Posted By mancman
A couple of questions regarding the safe evacuation of disabled persons in the event of an emergency situation.

Q1. Is it a legal requirement to put evacuation chairs on all floors? We are an 8 storey new building with 2 protected staircases. Each staircase has a protected lobby at each level has a "refuge area" purely for disabled persons with an alarm which shows that the refuge area is "occupied" on the panel. This is also situated adjacent to the "firemans lift".

Q2 What is the "Normal Procedure" for evacuation of disabled persons form upper floors. I have heard that some company's get the person to the refuge and leave them there (alone) to be rescued by the fire authority and others that have the person "buddied up" and that buddy stays with the person until rescued?

This is a new area for me and I need someone with experience of it to give a little assistance so i get things right and comply with the DDA requirements.

Thanks

Posted By shaun mckeever
mancman

Answer to Q1 is no it is not a legal requirement to place evac chairs at every floor level or even to provide any at all.

Answer to Q2. There is no 'normal procedure'. You have the advantage of a modern building equipped with properly designed refuge areas for disabled occupants complete with a communications system and firefighting lift.

There is a common misconception that disabled occupants are moved to the refuge area and then await either with or without a buddy until the fire service arrive to assist in completing the evacuation. Many think it is the recent changes in fire safety legislation that has now outlawed this. This is not the case. It has never been an acceptable procedure to await the arrival of the fire brigade.

In your case you have a firefighting lift. I would also be interested in the fire alarm system you have too.

Based on the assumption that in your modern building you have a two stage fire alarm system your procedure for evacuating disabled occupanst is as follows:-

1. On operation of the first stage alarm move disabled occupants to the refuge area.

2. Notify the front desk/security via the communications point in the refuge area that assistance is required.

3. Security/nominated person takes firefighting lift to floor where assistance is required.

4. Take firefighting lift with disabled person to ground floor and assist in exiting building.

Firefighting lifts are permitted to be used as part of the evacuation strategy for disabled occupants. Firefighting lifts have certain safety features including secondary power supplies, doors that will shut if the finger is removed from button (in case lift opens on floor of fire), lift msut be able to travel to highest floor of building in one minute or less, lift grounds on operation of fire alarm.

But of course there are different types of disabilities and the above is obviously based on those that require assistance. You must also sit down with the disabled occupant and develop a personal emergency evacaution plan (peep) with them. Often they have their own views and what might be new to you is not new to them.