Evacuation Chairs Australia

Tuesday, July 1

Fire, earthquakes, bomb threats, armed intrusion, and other emergency situations put employees at risk. Although these are infrequent events, everyone must be prepared to respond appropriately, including employers who have employees with disabilities. To counter the devastation of natural and man-made disasters, many employers have implemented emergency preparedness plans.

Unfortunately, the strength of an emergency preparedness plan can never be fully measured until it has been tested in an actual emergency. However, it is possible to create new plans and fortify existing emergency plans to ensure they are as comprehensive as possible in securing the safety of employees with disabilities.

Government agencies with first hand experience dealing with such issues have provided eight rules to developing effective emergency preparedness plans.

1. Make sure people with disabilities are an integral part of the planning process. A person with a disability knows best what he or she may require in the event of an emergency. Indeed, the contributions of an employee with a disability can be advantageous to the overall emergency preparedness planning effort. For example, a blind person may be in a better position to lead someone out in a dark smoky stairwell than a sighted person.

2. Inform the local fire department about any particular issues that you have identified with respect to the employees with disabilities. Be sure to let the fire department know where employees with disabilities are located in the facility. Having people carry other people with disabilities out of the building may cause more chaos and actually impede fire officials from stabilizing the situation. Work with the local fire department to develop plans that are not cumbersome.

3. Communicate with building managers and engineers about the various communication, alarm, and sprinkler systems in the building, as well as the designated location of “areas of rescue assistance.” These systems will have a vast impact on the design of an emergency preparedness plan.

4. Do not rely solely on a “buddy system.” A buddy system typically consists of assigning an able-bodied employee to assist an employee with a disability in the event of an emergency. The buddy system can lead to “not-my-job syndrome” The buddy assigned to the employee with a disability may not be in the office the very day, hour, or moment an alarm sounds. A better and more effective alternative is to have the volunteers and the employees with disabilities convene in a pre-determined area and wait for further instruction.

5. Purchase evacuation chairs, and plan to evacuate any mobility devices (e.g., wheelchairs) that evacuation chair users may require once they have been removed from the emergency situation. Many fire departments have ladders that cannot reach the entire height of a multiple story building. By having evacuation chairs available, people with disabilities can, at the very least, be moved to an area or floor where emergency response personnel can assist them further. Having a plan in place that provides for the evacuation of mobility devices provides a smoother transition for the employees who use these devices. Otherwise, employees will be basically helpless once they have left the emergency situation.

6. Plan for communications. This includes not only developing a system of communication that is accessible to and useable by everyone, but also knowing how to utilize the system.

7. Designate an emergency situation room. This room should have windows that face the street, along with a “HELP HERE” sign. This room should also be equipped with telephones and other equipment pertinent to your communication plan in this room.

8. Practice, practice, practice! Practicing is an essential component of emergency preparedness. It is impossible to adequately prepare for an emergency situation without having practiced. Apathy about practicing weakens a good emergency preparedness plan.

The plan must be tailored to address needs — based on the situations for the specific population — of your organization. It’s a good idea to build in flexibility, as the situation, and the population, may change.

Employers are required to conduct an evacuation drill, annually.