Evacuation Chair Training London: A Practical Guide for London Buildings

London has one of the most diverse and complex collections of buildings in the UK.

From modern high-rise offices in the City and Canary Wharf to historic properties in Westminster, converted warehouses in Shoreditch, hotels, theatres, universities, healthcare facilities and mixed-use developments across the capital, no two buildings are quite the same.

That creates a particular challenge when planning for emergency evacuation.

While many occupants can use conventional stairways during an emergency, some people may be unable to safely evacuate using stairs without assistance.

This is where Evacuation Chair Training in London becomes an important part of emergency preparedness.

Installing an evacuation chair is only one part of the solution. Staff also need to understand how the equipment works, where and when it should be used, and how it fits within the building’s wider emergency evacuation arrangements.

For organisations responsible for buildings in London, effective evacuation chair training should therefore form part of a broader approach encompassing fire safety, accessibility, Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs), equipment selection, servicing and staff competence.

In this guide, we look at what organisations should consider when arranging Evacuation Chair Training for London buildings.

Why Is Evacuation Chair Training Important?

Imagine an evacuation chair has been installed next to the staircase on the fourth floor of an office building.

It has been there for three years.

Then the fire alarm sounds.

A member of staff needs assistance using the stairs, but nobody immediately available has actually operated the chair.

Someone reads the instructions.

Another person tries to unfold it.

Nobody is completely certain how the restraints work or how the chair will behave once it reaches the staircase.

That is precisely the situation training is designed to avoid.

An evacuation chair hanging on a wall is equipment.

An evacuation chair supported by trained and confident operators forms part of an evacuation solution.

Government guidance on means of escape for disabled people makes clear that evacuation chairs require training and practice to use effectively and that regular staff training is essential where chairs form part of the escape arrangements.

Effective Evacuation Chair Training helps operators understand both the equipment and their role within the building’s emergency procedures.

Why London Buildings Present Particular Evacuation Challenges

London’s built environment is enormously varied.

An evacuation strategy appropriate for a modern office tower may be completely unsuitable for a listed building constructed more than a century ago.

This makes building-specific planning particularly important.

High-Rise and Multi-Storey Buildings

London contains thousands of multi-storey commercial and residential buildings.

For people unable to use stairs independently, vertical evacuation needs careful consideration.

Depending on the building and its evacuation strategy, solutions might include evacuation lifts, refuges, horizontal evacuation or evacuation equipment such as evacuation chairs.

Where an evacuation chair has been selected as part of the solution, the distance involved and number of floors can significantly influence both the equipment and training requirements.

Moving someone down one flight of stairs is very different from evacuating them from a considerably higher floor.

The practical realities of the building therefore need to form part of the assessment.

Historic London Buildings

London also contains an enormous number of historic and converted buildings.

These can present very different challenges.

Staircases may be:

• narrow
• steep
• winding
• irregular
• interrupted by small landings
• constructed around unusual building layouts

An evacuation chair should never simply be purchased on the assumption that it will work on every staircase.

The intended evacuation route needs to be considered alongside the equipment.

Training cannot solve the problem of an evacuation chair that is unsuitable for the staircase on which it is expected to operate.

Large Commercial Buildings

Major offices and commercial premises can contain hundreds or thousands of people.

The challenge here is often not simply equipment availability but operator availability.

Who will operate the evacuation chair?

Where will those people normally be located?

What happens when they are on annual leave, working from home, attending a meeting on another floor or simply not present?

London’s increasingly flexible working environment makes this particularly relevant.

Emergency arrangements should reflect the people who are actually likely to be present in the building rather than relying entirely on a fixed list of individuals who may not always be there.

Who Might Need an Evacuation Chair?

There is sometimes an assumption that evacuation chairs are only intended for wheelchair users.

The reality is much broader.

Someone may require assistance using stairs because of:

• a physical disability
• limited mobility
• a temporary injury
• reduced stamina
• age-related mobility difficulties
• a medical condition
• pregnancy-related mobility difficulties
• an inability to negotiate stairs safely

Needs can also change.

A member of staff who normally uses the stairs without difficulty might temporarily require assistance after an operation or injury.

Similarly, visitors, contractors and members of the public may enter a building without the organisation having prior knowledge of their evacuation requirements.

This is particularly relevant in London buildings with high numbers of visitors, including hotels, museums, theatres, conference venues, retail environments and large corporate offices.

Evacuation planning therefore needs to consider both known individuals and unexpected requirements.

What Should Evacuation Chair Training Cover?

Good Evacuation Chair Training in London should provide practical experience rather than simply theoretical instruction.

While the exact programme will depend upon the equipment and environment, there are several important areas operators should understand.

Understanding the Evacuation Chair

Operators need to become familiar with the specific equipment installed within the building.

Training should typically cover areas such as:

• deploying the evacuation chair
• positioning the chair correctly
• operating it on stairs
• using restraints correctly
• operator positioning
• handling and manoeuvring
• moving across level surfaces
• equipment limitations
• storage
• pre-use checks

Different evacuation chairs can operate differently.

Training someone on one model does not necessarily make them competent to use every evacuation chair they encounter.

This becomes particularly important for facilities and security personnel who may work across several London properties.

Practical Stair Operation

Watching somebody operate an evacuation chair and actually operating one yourself are very different experiences.

Practical training allows operators to understand how the chair behaves as it approaches and travels down a staircase.

It also helps build familiarity.

In an emergency, operators should not be trying to remember a demonstration they watched several years earlier.

They should already understand the equipment.

Communication With the Person Being Evacuated

Good evacuation chair operation isn’t simply about getting equipment down a staircase.

There is a person sitting in it.

For someone unfamiliar with an evacuation chair, travelling down stairs in one during an emergency could understandably be stressful.

Operators should therefore understand the importance of explaining what is happening and communicating clearly throughout the process.

Maintaining the person’s dignity, confidence and safety should remain central to the evacuation.

Evacuation Chair Training and PEEPs

Where someone regularly uses a building and may need assistance during an emergency, a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) may form part of the organisation’s arrangements.

A PEEP can consider issues such as:

• the person’s evacuation requirements
• where they normally work or spend time
• appropriate escape routes
• refuge arrangements
• evacuation equipment
• assistance requirements
• communication arrangements
• who may provide assistance

If an evacuation chair forms part of a person’s planned escape arrangements, there is an obvious practical question:

Will someone who is trained and able to operate that equipment actually be available when required?

That question is particularly important in London offices operating hybrid working arrangements.

It may not be sufficient to train two nominated people if both regularly work remotely on the same days.

Organisations should therefore consider resilience rather than simply names on a training register.

How Many Evacuation Chair Operators Should a London Building Have?

There isn’t a single number that can sensibly apply to every building.

A three-storey office occupied by 30 people presents a very different situation from a 20-storey commercial building occupied by several organisations.

The appropriate number of trained operators will depend upon factors such as:

• building size
• occupancy
• number of floors
• number of evacuation chairs
• evacuation strategy
• staff working patterns
• known evacuation requirements
• visitor numbers
• security and facilities coverage

The important principle is availability.

Training one person does little good if that person isn’t present when an emergency occurs.

Larger London buildings may therefore benefit from developing a broader network of competent evacuation chair operators across different floors, departments, shifts or tenant organisations.

Multi-Tenant London Buildings

Multi-occupied commercial properties introduce another layer of complexity.

A building may have a landlord or managing agent responsible for common areas while individual tenants have responsibility for their own staff and workplace arrangements.

Evacuation equipment may also be positioned within shared areas.

This creates practical questions.

Who owns the evacuation chairs?

Who maintains them?

Which tenants can use them?

Who receives training?

How is training recorded?

How do individual tenant evacuation arrangements integrate with the building’s overall emergency plan?

These questions should ideally be answered before an emergency occurs.

Property managers, facilities teams, tenants, fire safety professionals and other relevant parties may need to coordinate their arrangements so everyone understands their responsibilities.

Evacuation Chair Training for Security and Facilities Teams

Security and facilities teams often play an important role in London building evacuation procedures.

They may provide extended building coverage and have excellent knowledge of escape routes, staircases and emergency systems.

Training these teams can therefore provide valuable additional resilience.

However, relying entirely on security personnel can also create problems.

In a large building, a security officer may be required elsewhere during an incident.

They may also be several floors away from the person requiring assistance.

The evacuation strategy should therefore consider whether locally based trained operators are also required.

The question should always be:

Who will realistically be available at the point where assistance is required?

Conventional vs Powered Evacuation Chairs

Traditional evacuation chairs generally use tracks to enable controlled movement down a staircase.

For many buildings, these can provide an appropriate evacuation solution.

However, organisations responsible for complex or multi-storey London properties may also want to consider Powered Evacuation Chairs.

Powered evacuation equipment can reduce some of the physical effort associated with moving people on stairs and, depending upon the equipment selected, can provide powered stair descent and potentially stair ascent capabilities.

This may be particularly relevant where:

• evacuation involves numerous floors
• operator physical capability is a concern
• heavier occupants may require assistance
• manual handling risks need to be reduced
• complex evacuation routes are involved
• movement both down and up stairs needs consideration

The important point is that the equipment should be selected for the building, staircase, operator and person being evacuated.

Powered equipment does not eliminate the need for training.

Operators still need practical instruction covering controls, positioning, restraints, stair operation, battery management and equipment limitations.

Is Your Evacuation Chair Actually Suitable for Your Building?

This is one of the most important questions organisations can ask.

An evacuation chair may have been installed years ago.

But has anyone checked whether it is genuinely suitable for the staircase where it is located?

London’s diverse building stock makes this particularly important.

Factors worth considering include:

• staircase width
• stair angle
• landing dimensions
• turns and changes of direction
• number of flights
• final exit route
• chair dimensions
• occupant requirements
• operator requirements

In some cases, a different type of evacuation equipment may provide a more appropriate solution.

This is why evacuation equipment selection should ideally follow an assessment rather than simply buying a standard chair and placing it next to the stairs.

Refresher Evacuation Chair Training

Evacuation chairs are unusual pieces of workplace equipment because everyone hopes they will never need to be used in a genuine emergency.

But that creates another problem.

Skills that aren’t used can be forgotten.

A member of staff may have completed evacuation chair training several years ago but never touched the chair since.

Would they still feel confident using it?

Refresher training and practical exercises can help operators:

• maintain familiarity
• reinforce correct techniques
• practise deployment
• understand procedural changes
• familiarise themselves with replacement equipment
• identify problems before an emergency

Government guidance on means of escape for disabled people emphasises regular training and practice where evacuation chairs form part of the escape arrangements.

Training records should therefore be maintained and reviewed as part of the organisation’s wider fire safety management arrangements.

Evacuation Chair Servicing and Inspection

Training is only useful if the equipment works.

An evacuation chair might remain stored for years without being required in an emergency.

That doesn’t mean it should simply be ignored.

Organisations should have appropriate arrangements for inspection, maintenance and servicing in accordance with the equipment manufacturer’s requirements and their wider fire safety arrangements.

For powered evacuation equipment, batteries and charging arrangements require additional consideration.

A useful way to think about emergency evacuation provision is:

Assessment + Equipment + Training + Maintenance + Planning

Remove one element and the overall solution becomes weaker.

Common Evacuation Chair Mistakes in London Buildings

Several problems occur repeatedly when organisations review their evacuation arrangements.

Buying Chairs Without Assessing the Staircase

Not every evacuation chair suits every staircase.

Assess the environment before selecting the equipment.

Training Too Few People

A list containing two trained operators may look adequate until both are absent.

Plan for realistic availability.

Treating Training as a One-Off Exercise

Practical skills deteriorate.

Consider refresher training and exercises.

Assuming Every Person Can Transfer Into a Chair

Not everybody who requires evacuation assistance will be able to use the same equipment.

Individual requirements matter.

Ignoring Visitors

Public-facing London buildings may have people requiring evacuation assistance without prior warning.

Standard arrangements should consider this possibility.

Forgetting About Servicing

Emergency equipment needs to remain operational and ready for use.

Treating the Chair as the Complete Evacuation Strategy

An evacuation chair is part of an evacuation solution, not the entire solution.

Building a Better Evacuation Chair Strategy for Your London Property

If you’re reviewing evacuation chair provision within a London building, a structured approach can help.

Step 1 – Assess the Building

Review the building layout, staircases, escape routes, occupancy and evacuation strategy.

Step 2 – Understand Who May Require Assistance

Consider employees, residents where applicable, contractors, visitors and members of the public.

Step 3 – Review Existing Equipment

Identify what evacuation equipment is currently installed, where it is located and whether it remains appropriate.

Step 4 – Identify Operators

Determine who could realistically provide assistance during the building’s occupied hours.

Step 5 – Provide Practical Equipment-Specific Training

Operators should train on the equipment they may actually be required to use.

Step 6 – Maintain Competence

Consider refresher training, practical exercises and staff turnover.

Step 7 – Maintain the Equipment

Establish suitable inspection and servicing arrangements.

Step 8 – Review the Strategy

Buildings change.

Occupants change.

Working patterns change.

Evacuation arrangements should change with them.

Evacuation Chair Training London – The Evacuation Company

The Evacuation Company works with organisations across London and the UK to help create safer evacuation arrangements for people who may require assistance on stairs.

Our approach goes beyond simply supplying an evacuation chair.

We look at the wider evacuation requirement, including the building, staircase, equipment, operator and person who may require assistance.

Solutions can include Evacuation Chair Training, Powered Evacuation Chairs, Powered Stairclimbers, evacuation planning, PEEPs, servicing and evacuation consultancy.

For organisations managing complex London buildings, this joined-up approach can be particularly valuable.

The objective isn’t simply to be able to say:

“We have an evacuation chair.”

The more important question is:

“If somebody cannot use the stairs during an emergency, do we have a practical plan and people who are confident using the equipment?”

Book Evacuation Chair Training in London

If you’re responsible for an office, commercial property, public building, educational facility, hotel or other multi-storey premises in London, now is a good time to review your evacuation chair arrangements.

Ask yourself:

Are the evacuation chairs suitable for the building?

Do we have enough trained operators?

Are those operators confident using the equipment?

Does our provision account for staff, visitors and contractors?

Does the equipment form part of a wider evacuation strategy?

And when was the last time anybody actually practised using it?

The Evacuation Company can help you assess your requirements, select appropriate evacuation equipment and provide practical Evacuation Chair Training in London.

Whether you need training for existing evacuation chairs or want to review your wider evacuation arrangements, speak to The Evacuation Company about creating a safer, more practical and more inclusive evacuation solution for your London building.

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

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