“Businesses must make time to practise and train”

Businesses and organisations are putting staff and visitors at serious risk by not considering those who are mobility-impaired when carrying out evacuation drills, according to new research

Areport by Evac+Chair
International shows that while
companies on the whole are
carrying out evacuation drills regularly,
many are failing to incorporate
additional safety equipment into these
drills.

A worrying 40 per cent of those surveyed
said that they owned evacuation chairs
but did not use them in evacuation drills
and 15 per cent of respondents have
never carried out a practice session with
the equipment, leaving mobility-impaired
employees and visitors in danger in an
emergency.

Public sector organisations are trailing
the private sector, with 41 per cent of
those surveyed in the public sector
admitting they own evacuation chairs,
but do not use them in evacuation drills;
this is compared to 33 per cent of
companies surveyed in the private sector.

The education sector came out the worst
with 50 per cent admitting they own the
equipment but do not use it in
evacuation drills, again putting people at
risk.

The survey also revealed that in the
current economic climate many
companies have lost the trained employee
responsible for health & safety
equipment, such as an evacuation chair.

While the majority of these companies
(73 per cent) have transferred this
responsibility, worryingly 40 per cent are
not yet trained in using this equipment.

According to health & safety
regulations, specifically the Provision and
Use of Work Equipment Regulations
(PUWER) and Medical Devices
Regulations, organisations need to be
trained and appropriately practised in
using specialist safety equipment to be
compliant.

Mark Wallace, managing director at
Evac+Chair International, comments:
“For many companies, buying a product
such as an evacuation chair enables them
to comply with certain legislation.

However unless staff are fully trained and
the equipment is regularly practised on, it
will not serve its intended purpose in the
event of an emergency.”
“It is encouraging that companies
recognise the importance of carrying out
evacuation drills, but those responsible
for organising the drill should ensure that
any equipment which may be called upon
in an emergency is part of the practise.”