Evacuation Chairs for Visitors and Contractors: How Do You Plan for Them?
When we talk about evacuation chairs and people who may need help during an emergency, it's easy to focus on employees.
But what about your visitors, contractors, clients or members of the public?
You may know your employees well enough to understand who has a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), but you can't necessarily know in advance what assistance a visitor might need.
So how do you plan for someone who arrives at your building unexpectedly?
You Can't Plan for Every Individual
The first thing I'd say is that you can't reasonably predict the needs of every person who may walk through your door.
A visitor might use a wheelchair, have limited mobility, have a temporary injury or have another condition that affects their ability to evacuate quickly.
They may also simply be unfamiliar with the building.
That doesn't mean you need a separate evacuation plan for every visitor.
Instead, you need a sensible process for identifying when someone may require assistance and making appropriate arrangements.
Plan the Process in Advance
Your Fire Risk Assessment and emergency evacuation procedures should consider visitors and contractors, not just employees.
Think about how your organisation will:
identify visitors who may need assistance
provide them with relevant emergency information
determine what assistance they require
identify who will provide that assistance
make sure suitable equipment is available
communicate the arrangements to relevant staff
deal with visitors who arrive outside normal working hours.
The exact arrangements will depend on your building and the nature of your organisation.
For example, a small office with a reception desk may be able to manage this quite differently from a large public building receiving hundreds of visitors each day.
What Can You Do Before the Visit?
When you know someone is coming to your premises, there is an opportunity to plan ahead.
For example, if a contractor is attending your site for several days or a client has arranged a meeting, you can give them an opportunity to tell you about any assistance they may require in an emergency.
This doesn't need to be complicated.
A simple question such as: "Is there anything we need to know to help you evacuate safely in an emergency?" can open the conversation.
If assistance is required, you can then discuss the most appropriate arrangements before the person arrives.
For a regular visitor or contractor, it may be appropriate to document the agreed arrangements so that relevant members of staff know what to do.
What About Unexpected Visitors?
This is where your normal visitor procedure becomes important. Visitors should normally sign in or otherwise be recorded, so that you know who is in the building.
Your reception staff or designated personnel should know how to respond if a visitor says they may need assistance during an evacuation.
This could involve:
identifying a suitable evacuation route
identifying trained staff who can provide assistance
explaining the emergency arrangements to the visitor
considering whether an evacuation chair is appropriate
ensuring the person understands what will happen if the alarm sounds.
The important thing is that the arrangements are agreed upon before an emergency occurs.
Don't Make Assumptions
One mistake I'd particularly like to avoid is making assumptions based on someone's appearance. Not everyone who needs assistance will have an obvious disability.
Someone may have a medical condition, a temporary injury, a sensory impairment, or another reason they cannot safely use the stairs.
Similarly, someone who uses a wheelchair may have their own preferences and abilities regarding evacuation.
The best approach is to ask the individual what assistance they need rather than making assumptions.
Contractors Need Consideration Too
Contractors can present a slightly different challenge.
They may work in areas of the building that ordinary visitors don't access and may arrive outside normal office hours.
Before contractors start work, consider whether they have been given appropriate information about:
fire alarm arrangements
escape routes
assembly points
procedures for raising concerns
what they should do if they require assistance.
If a contractor needs assistance with evacuation, this should be established and incorporated into the site's arrangements.
What Happens When the Alarm Sounds?
If you've identified that a visitor or contractor needs assistance, everyone involved should understand what happens when the fire alarm operates.
There should be no uncertainty about:
Who is responsible for helping them?
Where should they go?
What equipment should be used?
Who operates the evacuation chair?
Where should they be taken?
These arrangements should be consistent with the organisation's wider emergency evacuation procedures and any agreed individual plan.
What If You Need an Evacuation Chair?
If your arrangements identify that an evacuation chair may be required, it needs to be accessible and your designated operators need to know how to use it.
This is where practical training becomes particularly important.
An evacuation chair sitting beside a staircase doesn't help anyone if nobody is confident using it.
I've covered this in more detail in my articles about where an evacuation chair should be stored, how many chairs a building may need and what happens during evacuation chair training.
My Practical Advice
You don't need to know everything about every visitor before they arrive.
What you do need is a process that gives people an opportunity to tell you if they need assistance, and a clear procedure for responding when they do.
For planned visits, ask in advance.
For regular visitors and contractors, consider whether arrangements should be documented.
For everyone entering the building, make sure your visitor management and emergency procedures work together.
And if someone tells you they need assistance, take the time to understand what they need rather than making assumptions.
Good evacuation planning isn't about trying to predict every possible situation. It's about having sensible arrangements in place so that when something unexpected happens, your organisation knows what to do.
If your organisation has identified a need for evacuation chairs, I can help with equipment, operator training, inspections and maintenance. If you're unsure where to start, I'm happy to discuss your circumstances and provide practical advice.
