system so that Deaf Alerter pagers can be used as normal pagers sending messages to 1 person or a group of people. Calum
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Posted By warderic
All of the above seem good ideas. However, the main tool to give you an answer is a risk assessment, a risk assessmet which involves the deaf persons. They will will know what is needed, after all they live with the disability.
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Posted By J Knight
Warderic, you took the words right out of my mouth; or you would have done if I'd thought of them! ;-) Always, always work with the person involved. In the scenario with the panic alarms this is (obviously) the one thing the employers concerned hadn't done. Sorry to be posting at this time of night, but I'm doing other stuff on the PC which is taking its time, so I thought I'd log on,
John
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Posted By Ali
We have a Buddy system in place, which seems to work. However, there are scenarios which may make it difficult. eg what if the deaf person is in the loo when the alarm sounds and the Buddy doesn't know their whereabouts (we are all entitled to privacy sometimes) ? Maybe a Buddy system together with some visual alarm in private areas like toilets might work ?
Ali
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Posted By Douglas Inch
It seems to be asking a lot of an employee that s/he takes responsibility for the life of another. Is it even legal to do so?
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Posted By DJ
Hi. Douglas,
Not only is it legal, it is probably the best option, assuming the risk assessment identifies it as practical e.g. a person concentrating on work may not see a beacon.
The words "Fire" and "Warden" spring to mind.
Regards.
DJ
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Posted By Douglas Inch
I rather meant that by putting someone's safety in the care of a person (who may or may not be at work that day, may or may not be near the deaf person when an alarm goes of and may decide that their personal safety takes priority over that of another person)you're treating the deaf or blind person less favourably than his hearing or sighted colleagues in that the hearing workers are probably warned by a method which has to meet certain British Standard requirements............and doesn't take tea breaks, holidays or throw sickies.
Doesn't the Disability Discrimination Act say you can't treat disabled people less favourably?
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