Emergency Evacuation
10th April 2008
The world is ever changing. From huge shopping complexes to crowded transport terminals, the infrastructure of society is having to cope with ever more intense and complex flows of people. The 9/11 and London Underground disasters brought into tragic focus the need for well-designed evacuation systems.
The recent Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that consideration must be made for everyone who might be on your premises, whether they are employees, visitors or members of the public, to ensure they can safely escape if there is a fire, paying particular attention to people who may be especially at risk.
The Disability Rights Commission estimates that 11 million people in this country have some form of disability. This does not take into account anyone that is impaired or injured due to the nature of the emergency. This may impact on their ability to leave a building speedily in the event of fire or make them entirely dependant on others to escape.
Human behaviour in emergency situations differs and studies have shown that about two thirds of the time available to escape is taken up by their initial reaction and often there is a delay while people decide if the alarm is real and only act after seeing the reaction of others around them to the developing situation. It is only in that third period of time that people actually start to move themselves away from the danger.
It is therefore crucial that an effective emergency plan is put in place for those that may need extra help to escape.
Ferno (UK) Limited can offer a full range of emergency evacuation equipment ranging from our new innovative track chair for stair evacuation to a basic single level evacuation chair. All of our chairs can be folded and wall mounted for easy storage and quickly deployed in an emergency.
We can also offer a full range of evacuation and basic trauma management equipment for anyone who is injured and cannot be taken by chair ranging from carry sheets and pole stretchers to burns treatments and emergency foil blankets, enabling you to tackle all kinds of site evacuation and emergencies with safe, easy to use equipment.
The new legislation also states that you should ensure all equipment be properly maintained – we can help.
Our specialised Fieldcare Division can give you peace of mind with a tailor-made maintenance contract to ensure that should the need arise for you to use your equipment, it is in the best working order and ready to use.
When is an evacuation chair not an evacuation chair? When there is nobody trained to use it! – we can help.
If a situation arises whereby staff need to evacuate anyone of poor mobility, they must be confident that they have received the appropriate training to do so. If evacuation aids or equipment is provided for this purpose, staff should be trained to deploy and utilize them as quickly and efficiently with as little distress to the casualty. Evacuation procedures should be practiced and reviewed regularly to ensure staff remain confident and calm in an emergency,
We have a range of training options available from “Training the Trainers” to “Nominated Persons” training. Our Fieldcare Division is happy to discuss your individual requirements with you.
A complete range of evacuation equipment that not only meet the demands of various environments but also help you to meet legislative requirements. Call now for a free on-site demonstration of any of our products, plus a free site assessment.
Can you afford not to – when the emergency arises – are you covered?
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