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Wednesday 12th June 2019
Effective health and safety is never down to just one person. Employees need to know what equipment is available, where it is located and how to use it, to ensure it's effective in a real emergency.
Simply fitting an Evac+Chair to a wall by the stairs is not enough.
You also need a detailed plan in place stipulating who is in the evacuation team and trained to operate the chair. Those team members will be familiar with how to prepare the chair for use, help the passenger into the chair and navigate the stairs safely. This plan may be personalised to specific, permanent employees with disabilities.
All building users should play an active role in ensuring best practice and high standards.
Smartphone technology makes it easy to identify and deal with issues by sharing what 'good' looks like. You can ask all building users to report anything they feel could impact on safety, such as blocked fire exits or fire doors wedged open.
The most effective health and safety teams have strong powers of persuasion. Going beyond box-ticking, they genuinely seek to influence the culture of an organisation. They emphasise how effective planning and clear communications not only support a business' reputation but can also save lives.
Further guidance to help ensure your evacuation processes and training are fit for purpose can be found at:
www.evacchair.co.uk/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-evacuating-a-multi-storey-building/ Alternatively, please call Evac+Chair on: 0121 706 6744.
This content is paid for and not an endorsement from IOSH or IOSH magazine.