Putting people first – the practical benefits of evacuation chairs

When an emergency strikes, such as a fire or building collapse, disabled people, those who are injured, have a medical condition or are pregnant, are most at risk. Whatever the cause of the emergency, they may be unable to evacuate the building without assistance, and it may take several people to help one person out of the building safely.

Team work is essential

It's important to find the right balance between panicking and being calm. You want to move quickly to get the person in question out of the building, but you also want them to feel safe and like the situation is under control. That's where equipment such as an evacuation chair can be really beneficial. Evacuation chairs can be used for all kind of emergencies including transporting patients in medical emergencies, and there are special chairs designed for use on stairs and fire escapes. Make sure you check the maximum weight allowance for the chair you're using, to avoid injury to the person, and choose a chair which allows for smooth operation and a slow descent. Once you're at ground level, the chair can be used as a temporary wheelchair to wheel the person to safety. It may take several people working together to evacuate one person using a chair of this kind, but it is far easier than having to lift someone and potentially injuring them and yourself.

The right equipment

If you are working in a building where there are a lot of disabled people, or patients, such as a hospital or care home, it's important to make sure that evacuation equipment is present and well-maintained. Carrying out regular checks is essential to ensure that if the time comes to use the equipment, it won't let you down. Failing to maintain evacuation equipment could easily lead to an accident and could leave you or the person you are assisting seriously injured.

Equipment such as evacuation chairs is invaluable in an emergency and staff should always be trained how to use the equipment safely. It's not as easy as it looks to set up and use this type of equipment, so by showing staff members how to use the chairs, evacuating the building in an emergency ensures that you will be able to keep people as calm as possible and come across as confident and in control – in most emergencies, you can't afford to waste time without putting lives at risk.

The Saver Evacuation Chair is designed to be used as a single operator chair. It transfers from the front wheels to the sled style runners at the back easily to ensure a smooth and easy travel down stairs for operator and passenger alike.

To view our range of evacuation chairs, visit http://www.sure-line.com/