Planning properly for every person: Evac+Chair highlights the need for inclusive evacuation planning and ongoing training
Iain Hoey
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Evac+Chair outlines inclusive, compliant evacuation planning and the critical role of training and maintenance
For over 40 years, Evac+Chair has played a pivotal role in shaping how organisations approach emergency evacuation.
As the world’s leading manufacturer of evacuation chairs, the company is synonymous with inclusive fire safety.
Its instantly recognisable yellow and blue chairs can be found in thousands of buildings across the UK and globally, offering vital peace of mind for businesses and the public alike.
Founded in 1982, Evac+Chair began with a singular goal: to ensure that no one is left behind during an emergency evacuation.
Today, that mission continues through a holistic approach encompassing product innovation, comprehensive training and meticulous maintenance programmes – all underpinned by a proficient understanding of the regulatory landscape and the real-life risks that businesses face.
In today’s evolving working environment, shaped by climate change, terrorism, fires and other emergencies, organisations must have robust emergency plans that include both evacuation and invacuation procedures.
Evacuation involves safely moving people out of a building, while invacuation means guiding them to a secure internal location when external threats make it unsafe to leave.
To ensure everyone’s safety, organisations must have clear protocols, the right equipment, staff training and regular emergency drills.
Navigating a complex legal framework
UK fire safety legislation is among the most comprehensive in the world.
The cornerstone is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005, amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021.
It places clear legal duties on the “responsible person”, typically a business owner or property manager, to ensure provisions are in place to evacuate.
In addition, Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety Order) 2005 requires that fire safety devices, including evacuation equipment, are maintained in good working order.
Articles 18 and 21 further detail and emphasise the importance of appointing competent individuals and providing regular training for staff.
However, enforcement data suggests a worrying disconnect between legislation and implementation.
The Home Office Official Statistics on Fire Prevention and Protection, in the UK, found that in the 2023/24 financial year, fire and rescue services issued 2,823 formal notices following unsatisfactory fire safety audits – a 24% increase on the previous year.
Prosecutions under Article 32, which penalises the failure to maintain life-saving equipment, rose by 79%.
Beyond fire legislation, the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 imposes a general duty of care on employers to protect the safety of staff and visitors.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998 go further, explicitly requiring that all workplace equipment is regularly inspected and maintained.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has acted decisively in recent years, prosecuting nearly 10% of PUWER-related breaches.
Failures typically stem from a lack of training or inadequate maintenance, both of which can have fatal consequences in an emergency.
The lack of readiness
Despite the regulatory clarity, Evac+Chair’s own research indicates significant gaps in preparedness.
The company’s independent study titled the ‘Risky Business’ report in 2023, which surveyed key decision-makers across multiple sectors, found that 22% had only a partial understanding of their legal evacuation responsibilities.
The study also revealed a lack of foresight in planning for temporary impairments.
19% of organisations failed to include staff or visitors with temporary mobility issues such as someone who is on crutches or someone in the late stages of pregnancy, in their evacuation plans.
Perhaps most concerning, one in ten businesses acknowledged having no strategy in place to evacuate people with permanent mobility impairments.
These findings underline a systemic issue: equipment alone is not enough.
Without trained personnel and regular practice, even the best evacuation solutions can fall short in high-pressure scenarios.
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and General Emergency Evacuation Plans (GEEPs) are critical tools in ensuring the safety of individuals with varying mobility needs.
Failure to implement these plans effectively not only puts lives at risk but may also carry serious legal implications for organisations under equality and health and safety legislation.
Regular practice, comprehensive training and clear evacuation procedures make emergency evacuations more efficient and significantly safer for both the passenger and the operator.
It’s not just about compliance; it’s about doing the right thing to protect every individual in an emergency situation.
Building confidence through training
Evac+Chair’s comprehensive training programmes instill confidence in users, ensuring they are prepared not just in principle but in practice.
The most widely adopted course, especially for larger organisations, the Key Trainer Course offers a sustainable solution by enabling internal teams to deliver this vital training themselves.
This four-hour session teaches how to cascade the training and certify others and what to look out for to ensure someone is competent.
There is also the Operator Training Course, which runs for two and a half hours and blends essential theory with hands-on experience.
Delegates learn how to operate the Evac+Chair correctly and safely during stairwell evacuations where time is limited and every second counts.
Correct operation is crucial, not only for the safety of the passenger but also for the wellbeing of the operator.
Certification is valid for three years, providing organisations with documented evidence of compliance, while helping maintain high standards of emergency readiness.
Regular training is essential to keeping skills refreshed, this improves the efficiency of an evacuation and avoids injury to the operator or the passenger in preparation for a real emergency.
These sessions align with guidance from the Fire Safety Risk Assessment Supplementary Guide, which recommends evacuation drills at least twice a year.
Ultimately, it’s not just about compliance, it’s about being ready to respond quickly, confidently and safely when it matters most.
Maintenance: a non-negotiable priority
An Evac+Chair is classified as a Class I Medical Device and, as such, is subject to stringent maintenance requirements under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998.
Regular servicing is not just a recommendation – it’s a legal and operational necessity.
To ensure continued reliability, Evac+Chair recommend maintenance should only be carried out by certified engineers using genuine parts.
Evac+Chair’s annual service programme includes a thorough inspection and the replacement of any worn or damaged components, such as belts, buckles and wheels, guaranteeing that each unit remains fully operational and ready to perform flawlessly in an emergency.
Regular maintenance also helps to extend the product’s lifetime, providing long-term value whilst safeguarding the wellbeing of both passengers and operators.
Evac+Chair offers service contracts ranging from one to five years, giving organisations the flexibility to plan their budgets while remaining fully compliant.
The company also recommends quarterly visual checks by in-house teams, helping to spot signs of wear or damage before they escalate into serious issues.
The importance of proactive maintenance cannot be overstated.
During an evacuation, a faulty Evac+Chair could cost precious minutes – or worse, lives.
By investing in routine servicing, organisations demonstrate both legal compliance and a moral commitment to the wellbeing of everyone on their premises.
The human cost of inaction
While the legal risks are considerable, moral obligation is equally strong.
Failing to provide evacuation procedures for people with mobility impairments is not only a breach of duty; it is a denial of basic human rights.
Evac+Chair’s range of evacuation chairs are used daily in premises across the globe.
They are often the difference between inclusion and exclusion, between a safe evacuation and an avoidable tragedy.
Whenever there is a set of stairs, there should be the means to escape.
No building should be considered fully accessible unless it includes a viable evacuation solution for all individuals, regardless of mobility.
Providing an Evac+Chair is not just about meeting compliance standards; it’s about ensuring dignity, equality and safety for everyone in an emergency.
As Nathaniel Thomas-Hall, Head of Export and Innovation at Evac+Chair, states, “Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
We have the tools, technology and training to make inclusive fire safety a reality – what’s missing in many cases is the will to act before it’s too late.”
A call to the fire safety community
Evac+Chair believes that the fire safety community has a vital role to play in bridging the current compliance gap.
Fire professionals, consultants, and enforcement officers must continue to raise awareness about the critical importance of evacuation readiness.
This includes championing not just the installation of evacuation chairs but their ongoing use, upkeep and the skills development that surrounds them.
The company is also calling on policymakers to introduce clearer mandates around evacuation planning for mobility-impaired individuals.
As buildings become more complex and diverse in use, evacuation strategies must keep pace, particularly as societies move toward greater inclusion and accessibility.
Businesses can no longer afford to treat evacuation planning as a tick-box exercise.
The combination of robust equipment, professional training and diligent maintenance is the only way to ensure readiness when seconds count.
Evac+Chair has led the change in emergency evacuation for over 40 years, but the responsibility for preparedness lies with every organisation.
With the right systems and mindset, inclusive evacuation can be both a legal certainty and a moral standard.
The message is clear: evacuation planning is not optional, and neither is inclusivity.
It is time to ensure that every person, regardless of mobility, has a safe route out when the alarm sounds.