Evacuation of Mobility Impaired Persons. Staff News: New Fire Evacuation Policy and Procedures Important for all staff and students

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1 B Evacuation of Mobility Impaired Persons A Paper submitted to the Health and Safety Committee Meeting, 11 th November 2004, by Alastair Reid. Introduction The following text was produced by the Director of Health and Safety, with input from colleagues in the Fire Safety Unit, Human Resources, Communications and Public Affairs, Student Disability Services, Registry and Estates and Buildings, and was published in the October edition of Staff News. The policy paper considered by CMG at its meeting on 22 nd September 2004 is reproduced as an Annexe to paper B, for the Committee s information. Staff News: New Fire Evacuation Policy and Procedures Important for all staff and students The safe evacuation of all staff and students from University buildings in emergency situations has been brought into sharp focus by recent changes to Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade policy and procedures. As a result of the last fire service industrial action, Fire Brigades now have to implement many changes which affect their attendance levels and response times in emergency situations. The knock-on effect of this is that that the Fire Authority must return the onus to employers to have provisions to ensure the safe emergency evacuation of people from buildings. In the event of a real fire situation the Fire Brigade will still rescue people from buildings. However, in an emergency situation where it is still unknown if there is a real fire, or in the first few minutes of a known fire situation, their expectation is that building occupiers will implement clear evacuation procedures. These changes have an impact on some people who cannot evacuate buildings without assistance, and the University has already issued interim guidance on the evacuation of mobility impaired persons from buildings in an emergency situation, which is available on the Health and Safety Web site at: The University s view is NOT that any such person is a problem. The problem is that a large part of our Estate was not designed to current building regulations, which require both adequate access and egress provision. In particular we wish to avoid creating an impression that a person who requires assistance to evacuate a building in an emergency situation represents a hazard or risk to other people. 1

2 Staff News: New Fire Evacuation Policy and Procedures Important for all staff and students (cont.) The University is making every effort to find a constructive way forward on this and is conducting an ongoing dialogue with Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade. Consultation on new policy to meet the requirements, while at the same time attempting to be supportive to staff and students potentially affected by this, has taken place with a wide range of interests within the University community, including the Health and Safety and Estates and Buildings Departments, the Disability Office, the Registry, Human Resources, and many individuals. As one might expect, the complex and diverse nature of the University s estate means that building-related aspects present a substantial challenge. A planned programme of work to make buildings safe in this respect is underway, new management procedures at College, School and building levels are being developed, and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans are being developed for staff and students who require them. The University s Central Management Group (CMG) has agreed new policy and procedures to safeguard the health of people who require assistance to evacuate a building in emergency situations, to supplement the interim procedures currently in place. Further publicity relating to this topic will be issued in due course in the meantime, if you have any queries or issues which are relevant to this area of the University s activities, please raise these with the relevant University agency. Channelling such enquiries through the University Fire Safety Adviser (Michael.Moore@ed.ac.uk; ) in the first instance, would be most helpful. 2

3 Paper B - Annexe 1 PAPER PRESENTED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES TO THE CENTRAL MANAGEMENT GROUP (CMG) Emergency evacuation of mobility impaired persons from University buildings Introduction The issue of the evacuation of mobility impaired persons (staff, students or visitors) from University buildings in emergency, e.g. fire, situations, is one which has been receiving close attention from the Health and Safety Department, particularly the Fire Safety Unit, from Estates and Buildings, and the Director of Corporate Services. This topic has been brought into sharp focus by recent changes to Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade policy and procedures in this regard. The Fire Brigade have now informed the University that they cannot guarantee previous response times and emergency evacuation of mobility impaired persons from Buildings, and that the University must take responsibility for evacuation if an incident occurs during normal working hours. If an incident occurs outside normal working hours, the Fire Brigade will evacuate mobility impaired persons, however, there is an onus on the University to inform the Fire Brigade if mobility impaired persons are in the building where the incident is occurring. In this context, the term mobility impaired person is intended to apply to an individual who feels that, in the event of an emergency (normally fire) evacuation of a building in which they are present, they would have difficulty in evacuating the building safely, including descending/ascending stairs, without assistance. Mobility impairment can, of course, be a temporary condition, e.g. whist an individual is rehabilitating following an accident. The University must therefore establish policy and processes to handle the emergency evacuation of mobility impaired persons from its buildings. Ensuring safe access and egress for all staff, students and visitors who use the University s buildings is the primary underlying principle to this policy, which is of paramount importance. The University must also be aware that there would be significant reputational damage to the institution if it failed to do so, and an incident resulted in major injury or death of a mobility impaired person because that person was unable to exit the building. Following consultation with Human Resources and C&PA, publicity has already been generated, via an article in Staff News, to acquaint people with the background to, and reasons for, these new procedures which the University must adopt, with reluctance, in response to events beyond our control, and to outline what is proposed for the short, medium and long term in this regard. Further publicity may be generated, via a number of avenues, as we proceed with the process. 3

4 Introduction (cont.) The aims of the processes and procedures are - buildings should have effective exit routes for mobility impaired persons. - staff in those buildings should have procedures for ensuring that mobility impaired persons are evacuated. - the mobility impaired persons themselves should know what procedures are in place for their evacuation in any building in which they are working or studying. - mobility impaired persons working or studying outside normal hours must inform security of their whereabouts, to enable them to notify the Fire Brigade. Whilst it is easy to specify these as the overall aims, there are a vast array of buildings to be considered, and a variety of degrees of mobility impairment to be considered. Furthermore, a prioritised programme of activity is required to assess and if necessary implement building infrastructure changes. The picture will not be a static one - in parallel with the implementation of the University s policy and procedures in this regard, the Health and Safety Department will be involved in continuing negotiations with Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade, with the objective of ensuring that we are subject to the most advantageous possible service from the Brigade, taking into account our own particular characteristics and situation. The particular problems presented by the need to ensure that adequate protection is in place for mobility impaired persons in such situations, break down into three main strands: (i) Knowledge/information about individual s mobility impairment, needs to be communicated to various people in the University in particular: a. Registry b. Disability Office c. Directors of Studies d. College and School Management e. University Fire Safety Adviser (UFSA) f. Estates and Buildings g. Individuals within buildings tasked with ensuring mobility impaired persons are evacuated according to the prescribed plans (see (ii) below) Joining up of practices and procedures between the various interested parties is essential to successfully meeting the challenge presented by this strand of activity, and meetings have already taken place involving H&S, Disability Office, Registry, and MIS in this regard. 4

5 Introduction (cont.) (ii) Management of evacuation procedures. This element includes assessing each mobility impaired person s circumstances in conjunction with the buildings they will be occupying or visiting, and formulating building and individual Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP). This will need to be done through consultations between the individual, the School, the University Fire Safety Adviser, and Estates and Buildings. Implementation of these procedures will require training of relevant personnel and communication with the mobility impaired person. Procedures for notification of mobility impaired persons working out of normal hours will need to be set up with University Security. Finally regard must be had for the impending requirements of the Fire Reform Act, in terms of the possible requirements for the presence of Fire Attendants at all times of building occupation. (iii) Estates and Buildings factors. This element includes the incorporation of suitable physical measures into new builds and major refurbishments, together with the implementation of a range of physical building adjustments, from the major to the relatively minor, in existing buildings. This includes installation/modification of suitable standards of evacuation lifts, fire alarm systems, building compartmentation measures and the provision of refuges and / or safe areas, always in close liaison with the UFSA. Timely warning of the imminent arrival of a mobility impaired person, and a clear picture of the buildings he or she is to frequent, are crucial to the effective implementation of these measures by Estates and Buildings. Action by CMG The purpose of this paper is to ask CMG to consider the background laid out in the Introduction, together with the detailed policy proposals contained in the Appendices. CMG s backing for the implementation of both interim and longterm policies and procedures in this regard, in particular by the Estates and Buildings and Health and Safety Departments, is sought. Discussions with colleagues in Registry, Disability Office, Human Resources, C&PA, MIS, etc will move forward as required. It is proposed that the finally agreed version of this policy and guidance should be incorporated at appropriate points in Part 2 (General Precautions) of the central University Health and Safety Policy, these changes to be ratified in due course by the University Health and Safety Committee. 5

6 Action by CMG (cont.) With regard to interim policies and procedures, the Director of Corporate Services has recently circulated all Heads of School and equivalent, outlining the very recent changes in Fire Brigade policy and procedures, noting that Estates and Buildings and Health and Safety are primed and ready to take appropriate action, and asking School management teams to give as much notice as possible of impending the arrival of mobility impaired persons (and to notify existing mobility impaired person locations, should this have been overlooked). The Appendices to this Paper lay out the main headings for longer-term policy and procedures in this regard. CMG is asked to comment on these proposals, and to approve the inclusion of the finally agreed version at an appropriate point in the University Health and Safety Policy, following approval / ratification by the University Health and Safety Committee. Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade have agreed, in principle, to the University s proposed policy and procedures, but have requested sight of the final version before publication by the University. 6

7 Appendix One Proposals on emergency evacuation of mobility impaired persons from University buildings. Introduction This document outlines a proposed policy for the evacuation of mobility impaired persons from University buildings, during an emergency situation. The aims of the policy are that: - buildings should have effective exit routes for mobility impaired persons. - staff in those buildings should have procedures for ensuring that mobility impaired persons are evacuated. - the mobility impaired persons themselves should know what procedures are in place for their evacuation in any building in which they are working or studying. - mobility impaired persons working or studying outside normal hours 1 must inform Security of their whereabouts, to enable them to notify the Fire Brigade. 1 note: Health and Safety Committee and CMG have instructed that a fundamental change be made to the current definition of "normal working hours" which appears in Part One of the University's central Health and Safety Policy. The concept of "hours of expected building occupancy" is to be substituted - hours which will require to be set by Heads of School, Conveners of Multi Occupancy Building User Groups, etc. (as appropriate), taking into account local conditions and practices. The policy is based on the following principles being adopted, either singly or a combination of two or more, depending on local circumstances and the building under consideration. Provision of evacuation lifts. Provision of phased fire alarm systems depending on building compartmentation. Provision of safe areas, together with a monitoring and removal procedure. Definition of maximum floor levels of occupancy permitted for mobility impaired person, in properties with five or more floors where evacuation lifts are not provided. Training in management of procedure for building occupiers. 7

8 Introduction (cont.) Provision of evacuation lifts Considered essential in high rise buildings, i.e. buildings with 5 or more floors. Evacuation procedures are built around the use of such lifts, ensuring the removal of mobility impaired persons directly to open air outside the building. Evacuation lifts should also be considered for other buildings, which are otherwise regarded as high risk for this purpose, and not simply restricted to high rise buildings. Please see Appendix 3 for a simplified diagrammatic representation of the 5 floor rule relating to the provision of evacuation lifts Provision of phased fire alarm depending on building compartmentation In newly designed buildings, compartmentation lines in the building may permit the fire alarm system to be phased. The alarm will activate in the compartment where an alert is detected, by continuous sounder, with pulsed sounders in the other compartments. This permits horizontal movement of mobility impaired persons into other compartments, and use of existing passenger lifts as part of the evacuation procedures. This principle can also apply to existing buildings, but is dependent on the compartmentation lines, and existing software features in the fire alarm panel. Provision of safe areas with a monitoring and removal procedure. This element is based on the principle of providing protected safe areas in buildings, directing and moving mobility impaired people to these areas, monitoring their presence with in-built fixed communications, and removal by University personnel if considered necessary. The definition of a safe area and essential requirements are detailed in Appendix 2. Maximum floor levels permitted for use by mobility impaired persons, in properties with five or more floors, where evacuation lifts are not provided. Where it is not possible to convert lifts to evacuation lifts in buildings which have five or more storeys, consideration must be given to the manual handling procedure that would be required to evacuate mobility impaired persons from such higher levels. It would be impractical to permit mobility impaired persons to use the floors above level 5, as monitoring and removal would be physically arduous, labour intensive and undesirable. Please see Appendix 3 for a simplified diagrammatic representation of the 5 floor rule relating to manual handling aspects of the evacuation of mobility impaired persons 8

9 Introduction (cont.) Training in management of procedures for building occupiers The scope and intensity of training required for relevant members of College/School/building personnel (as appropriate) will vary according to the provisions in place for evacuation of mobility impaired persons. Where evacuation lifts are provided, or phased alarms are introduced, the procedure and training would be relatively simple and easily achievable. In buildings where the procedure requires the provision of safe areas, the training required becomes much more complicated and labour intensive. Recovery teams will be required. These teams will require intensive training on: Sensitive interactions with mobility impaired persons Safe manual handling of mobility impaired persons Use of evacuation chairs Fire evacuation procedures How this can be achieved needs careful consideration. Training will be of primary importance for all participants active within this procedure. Ensuring consistent availability of Recovery Team members will also be a difficult issue (which parallels familiar problems in the provision of First Aid, and Fire Steward, cover). Although principally designed for mobility impaired people, persons with other impairments, e.g. hearing or sight impairment, can also adopt this procedure, however they would generally be expected to evacuate the building in the normal course of events, with assistance as required from other occupants. Informing mobility impaired people of the evacuation procedures in the buildings occupied or visited. General information on procedures for the evacuation of mobility impaired persons will appear on the University s Health and Safety WWW site, with appropriate links to other agencies within the University which have involvement in this issue. In due course, a list plan indicating which buildings are compliant in this regard, and which are not, will also be posted on the WWW, probably on the E&B site (for ready updating), again with appropriate links. A planned programme of work, towards as full compliance as practicable, will also require to be published. Policy on this subject will be included at an appropriate point in the central University Health and Safety Policy (probably in Part Two: General Precautions), again suitably linked to other appropriate WWW sites, and suitable reference to this will require to be made in School etc. health and safety policy documents. The responsibility of informing mobility impaired people of the fire evacuation procedures will initially be a joint one, involving the University Fire Safety Adviser (UFSA), a representative from the Disability Office, and one from the relevant School, most likely the Director of Studies in the case of a mobility impaired student. This will ensure uniformity of instruction for each building, as the procedures bed in. 9

10 Introduction (cont.) Informing mobility impaired people of the evacuation procedures in the buildings occupied or visited (cont.) As the "register" of PEEPs develops, and experience is gained, the Disability Office is likely to become the main the information point, with support from the UFSA and relevant College/School personnel, as required. Initially, until likely timescales for progress can be established by interview, the UFSA will visit each relevant location. Specific, tailored information relating to individual mobility impaired persons will appear in their individual PEEP, which will be fully discussed with the individual concerned, to ensure that he or she is entirely comfortable with, and confident in, the arrangements which relate to him/her as an individual. School etc management will be kept fully informed as regards relevant PEEPS, and final arrangements will be confirmed with School etc. management and Premises Managers. As Estates and Buildings work progresses to incorporate required structural alterations, and as School etc management are appropriately instructed and trained in relevant procedures, the relevant information will be compiled in registers of buildings and procedures, to be held in Works, Disability Office, Health and Safety Department, and possibly published on the WWW. This information will be maintained and updated by the UFSA. Appropriate Fire Action Notices for mobility impaired people are, and will be, displayed prominently throughout University buildings. Information leaflets could also be provided and retained in an appropriate area, open to the public. These could also be distributed through Room Bookings for appropriate buildings. The University Fire Safety Adviser will always be available for mobility impaired persons to consult, should their circumstances, condition, work or study pattern, etc. change. Issues associated with evacuation policy Communications 1. Mobility impaired students and staff entering the University The application, registration and matriculation/enrolment process for new students and staff should be reviewed and amended as required, to ensure that the University receives the earliest indication of a person with mobility impairment who may require special provisions. 10

11 Communications (cont.) 2. Communication chain for dissemination of information A further trigger, prior to the matriculation/enrolment process, is necessary to ensure that information is given to all parties who will be involved with preparing procedures for mobility impaired people, i.e. Estates and Buildings, Health and Safety, relevant School management, Disability Office, etc This has already been the subject of detailed discussions involving Health and Safety, Registry and MIS. The issue of non-declaration of a disability, e.g. by students, is a sensitive one, which requires great care in the presentation of the University s aims and objectives in this regard. 3. Interviewing Mobility Impaired Persons with regard to their needs whilst on University premises Every mobility impaired person using University buildings should be interviewed, by the UFSA in tandem with relevant College/School personnel (as appropriate), to assess their needs while using University buildings. A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) must be discussed and confirmed, depending on the type of mobility impairment and buildings in use by the mobility impaired person. This PEEP should also include procedures for out of normal working hours, if this is a relevant factor. With regard to undergraduates, Directors of Studies will have a key role in predicting the buildings in which a given mobility impaired student will operate. School or Subject Area staff, in liaison with Human Resources, will have a similarly important input with regard to new staff and visitors. 4. Consideration or direction given as to the location of mobility impaired persons in any University Building Where facilities are provided as part of the structure of a building, and evacuation procedures are in place in line with the proposed policy, this consideration would not apply. The immediate problems will arise where there is no provision in the buildings in question relating to safe and effective evacuation of mobility impaired persons, or the building cannot be modified within the required timescale. In such cases, a clear directive is required for Colleges (in Multi- Occupancy Buildings, e.g. DHT) and Schools (in instances in which a building is occupied by a single School, e.g. Darwin Building) to provide facilities only on floors which will permit a mobility impaired person to evacuate unaided, directly to open air away from the building, i.e. normally ground or basement levels. 4. Meetings arranged with College/School Management, Estates & Buildings, Health & Safety, to discuss issues arising. In order to provide evacuation procedures and facilities for mobility impaired persons, it is important that meetings are convened to ensure that all the items mentioned above are considered in formulating a PEEP for any given mobility impaired person. 11

12 Building Definitions Buildings within the university can be divided into two groups. These are: a) New buildings or extensively renovated buildings b) Existing buildings A. New buildings or extensively renovated buildings When applying for a Building Warrant for these buildings, City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) Building Control may determine that either refuges or safe areas for mobility impaired persons are required, and determine their location. However, this is not always the case, and it is important that all provisions for mobility impaired persons are ensured through the University s Estates and Buildings project management processes, as per the fire strategy document for University buildings, in conjunction with the appropriate Scottish Technical Standards. On every occasion the undernoted bullet points should be considered and evacuation principles for mobility impaired persons determined for the building under design. Provision of evacuation lifts. Provision of phased fire alarm systems, dependent on building compartmentation, including opportunities for horizontal (sideways) evacuation Provision of safe areas together with a monitoring and removal procedure. Definition of maximum floor levels permitted for mobility impaired person occupation and use, in properties with five or more floors, where evacuation lifts are not provided. Training in management of procedures for building occupiers. B. Existing Buildings In dealing with the priorities of provision existing building can be split into two categories. Category 1 These are buildings that require immediate action to ensure they can be safely used by mobility impaired people. Buildings with significant use by the students and public, such as Libraries Buildings that are presently being used by mobility impaired persons Buildings where access for mobility impaired people has been already been provided High rise buildings (above five floors) Residences, or other buildings with sleeping risks Buildings that newly registered mobility impaired persons will use, and are not listed above 12

13 Existing Buildings (cont.) Category 2 Buildings which can be altered in line with budget restraints and include all other buildings not covered in Category 1. Any work required should be programmed into access provisions, renovation, refurbishment and risk assessment plans as required. A survey should also be carried out on buildings to determine which buildings are not suitable for use by mobility impaired persons, because of building construction and restraints. These buildings should be listed and courses which may involve mobility impaired persons relocated to buildings which have provisions for emergency evacuation of mobility impaired persons. In existing buildings, the provision of refuges is not always possible, however safe areas can usually be provided, protected, and fitted with communications which will permit the monitoring of the mobility impaired person, and removal from the building if required (definition and requirements are detailed in Appendix 2). Timescales and Costs For new buildings instruction must be given to the design teams and project managers to ensure all evacuation principles for mobility impaired persons are discussed fully and implemented as required. This instruction should be implemented immediately. The University presently has both mobility impaired staff and students present in their buildings without provision of procedures for evacuation. Locating the buildings in use by mobility impaired people should be a priority in order that a PEEP and the required provisions are put in place to ensure their evacuation in event of an emergency. This requires immediate action a circular to Heads of Schools (and equivalent) regarding the University s interim policy and procedures in this regard, has been circulated by the Director of Corporate Services. Buildings that provide particular services, such as libraries, and have public assembly functions, require immediate action. All high rise buildings and residences require to have their lifts surveyed and, if achievable, these should be converted to evacuation lifts. If conversion of a lift is possible, it should be instructed as part of a package of fire safety measures required, in consultation with the UFSA, and not in isolation. Surveys should commence immediately with a view to these buildings being converted for use within a two to three year programme. All buildings where access has already been provided for mobility impaired persons, to meet DDA requirements, must be provided with the facilities required for evacuation of mobility impaired persons. This should commence immediately, with a target for completion within two to three years. Priority must be given to buildings known to be used by newly appointed staff or newly matriculated students, if they are not covered by the above timescales. 13

14 Timescales and Costs (cont.) Buildings mentioned in Category 2 should be altered in line with fire risk assessment or refurbishment plans, as finance and budget restraints permit, and have a timescale of 5 to 10 years for compliance. This may require adjustment for individual buildings if it becomes known that newly appointed or matriculated mobility impaired staff or students require to use those buildings. Based on a series of surveys of high risk buildings by E&B, and a number of assumptions on the remaining buildings, on current costings it is estimated that an additional 1.6 million (incl. VAT and fees) is required under E&B s fire risk assessment budget, to implement the physical alterations required to comply with the proposed policy. The alterations have been scheduled over a ten year programme with the first two years front loaded to deal with priority buildings. Staff should be trained in respective procedures for their buildings as work is implemented. 14

15 Appendix 2 Definitions A. Refuge A purposely built fire resisting enclosure on upper or lower floors of a building for the sole use of mobility impaired persons in event of fire alarm activation. Refuges must also comply with the following: Totally enclosed in fire resisting structure. Provision of communication systems. Provision of emergency lighting. Provision of Fire Action Notices, emergency numbers and evacuation procedure. No alarm sounder in or adjacent to refuge. Sole use for evacuation purposes for mobility impaired persons. B. Safe area In the majority of existing University buildings construction and provision of refuges is not practically possible. In these circumstances safe areas must be provided in appropriate locations usually staircase landing enclosures. These areas must comply with the physical provisions detailed below. A monitored automatic fire alarm system must be provided. Fire compartmentation of the building and separation within the compartment must be of a high standard. Communications systems provided in safe area. Safe area must be within a 60 minute fire resisting enclosure, ideally within a staircase enclosure. No fire alarm sounding devices should be provided adjacent to or in any safe area. Provision of appropriate signage. Provision of Fire Action Notices. Provision of emergency contact numbers. Provision of evacuation chairs in appropriate location. 15

16 Appendix 3: 5 floor rule ( evacuation lifts and manual handling) G MAIN ENTRANCE B K:\general\shared\agr\Draft policy on evacuation of Mobility Impaired Persons for CMG v10.doc 5 FLOORS SUGGESTED UPPER LIMIT FOR MANUAL CHAIR EVACUATION 16