Schools, colleges and universities have some particular challenges when it comes to emergency evacuation.
The basic principles of safe evacuation remain the same, but educational buildings are different from many workplaces. The people using them can range from young children to adults, students may have very different levels of mobility or independence, and the staff responsible for evacuation arrangements can change from year to year.
If an evacuation chair forms part of your school's or college's emergency arrangements, these factors need to be considered carefully.
Start With the Building and the People
As with any other premises, the starting point should be the Fire Risk Assessment.
The assessment should consider the building, escape routes and the people who use it, including anyone who may need assistance during an evacuation.
In an educational setting, this can be particularly important because the population isn't necessarily static.
A school may have a pupil who develops a temporary or permanent mobility issue. A university may have a student who requires assistance, while a college may have staff or visitors with different needs.
The arrangements therefore need to be capable of responding to changing circumstances.
I've covered the relationship between Fire Risk Assessments, PEEPs and evacuation chairs in more detail in my article Fire Risk Assessments and Evacuation Chairs – Why the Assessment Comes First.
Age and Ability Matter
One of the biggest differences in education is the age range of the people who may need assistance.
A primary school, for example, may have very young pupils who cannot be expected to manage an evacuation independently in the same way as an adult.
At the other end of the spectrum, colleges and universities may have students who are responsible for much more of their own movements around the building.
The individual's age, physical ability, understanding and confidence can all be relevant when considering how an evacuation should be managed.
This is another reason why individual needs should be considered rather than making assumptions based simply on whether someone uses a wheelchair or has an obvious disability.
For more on this, see Who May Need an Evacuation Chair?
PEEPs in Educational Settings
Where an individual needs assistance to evacuate, a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) may be appropriate.
In an educational setting, the plan needs to work within the normal activities of the establishment. A pupil or student may spend the day moving between classrooms, laboratories, workshops, lecture theatres, libraries, sports facilities and other areas.
A plan that works perfectly in one location may not work in another.
The PEEP therefore needs to consider where the individual actually spends their time and how they would evacuate from those locations.
Read more in What Is a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP)?
Staff Training Is Particularly Important
This is an area I believe schools and other educational organisations need to think about carefully. It's not enough to have an evacuation chair available. You need people who are trained and confident in using it.
And unlike many workplaces, educational establishments can have significant changes in staffing.
Teachers and support staff may leave, new staff may arrive and responsibilities can change between academic years. There may also be part-time staff, supply teachers, technicians, teaching assistants and other employees who are not present every day.
That means relying on one or two trained operators can leave an organisation vulnerable if those people aren't available when an emergency occurs.
I would recommend considering resilience rather than simply meeting a minimum number of trained people.
Training should take account of:
Different staff working patterns
Staff absence
Staff turnover
Different buildings or departments
The locations where assistance may be required
The number of people who may need assistance
I've discussed this in more detail in How Often Should Evacuation Chair Training Be Refreshed? and What Happens During Evacuation Chair Training?
Don't Forget Temporary Changes
Education environments change constantly. A classroom may be relocated. A building may undergo refurbishment. A lift may be taken out of service. A new student may arrive who requires assistance. These changes can affect evacuation arrangements.
If something changes that could affect how someone is evacuated, the relevant arrangements should be reviewed rather than assuming the existing plan will still work.
The same applies to evacuation chairs themselves. If a chair is moved to accommodate building works or a change in room use, make sure it remains accessible and available where it is needed.
Visitors, Parents and Contractors
Educational establishments also have a wide range of people coming and going.
Parents and carers may attend meetings and events. Contractors may work on site. Visitors may attend performances, sports events, open days or meetings.
The organisation therefore needs arrangements for people who may not be familiar with the building and who may require assistance.
This is particularly important at large events when the number of people on site can be considerably higher than during a normal school or university day.
I've covered this issue separately in Evacuation Chairs for Visitors and Contractors
What About Multiple Buildings?
A school, college or university may operate across several buildings, sometimes with considerable distances between them.
One evacuation chair in a central location may not provide a practical solution if people who need assistance are regularly working or studying in another building.
Similarly, a building with several floors or staircases may require a different approach.
The question isn't simply:
"How many evacuation chairs do we own?"
It's:
"Can we provide an effective means of evacuation wherever someone may need assistance?"
Your building layout, occupancy, escape routes and staffing arrangements all need to be considered.
See Can One Evacuation Chair Cover an Entire Building? for more on this.
Keep the Equipment Ready
Once evacuation chairs are installed, they need to remain accessible, inspected and maintained.
This can be particularly important in schools and colleges where rooms and corridors may be used for different purposes throughout the year.
Equipment should not become obstructed by furniture, storage or temporary displays.
Operators should also know where the chairs are located and be confident that they can access and use them when required.
I've covered this in Where Should an Evacuation Chair Be Stored? and How to Maintain an Evacuation Chair.
My Advice to Educational Establishments
In my experience, the biggest challenge for schools, colleges and universities isn't necessarily the evacuation chair itself.
It's making sure that the whole arrangement continues to work as the people, buildings and circumstances change.
I'd suggest regularly asking:
Has anyone's needs changed?
Are the relevant PEEPs still appropriate?
Do we have enough trained staff?
Are trained operators available across different shifts and departments?
Are evacuation chairs accessible and ready for use?
Have building works or changes affected the evacuation arrangements?
Are temporary staff and visitors properly considered?
Have the arrangements been practised?
An evacuation chair can be an important part of an educational establishment's emergency evacuation arrangements, but it is only one part of the overall plan.
Good planning, appropriate equipment, trained staff and regular review all need to work together.
If your school, college or university has identified a need for evacuation chairs, I can provide evacuation chair sales, operator training, inspection and maintenance. If you're not sure where to start, I'm happy to have an informal conversation about your requirements and provide practical advice.
