How do I get out of here?

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans in HEIs

Module 2

June 26th 2014

How do I get out of here !

Understanding PEEPs in

relation to Legislation,

Risks and Resources

Karl Flynn,

College Fire / Safety Officer

Content

• Legislation

• Fire Strategy / Risk Assessment

• Buildings and Population

• Evacuation plans / PEEPs

• Resources

• Training

Who is responsible?

It is a common misconception that management responsibility

ends with getting people with disabilities to the safe areas on

upper floors and the Fire and Rescue Service will do the rest.

Whilst fire fighters will, no doubt, do whatever is necessary to

save life, it is of enormous benefit if the evacuation of people

with disabilities is started before the fire service arrives at the

scene, so that fire fighters are free to concentrate on other

aspects of dealing with the incident. It is the responsibility of

the building management to make every effort to get

everyone to safety. It is, therefore, essential that organisations

provide sufficient levels of trained staff to deal with the safe

evacuation of everyone in the building.

NDA – Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities

Legislative Background

• Fire Services Act

• Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act

• General Application Regulations

• Building Control Act (Fire Certificates)

• Building Regulations / TGD ‘B’ & ‘M’

• Disability Act

Safe Evacuation for all. Fire Services Act

Section 19 of the Fire Services Acts 1981 & 2003

states:

“potentially dangerous building means any building which would, in the event of a fire…, constitute a serious danger to life…”

• Adequate means of egress from the building

• Notices as to the procedure which should be followed in the event of fire

• Appliances or fittings for enabling the

occupants to escape on the occurrence

of fire

Safe Evacuation for all: SHWW 2005 Act

• To ensure the safety, health and welfare at work

of all employees and others

• Place of work: the design, provision and

maintenance of safe means of access to and

egress from place of work

• Prepare and revise adequate plans and

procedures to be followed and

measures to be taken in an

emergency

General Application Regulations 2007

• Regulation 25 … an employer shall ensure that

places of work, where necessary, are organised to

take account of persons at work with disabilities,

in particular as regards doors, passageways,

staircases, showers, washbasins, lavatories and

workstations used or occupied directly by these

persons”

• Manual Handling /

People Handling?

Guidance and Codes of Practice

• NDA – Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for

People with Disabilities

• General Application Regulations – guidance HSA

• Technical Guidance Document ‘B’ and ‘M’ of

Building Regulations (fire safety / disabled access)

• Code of Practice for Fire Safety in the Design,

Management and Use of Buildings – BS 9999

Overall Fire Safety Management Strategy

P.A.L.E

Prevent

Alert

Limit

Evacuate / Extinguish

Fire RiskAssessment

It is not acceptable to rely on the

intervention of the Fire Service

It is not acceptable to leave a

disabled person in a refuge area

Fire Risk Assessment

Safe evacuation of all occupants

Fire Risk Assessment

Building Emergency

Evacuation Plan

Building Occupantsand

Personal

Emergency

Evacuation Plan

(PEEP)

• What is the evacuation strategy for the building?

Total evacuation

Phased evacuation

Zoned evacuation

• Fire Safety Certificate granted by local Fire

Authority outlines the evacuation strategy

• Building is designed based on the evacuation

strategy, including building structure (passive) and

fire safety systems (active)

Fire Risk Assessment: Building

• Fire alarm – audibility of sounders, number, location & height of BGU’s, visual/vibrating devices, paging system

• Compartmentation – fire resistance and fire doors

• Escape routes and final exits – complexity and familiarity of routes, travel distances, stairs, ramps, level thresholds, fire doors along routes

• Refuge / rest areas and communication system

• Evacuation lifts or normal lifts

• Way-finding – directional signs, low level signs, handrails, directional sound, colour contrasts, thread indicators, number & location of emergency lights

• Signage – height of signs, size of print, tactile info

• Equipment and facilities – evacuation chairs

Fire Risk Assessment: Building

Fire Risk Assessment:Population

• Mobility impairment – range / speed of movement

• Sensory impairment – ability to gather information, e.g.

sight and sound

• Cognitive or mental health impairment – capacity to

process information and react appropriately e.g.

dyslexia or autism

• Hidden disability – stress of situation

triggers condition e.g. asthma or

heart problem

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan

• Prepare a PEEP for all known disabled persons and

standardised PEEPs for potential visitors

• Facilitate independent escape if possible - provide

suitable aids and adaptations

• Risk of overplaying safety issues?

• What can person do in exceptional circumstances not

just everyday situations

• Assign “buddies” if necessary and train accordingly

• Test procedures / drills regularly

• Identify time required for each

person’s escape

Chair Evacuation:Safe System of Work?

• Alarm operates - able bodied follow evacuation plan

• People who need assistance – move or are assisted to safe refuge

area

• Evacuation chair operator plus assistants (as necessary) respond

to safe refuge area where needed

• By use of communications ascertain situation and respond

accordingly

• First choice stay where you are, ready to evacuate if needed

• If threatened – move horizontally to another refuge area if

safe to do so

• If still threatened – evacuate vertically and out of building

• If threatened or uncertain at any point evacuate out of

building

Safe Refuge?

• TGD ‘B’ / old BS5588 / now BS9999 annex g

• Protected while waiting for assistance

• Wheelchair accessible (900 x 1400mm)

• Clear door opening 850mm / corridor 900mm

• Temporary waiting areas

• Not left alone awaiting the Fire Service

• Reasonably safe from effects of fire

• Place of relative safety prior to ultimate safety

• Fire compartment / fire protected stairwell

• Flashing beacons, vibrating devices, pagers

• Orientation information, tactile map, large print etc.

• Use of lift (evacuation / passenger lift?)

• Walk down stairs slowly on their own

• Move down stairs on bottom

• Walk / move down stairs with assistance

• Carry down – own chair or other chair

• Assistance with opening doors /

automated doors

• Wait for Fire Brigade !

Alternativeevacuation plans

Test the plan

The purpose and objectives of fire evacuation drills

include:

• to identify any weaknesses in the evacuation strategy

• to test the procedure following any recent change to working practices

• to familiarise new occupants with procedures

• to test the arrangements for those with disabilities

• to identify weaknesses in emergency communications procedures and systems

• to identify positive and negative reactions

of staff with designated responsibilities

such as Fire Wardens

Resources

People, time, money

Who pays?(Equipment, training,

building upgrade, time)

Department?

Estates?

Disability Office?

Safety Office?

Training

• Volunteers / Assistants

• 24/7 or after hours

• Organisation culture

• Time

• REGULAR hands-on

practical retraining