PERSONAL EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLANS (PEEP s)

PERSONAL EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLANS (PEEP s) 1 2 Example Peep 3 Peep Proforma 4. County Hall visitors PEEP Introduction A PEEP is a record of the arrangements needed to accommodate and evacuate a person with disabilities within a particular building. It must be designed around the needs of the individual taking into account their limitations and abilities, together with the physical features and general emergency procedures of the building or site where they work. It is the responsibility of the manager of the person with disabilities to produce the PEEP before the individual is admitted or assigned to a workplace. Professional assistance is available through CHSU and other services of SCC. Each person and each building is different. There is no expectation that a PEEP, which is adequate for one individual or workplace, will be suitable for any other. See also the note on arrangements for casual visitors, contract and temporary staff This document has been written in conjunction with the Physical Impairment Medical Support Team (PIMST). 1. Scope and purpose of this document This guidance: Provides guidance for managers/headteachers and SENCO s on the measures necessary to ensure that persons with disabilities can be safely evacuated from premises, and can therefore safely occupy them. Provides guidance for preparing a PEEP for individuals Provides guidance for staff to assist persons with disabilities to evacuate safely from premises Provides guidance for a person with a disability so that they know how to react to a fire situation and the support that will be given them Provides guidance on Standard Emergency Evacuation Plans Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 1 of 13

It does not cover: Large scale events to which members of the public can attend (which should be approached under licensing arrangements) or The care plan for individual service users. on preparing a PEEP A PEEP must bring together and take into account information about the following: Individual - A PEEP must always be designed around the individual needs of a person i.e. their abilities and limitations. It is imperative that the individual is involved in the development of the plan so that their needs are understood. All impairments can put a person at higher risk, but the highest risks are where o The person is on a floor other than the ground floor (or where there are changes in levels by steps) o The building has no fire evacuation lift o The person cannot independently transfer to an evacuation chair to facilitate their evacuation by stair Location Any features of the buildings, which may restrict emergency evacuation, should be identified. Given that a PEEP will be designed around the needs of an individual as they relate to a particular building, it follows that a PEEP will apply to only one building if the person uses other buildings, then additional PEEP s should be prepared for use of other buildings. Exit routes, including doors, must be of adequate width to take the person and any wheel chair they use. The travel distance for persons with disabilities to a final exit or safe place must not exceed 18 metres where there is travel in a single direction, or 45 metres where there is more than one direction. Awareness of all staff - Employers are legally required to communicate details of emergency arrangements to staff. A PEEP is an effective method of ensuring that a procedure becomes practice. In providing a PEEP, there is also a need to ensure that the information is delivered in the most appropriate medium, (written, audio, Braille) which meets the needs of the disabled person. Any line manager or Head Teacher that develops a PEEP, either temporary or permanent, should inform the Premises Manager for the site, for someone working in County Hall they should inform the Facilities Services Manager Soft FM. EVACUATION STRATEGY FOR PERSON WITH DISABILITIES The design and planning of a building is usually based on an assumption that the occupants of the building can escape unaided. However, some disabled people, particularly those with restricted mobility or impaired vision or those with learning difficulties, may need assistance in order to escape in the event of fire. Staff with premises responsibilities must ensure that in all SCC premises there are pre-planned and effective procedures to assist disabled people and should plan accordingly. They should anticipate these needs both in the design of a building and in the way it is managed. The fundamental strategy for evacuating disabled people usually involves two stages Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 2 of 13

Movement initially to a place of temporary safety (a refuge or designated lift lobby) Assisted escape to the outside of the building. Disabled people cannot be left in refuges until rescued by the fire brigade. Although the fire brigade may take-over this task during the course of the evacuation, you are responsible for the safe evacuation for the disabled person from the building. People requiring assistance in order to escape are not restricted to those who are wheelchair users or whose mobility is otherwise impaired. The evacuation needs of visually impaired and deaf people also need to be considered. Disabilities to be considered include a. Mobility impaired person b. Sensory impaired persons c. Persons with mental health issues d. The very elderly or very young e. Autism or other Sensory or Communication difficulties A disabled person's needs for assistance should be assessed by the direct line manager in liaison with the facilities manager. A personal evacuation plan should be established in consultation with the disabled person and will need to be constantly reviewed, taking into account changes of: A person's level of impairment The level of assigned assistance Their working environment Their timetable Remember that personal manual handling needs assessments must be reviewed annually and the PEEP is best reviewed at the same time. Suitable arrangements should also be made for disabled visitors, so that they can be assisted as appropriate. It is the responsibility of the disabled person's host to ensure that adequate arrangements are made. For County Hall, all non-ambulant persons will be seen on the ground floor. A standard PEEP for visitors to County Hall is available in all reception areas. Premises features and other special facilities Lifts The only lifts that may be used for evacuation purposes are those, which are specially designed to evacuate disabled people. These need duplicate power supplies as well as special controls and communications systems. Normal passenger lifts are not suitable for this purpose without adaptation. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 3 of 13

There are no fire evacuation lifts in any of this Council s premises with the consequence that lifts must not be used for fire evacuations in any SCC premises. Refuges Therefore other techniques will needed to move mobility-impaired people up or down at least certain staircases in multi-storey premises if they are to be accommodated. Refuges are temporary places of safety for person with disabilities, where they can wait for assistance. They need to be areas enclosed with fire resisting construction. It is usually possible to designate existing areas, such as evacuation lift lobbies, staircase lobbies or stair landings, as refuges provided there is sufficient room to accommodate a wheelchair user without obstructing any escape route for others. The advice of the Council s fire risk assessor must be taken. On each floor, there should be a refuge for each escape staircase that is intended as a means of escape for person with disabilities. Refuges should be clearly indicated by appropriate fire safety signs in white letters on a green background. Refuges in lobbies or staircases should also be signed 'Refuge keep clear'. The sign should be circular in shape with white letters on a blue background. Communications Two-way communication facilities will be needed between refuges and the person managing the evacuation. Ideally, these should comply with BS 5839-9, but, in any case, they should be reliable. Mobile phones, walkie-talkies or pagers are often used as two-way communication systems. These systems must be charged, turned on at all times, and staff need to know how to use the systems. A charging log is helpful, alongside spot checks to see if the process is working. Evacuation chairs Special evacuation chairs allow suitably trained staff to assist persons with disabilities to negotiate staircases. Evacuation chairs are likely to be needed in buildings in which there are no evacuation lifts and the person cannot use stairs unaided. It should be noted that the transfer of a person from a wheelchair to an evacuation chair should not be regarded as a desirable strategy for evacuation of mobility-impaired people. The individual disabled person should be asked as to their views about evacuation. In formulating a Personal Evacuation Plan, an assessment of all risks to all persons involved in the operation should be undertaken before a decision is made. Framework for preparing a PEEP 1. Identify all persons with a disability who will be your responsibility, and any consequences of impairments. 2. Identify all locations in the premises that may be used by persons with disabilities. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 4 of 13

3. Check all evacuation routes that they may need to use to make sure that they can use them. 4. Identify any special features or facilities needed by a person with disabilities. 5. Identify sufficient persons to assist a person with disabilities and see that they receive the necessary training for this role. 6. Ensure the person with disabilities knows what they should do in the event of fire and the assistance they can expect. 7. Ensure the Premises Manager for the site and for someone working in County Hall the Facilities Services manger Soft FM should be informed of the content of the PEEP, either temporary or permanent. 8. Review and keep the PEEP up to date. EXISTING ADVICE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN PREPARING A PEEP DDA access surveys by SCC A programme of surveys of SCC premises is underway to identify any features or modifications needed to allow person with disabilities to have access to Council services. Although different in purpose from identifying emergency evacuation features, these will help simplify PEEPS where there is only to be use of ground floors of premises or where there are no changes in levels. Fire risk assessments by SCC of premises An assessment of fire risks has been made of all SCC premises and a copy provided for each establishment manager. These include reference to premises related issues for person with disabilities, but will not deal with the needs of individual persons. Advice from Education Support Services or employment advisors Education Support Services may set out advice in respect of pupils disabilities to allow their admission to schools, but are not able to give detailed comment on premises. Disability rights advisors may advise or have requirements regarding working conditions for individual employees. Principles of Evacuation sequences: 1. Evacuation from ground floor or where there are no changes in level On hearing the alarm the person should move or be assisted to the nearest exit. 2. Evacuations from buildings without evacuation lifts The sequence should be 1. On hearing the alarm, a person with a disability should move or be assisted to the nearest refuge 2. Persons delegated to assisting the person with a disability should immediately make their way to the refuge. They should then assist the person down the stairway towards the final exit when it is safe. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 5 of 13

3. Evacuations from buildings provided with evacuation lifts An evacuation lift is a specially designed lift that can continue to operate safely when there is a fire in the building under the control of an authorised person. It should always be available as a passenger lift and not one used for transporting goods. It should be associated with a refuge and be clearly identified by appropriate fire safety signs. The evacuation sequence should be: 1. Person with disabilities move or are assisted to the lift lobby to await the lift. 2. The designated lift operator collects the person with a disability and takes them to the final exit level. 3. If the lift lobby becomes untenable before the lift arrives. 1. The person with a disability moves to positions outside the door to the stairway in a compartment not yet affected by fire, to await assistance to move to a lower floor. 2. The person with a disability awaits the lift at a lower level, or if the lift has failed or is unsafe to use, continues progressive movement down the stairway to the final exit. MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES The manager of the person with disabilities or Head Teacher should undertake an assessment to determine the requirements for the evacuation of disabled people and produce a PEEP, which should consider: The number and distribution of mobility-impaired people. The number and distribution of staircases that are taken into account in the disabled evacuation strategy. Any need for evacuation chairs, their number and location should be considered as part of the assessment. Depending upon the assessment of an individual s needs, trained helper(s) may need to be appointed to assist the person in escaping from the building. In the case of visually impaired and deaf people, this alone may be all that is required to facilitate safe escape. However, it is important to cater for the situations in which the helper is absent. Staff to assist, where necessary, in the evacuation of disabled people up or down stairs. These staff may well be helpers but they should all be trained in the techniques they are to employ in moving people. Fire wardens have a role in assisting a person to reach a refuge, but should only render further assistance when they have completed their primary duty to report the area as clear. In buildings with a two-stage fire alarm system, the fire procedures should ensure that evacuation of disabled people commences during the alert stage. In buildings where, for a transitional period, there are no two-way communication facilities at refuges, a key role for fire wardens will be to identify the presence of a person at a refuge and to inform the fire incident management accordingly. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 6 of 13

EXPLANATORY NOTES Refuges for persons with disabilities These consist of areas at or close to staircase landings, or lobbies to Evacuation Lifts, that have been modified to allow wheelchair users to remain for a short time in a place of relative safety whilst persons nominated to assist in the evacuation immediately go to these areas. The nominated persons then assist in moving the disabled persons down (or up) the staircase by assisting them in some other way e.g. Arm supporting, carrying their wheelchair whilst they descend/ascend stairs separately) or By carrying or transporting the person in their wheelchair, utilising either an evacuation chair, evacuation blanket or Moving the disabled person utilising Progressive Horizontal Evacuation if appropriate and desirable. This should lead either to a place of comparative safety within the building from which a place of ultimate safety may be reached, or to a place of safety in the open air. Communications systems may be provided within disabled refuges. Evacuation chairs These are devices that allow a non-disabled person to move a disabled person across floors and down staircases with relative ease having transferred the person from a wheelchair to the evacuation chair. It should be noted that British Standards do not promote the use of EVAC chairs as the physical act of transferring a person from a wheelchair to an EVAC chair can injure the person especially if that person had a skeletal disorder. However, they can be used where risk assessment shows them to be a valid measure. Assistants must be fully trained in the use of Evacuation Chairs. Fire warning systems In buildings with a two-stage fire alarm system, the evacuation procedure for disabled people should begin on the alert stage of the alarm. Progressive horizontal evacuation In larger buildings it may be possible to utilise the passive fire resisting elements of the building, which might allow disabled persons to move horizontally to the next fire compartment. It may be possible to then wait with a nominated person (whilst in communication with the emergency control point) and then return to the workstation after the emergency has ended. This is only acceptable for a small incident. Appropriate plan(s), and sufficient assistants, should be available (taking in to account sickness absence) to assist in the event of the necessity to commence vertical evacuation. Co operation between the person with disabilities and their manager / supervisor Primary responsibility for completion of a PEEP lies with the Line Manager, who may draw on the advice and support of others to derive an effective plan. In schools, the SENCO/Headteacher might seek advice from the PIMS TEAM Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 7 of 13

The individual must recognise that they may need assistance in order to evacuate, and their involvement in developing a plan will assist them in understanding how to play their part in the PEEP. Colleagues may need to be nominated to provide assistance. In these circumstances these persons will need to be aware of their responsibilities and may need training specific to the agreed PEEP. Deputies must be also nominated to cover absences. Visitors (Standard Emergency Evacuation Plan) Hosts should ensure that they communicate the evacuation procedures for a given site to any visitor who may have impairment. Escape routes, refuges, stairs, and Evacuation Lifts should be identified to visitors. A PEEP plan should be devised as necessary, and appropriate numbers of staff should be designated and available to assist in the event of evacuation for the duration of the visitor(s) presence. Training Staff such as Fire wardens, allocated helpers (buddies) or nominated others should receive instruction/training in how to assist disabled persons in the event of evacuation. Such instruction should include practical demonstrations and training appropriate to their responsibilities. The following should be included in the training aims: - Be aware of the organisations legal responsibilities for assisting disabled employees. Be able to locate those disabled employees who they are to assist within one minute of the fire alarm being sounded. Be able to assist, during an emergency, disabled employees by using the methods identified in the employees PEEP, including the use of Evac Chairs and methods of vertical movement of wheelchairs. Training should cover the theory of, but not necessarily the practice of lifting persons and should take account of out of chair situations of persons with disabilities. The effectiveness of the training should be evaluated during fire drills. The Corporate Health and Safety Unit provide Evacuation chair training. Who is it for? Mandatory for those who may be required in the delivery of a PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan). Aims and objective To train delegates in the safe set up and use of the appropriate Evac Chair provided in their workplace Booking To book on any of the courses detailed in this brochure please use SAP within your ESS access, you will need to provide a budget code to confirm your booking. If you have difficultly with this, or do not have SAP access, please contact us at Training@somerset.gov.uk, Tel: 01823 35 5495 / 5442 Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 8 of 13

EXAMPLE - Evacuation PEEP Person s name: A.N. OTHER Named staff who are trained to carry out this procedure: Buddy one Buddy two Which premises: 1. On hearing the fire alarm: Evacuate the room with Buddy one and Buddy two Go to lobby area between the staircases, ensuring not to obstruct doorways there is up to 30 minutes safe time in this space If the fire is on the same floor as A.N. Other, he needs to go to the stairwell immediately as there is up to 30mins safe time in this space. 2. Once in refuge: Using the safe system of work hoist into evac chair/blanket and evacuate the Building As soon as the rush down the staircase has subsided proceed down the staircase 3. Facilities needed once evacuated from the premises: Person 1 take A.N. Other in evac chair Staircase Person 2 to collect wheelchair and take down staircase. 4. Other factors to consider: A.N. Other may need reassurance This building does not have an evacuation lift. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 9 of 13

5. Assess Evacuation PEEP following an evacuation: What went well? The process went well, and everyone knew their role and where to assemble What can be improved? A.N.Other became stressed due to the number of staff vacating the building via the staircase, in future A.N.Other will wait in the lobby outside the stairwell until most staff have left the building and the stair case less crowded. A.N.Other s Peep will be duly amended and staff informed. All Evacuation PEEPs must be part of the premises fire evacuation policy Signature of Line Manager: Printed name: Date: Signature of Person to agree to PEEP procedure: Printed name: Date: 1st Review date: Signed: 2nd Review date: Signed: 3rd Review date: Signed: Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 10 of 13

Evacuation PEEP Proforma Person s name: Named staff who are trained to carry out this procedure? Which premises: 1. On hearing the fire alarm: 2. Once in refuge: 3. Facilities needed once evacuated from the premises: 4. Other factors to consider: 5. Assess Evacuation PEEP What went well? What can be improved? All Evacuation PEEP s must be part of the premises fire evacuation policy Signature of Line Manager: Printed name: Date: Signature of person to PEEP procedure: Printed name: Date: 1st Review date: 2nd Review date: 3rd Review date: Signed: Signed: Signed: Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 11 of 13

(Non County Hall premises may wish to modify this guidance to make it suitable for their own premises) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan For visitors to County Hall site. Escape Procedure for all disabilities Non Ambulant Persons The person you are visiting will arrange to meet with you on the ground floor only at this time. All final exits from the ground floor have level egress, which is suitable for wheelchair use. The person you are visiting will escort you to the fire assembly point. Sight/mobility When the fire alarm sounds the person you are visiting will escort you to the safe refuge area in the nearest available protected stairway if you are meeting anywhere other than the ground floor. Refuge areas are provided at each level of the evacuation staircases in the building. The evacuation stair has 30 minutes protection from fire. When the stairway is clear, the person you are visiting will escort you out of the building at a pace suitable to you. When you reach a final exit you will continue to the fire assembly point with the person you are visiting. Hearing When the fire alarm sounds the person you are visiting will inform you of that fact and will escort you to the safe refuge area in the nearest available protected stairway if you are meeting anywhere other than the ground floor. Refuge areas are provided at each level of the evacuation staircases in the building. The evacuation stair has 30 minutes protection from fire. The person you are visiting will escort you out of the building at a pace suitable to you. When you reach a final exit you will continue to the fire assembly point with the person you are visiting. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 12 of 13

NOTICE TO VISITORS Emergency Evacuation Please inform Reception if you have difficulty using the stairs. Arrangements can then be put in place to Ensure your speedy and safe evacuation In the case of fire or other emergency. Thank you for your co-operation. Issued by: Corporate Health and Safety Unit Page 13 of 13