Evacuation Chair Training for Universities: A Practical Guide to Safer Emergency Evacuation

Universities are some of the most complex environments in which to plan an emergency evacuation.

A single university estate can include lecture theatres, libraries, laboratories, offices, student accommodation, sports facilities, historic buildings and modern multi-storey developments. Thousands of students, staff and visitors may move between these buildings every day.

Within that population will be people who cannot safely or independently use stairs during an emergency.

This is where Evacuation Chair Training becomes an essential part of a university’s emergency preparedness.

Simply purchasing evacuation chairs does not automatically create an effective evacuation provision. Staff need to know where equipment is located, who may require assistance, how an evacuation chair operates and, critically, how to use it confidently when an emergency occurs.

For universities, effective evacuation chair training should therefore form part of a wider approach encompassing fire safety, accessibility, Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), equipment selection, servicing and ongoing staff competency.

This guide explores what UK universities should consider when planning evacuation chair training across their estates.

Why Evacuation Chair Training Matters in Universities

Most people can use a staircase during an evacuation.

Some cannot.

This may include people who:

• use wheelchairs
• have limited mobility
• have temporary injuries
• experience fatigue or reduced physical capacity
• have difficulty negotiating stairs
• require assistance because of a medical condition
• cannot use conventional evacuation routes independently

Importantly, universities should not assume that everyone requiring assistance will be a permanent wheelchair user.

A student recovering from surgery, a lecturer with a broken leg or a visitor experiencing temporary mobility difficulties could all require assistance during an evacuation.

Universities therefore need evacuation arrangements capable of accommodating a changing population.

Evacuation chairs can form an important part of those arrangements, but their effectiveness depends heavily on the people expected to operate them.

An unused evacuation chair mounted on a wall is simply equipment.

An evacuation chair supported by trained, competent staff becomes part of an evacuation strategy.

That distinction is why Evacuation Chair Training is so important.

The Particular Evacuation Challenges Facing Universities

University estates present challenges that are very different from those encountered in many conventional workplaces.

Large and constantly changing populations

Students arrive and leave every academic year.

Visitors attend open days, conferences, sporting events and graduation ceremonies. Contractors may be working across the estate, while staff can regularly move between departments and buildings.

This means universities cannot necessarily rely on the same people being present every day.

Emergency evacuation arrangements need sufficient resilience to account for changing occupancy and staff availability.

Multiple buildings

Many universities operate dozens or even hundreds of buildings.

A campus might contain:

• multi-storey teaching buildings
• research laboratories
• student residences
• libraries
• administrative offices
• sports centres
• theatres
• workshops
• historic properties

Evacuation requirements can differ considerably between them.

A training programme therefore needs to consider more than simply teaching someone how to unfold and operate an evacuation chair.

Staff should understand how the equipment fits into the evacuation arrangements for the particular buildings in which they work.

Complex staircases

Not every university staircase is wide, straight and modern.

Older campuses may contain narrow staircases, landings, unusual configurations or protected stairways where careful planning is necessary.

The suitability of an evacuation chair should therefore be considered alongside the building and evacuation route.

Training cannot compensate for equipment that is fundamentally unsuitable for its intended environment.

Student accommodation

University accommodation creates another important consideration.

Unlike teaching buildings, halls of residence may be occupied throughout the night when fewer members of university staff are present.

Universities therefore need to consider who would be available to assist a person requiring evacuation and whether the proposed arrangements remain practical outside normal working hours.

What Should Evacuation Chair Training Cover?

Good Evacuation Chair Training should provide operators with both knowledge and practical experience.

The exact programme will depend on the equipment, building and university’s evacuation procedures, but several areas are particularly important.

Understanding the evacuation chair

Operators should understand the specific evacuation chair they are expected to use.

This includes:

• how the chair is deployed
• how the chair operates on stairs
• how safety restraints are used
• correct operator positioning
• appropriate handling techniques
• equipment limitations
• storage requirements
• pre-use checks

This is particularly important because evacuation chair designs vary.

Training on one model should not automatically be treated as sufficient preparation to operate every other type of evacuation chair.

Practical operation

Emergency evacuation is not the time for someone to use an evacuation chair for the first time.

Practical training allows staff to become familiar with the equipment in a controlled environment.

Operators should have an opportunity to practise deployment and operation so that the process becomes familiar.

Confidence matters.

A member of staff may understand the principle of an evacuation chair after watching a demonstration, but practical operation is what helps turn theoretical knowledge into usable competence.

Communication with the chair user

Evacuation is not simply a mechanical process.

The individual being assisted should be treated with dignity and kept informed about what is happening.

Operators should understand the importance of explaining what they are doing and communicating clearly throughout the evacuation process.

For someone who has never used an evacuation chair before, being moved down a staircase during an emergency could understandably be stressful.

Professional, confident communication can make a significant difference.

Understanding the university’s procedures

Operators also need to understand where evacuation chair use fits within the university’s wider emergency procedures.

For example:

Where are evacuation chairs stored?

Which staircases are intended to be used?

Are refuges incorporated into the evacuation strategy?

Who is responsible for assisting particular individuals?

What happens when the trained operator normally assigned to a building is absent?

Where should an individual be taken after descending the staircase?

Equipment training should therefore complement the university’s emergency procedures rather than exist independently from them.

Evacuation Chair Training and PEEPs

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans, commonly known as PEEPs, can be an important part of planning for people who may require assistance during an emergency.

Where a university identifies that a student or member of staff cannot independently evacuate a building, an appropriate plan can establish how that person will be assisted.

This could involve consideration of:

• their normal locations within the university
• accessible escape routes
• refuge arrangements
• evacuation equipment
• assistance requirements
• communication
• designated staff
• alternative arrangements when normal personnel are unavailable

If an evacuation chair forms part of someone’s PEEP, the university should consider whether sufficiently trained operators will realistically be available whenever that individual is present.

This is particularly important in universities because timetables can change throughout the week.

A student might attend lectures in several different buildings. A lecturer might work across multiple floors or departments.

Evacuation planning therefore needs to reflect how people actually use the campus.

How Many Staff Should Universities Train?

There is unlikely to be one number that works for every university.

The appropriate level of training depends on factors including the size of the estate, building occupancy, evacuation arrangements, number and location of evacuation chairs and people who may require assistance.

However, relying on a single trained person for a building can create an obvious vulnerability.

What happens when that individual is:

• on annual leave?
• working from home?
• attending another building?
• off sick?
• unavailable during an emergency?

Universities should consider sufficient trained personnel to provide appropriate coverage during the periods when buildings are occupied.

For larger campuses, this may mean developing a structured network of trained evacuation chair operators rather than relying on a handful of individuals across the entire estate.

Evacuation Chair Training for Security and Facilities Teams

Security, estates and facilities teams can play an important role in university evacuation arrangements.

These teams often have extensive knowledge of campus buildings and may provide coverage beyond conventional teaching hours.

However, universities should be cautious about assuming that central security or facilities personnel can always reach an evacuation chair and the person requiring assistance quickly enough.

Emergency arrangements should be based on realistic response times and actual staffing arrangements.

For some buildings, training locally based staff alongside central teams may provide greater resilience.

This is one reason evacuation planning should be undertaken at building level rather than simply purchasing chairs and distributing them across an estate.

Training for Powered Evacuation Chairs

Traditional evacuation chairs commonly use gravity and friction-based track systems to descend stairs.

However, universities may also consider Powered Evacuation Chairs where their evacuation requirements demand additional capability.

Powered evacuation equipment can reduce some of the physical demands associated with moving a person on stairs and, depending on the equipment selected, may offer powered movement during descent and potentially ascent.

This can be particularly relevant on large university estates where:

• buildings contain multiple floors
• operators may have different physical capabilities
• evacuation routes are lengthy
• heavier occupants may require assistance
• manual handling risk is a concern
• upward movement on stairs forms part of a specific evacuation strategy

Powered equipment does not remove the requirement for training.

In fact, operators need to understand the controls, battery management, correct positioning, safe stair operation and limitations of the specific equipment.

Universities considering powered evacuation chairs should therefore look at equipment, training, servicing and evacuation planning as one integrated system.

Refresher Evacuation Chair Training

Completing training once does not necessarily mean an operator will remain confident indefinitely.

Fortunately, evacuation chairs may rarely need to be used in genuine emergencies.

Unfortunately, this also means operators can go long periods without using the skills they learned.

Universities should therefore consider appropriate refresher training and practical exercises.

Refresher sessions can help operators:

• maintain confidence
• practise correct deployment
• reinforce safe techniques
• understand changes to procedures
• become familiar with replacement equipment
• identify problems before an emergency occurs

Training records should also be maintained so the university can understand which personnel have been trained and when refresher training may be required.

For a large university estate, maintaining a central training matrix can make this considerably easier to manage.

Training Should Reflect the Actual Equipment

One common mistake is treating “evacuation chair training” as though every evacuation chair operates in exactly the same way.

They do not.

Different manufacturers and models can have different:

• deployment mechanisms
• track systems
• handles
• restraints
• operating positions
• weight capacities
• powered functions

Training should therefore be appropriate to the equipment installed.

If a university replaces its evacuation chairs or introduces a new powered model, existing operators may require additional instruction.

Standardising equipment across an estate can potentially simplify this process because staff moving between buildings encounter familiar equipment.

Don’t Forget Evacuation Chair Inspection and Servicing

Training is only one part of maintaining an effective evacuation provision.

The equipment itself also needs to remain ready for use.

An evacuation chair may remain unused for long periods, but it still needs appropriate inspection and maintenance.

Universities should establish procedures for checking their evacuation equipment and arranging servicing in accordance with relevant requirements and manufacturer recommendations.

For powered evacuation chairs, battery condition and charging arrangements are particularly important.

There is little benefit in having well-trained operators if the equipment they need is not operational when an emergency occurs.

A university-wide evacuation strategy should therefore bring together:

equipment + training + inspection + servicing + emergency planning.

Common Evacuation Chair Training Mistakes

Universities can improve their arrangements by avoiding several common problems.

Training too few people

A training programme should account for absence, shift patterns and movement between buildings.

Treating training as a one-off exercise

Skills can deteriorate when they are not practised.

Periodic refresher training helps maintain competence.

Training on different equipment

Staff should be familiar with the actual evacuation chairs they may need to operate.

Ignoring the evacuation route

Training someone to use a chair without considering the staircase and evacuation route creates an incomplete solution.

Failing to connect training with PEEPs

Where a PEEP relies on an evacuation chair, the availability of competent operators should form part of the planning process.

Purchasing equipment without planning training

Training should ideally be considered during procurement rather than after chairs have already been installed across the campus.

Building a University-Wide Evacuation Chair Training Programme

For universities managing multiple buildings, a structured approach can make training considerably easier to control.

1. Review the estate

Identify buildings where people may require assisted evacuation and review the relevant escape routes.

2. Review existing evacuation equipment

Record the make, model, location and condition of evacuation chairs across the estate.

3. Review PEEPs and evacuation requirements

Understand where evacuation equipment forms part of existing arrangements and where additional provision may be required.

4. Identify operators

Determine which personnel can realistically provide appropriate coverage in each building.

5. Deliver equipment-specific practical training

Operators should receive practical instruction using the relevant evacuation chair.

6. Maintain training records

Record who has completed training and establish an appropriate refresher programme.

7. Include evacuation chairs within drills and exercises

Where appropriate and safe to do so, evacuation arrangements should be tested rather than existing purely on paper.

8. Review arrangements when circumstances change

New buildings, refurbished staircases, different equipment and changes in student requirements can all affect evacuation planning.

Creating More Inclusive University Evacuation Arrangements

Accessibility should not stop when an emergency begins.

Universities invest significantly in creating accessible learning environments, accommodation and facilities. Emergency evacuation arrangements should reflect the same commitment.

Providing an evacuation chair can be part of that process.

Providing the right evacuation equipment, appropriately trained personnel and a practical evacuation strategy is considerably more effective.

For universities, this requires moving beyond the question:

“Do we have evacuation chairs?”

and asking:

“Can we safely and confidently evacuate the people who may need assistance from our buildings?”

That is a much more valuable question.

Evacuation Chair Training from The Evacuation Company

The Evacuation Company works with organisations to develop safer and more practical evacuation arrangements for people who may require assistance on stairs.

For universities, this can include support with Evacuation Chair Training, Powered Evacuation Chairs, Powered Stairclimbers, PEEPs and evacuation planning, equipment servicing and wider evacuation consultancy.

Rather than treating an evacuation chair as a standalone purchase, we believe equipment should form part of a complete evacuation solution.

That means considering the person being evacuated, the operator, the staircase, the building, the equipment and the university’s wider emergency procedures.

Whether you are reviewing evacuation arrangements in a single faculty building or developing a consistent approach across an entire university estate, the starting point should be understanding what is actually required.

Talk to The Evacuation Company About Evacuation Chair Training for Your University

If your university is reviewing its Evacuation Chair Training, evacuation equipment or procedures for people who cannot independently use stairs, The Evacuation Company can help.

We can work with estates, facilities, health and safety, fire safety and accessibility teams to identify appropriate evacuation solutions and provide practical training for the equipment your staff may be expected to use.

From conventional evacuation chairs to powered evacuation solutions, training, servicing and consultancy, our aim is to help universities create evacuation arrangements that work in the real world — not simply on paper.

Speak to The Evacuation Company about Evacuation Chair Training for your university and take the next step towards a safer, more inclusive campus.

• Evacuation Chair Training in London: Why Practical Emergency Preparedness Matters More Than Paper Compliance
• Powered Evacuation Chairs for Universities: Building Safer, More Inclusive Campus Evacuation Plans
• Evac Chair Training, Servicing and Hire in Universities, Colleges and Schools
• Powered Evacuation Chairs for Universities: Completing PEEPs and Creating Safer Campuses with Powered Stairclimbers
• Powered Evacuation Chairs in Education: Turning PEEPs, GEEPs and BEEPs Into Practical Plans

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