Description

Course Description

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the ‘responsible person’ (e.g. the building owner or employer) has to ensure that everyone (whether an employee or visitor) can be evacuated safely from the building during an emergency. Evacuation chairs are one way the ‘responsible person’ can comply with this legal requirement, making evacuation chair training a legal requirement.

Note:

The Medical Devices Directive (93/42/EEC) classify evacuation chairs as a Class 1 Medical Device, alongside wheelchairs, hospital beds, etc. As such they fall under the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). This means there is a legal obligation on equipment providers to ensure adequate staff training, as well as servicing of the equipment, to ensure that the equipment can be operated safely during emergency situations.  

Course Duration

This course is delivered in partnership with our colleagues at Chris Garland Training and is delivered over a full day.

Pre-Requisites

• No prior experience or evacuation chair training is required for this course.
• A reasonable level of physical fitness & strength is required to use the chairs safely (despite what some manufacturers claim!).
• Those with back or shoulder problems, mobility issues or of a nervous disposition will find this course challenging & we don’t recommend they undertake the course.
• Please ensure that you wear flat shoes (not high-heels, etc) on the day of the course. See our Joining Instructions for more information.
• Evacuation chair operators of a petite stature (under approx 5’5″/165cm) tend to ensure a swift delivery of the evacuee to the bottom of the stairs & as such may prefer to be certified as an evacuation chair assistant rather than operator.

Certificate

• In most cases evacuation of people using typical evacuation chair is a two-person task, so having an assistant is a significant physical and psychological advantage for all involved, not least the evacuee!
• For those who attend the course and whom, in our (or their) opinion, are not competent to be regarded as an evacuation chair operator, we offer the option for them to be certified as an evacuation chair assistant.
• Certificates will be issued at the discretion of the trainer depending on the level of competence and ability demonstrated during the course. (e.g. those who physically cannot control the decent of a loaded evacuation chair safely may be certified as an assistant rather than an operator).
• Following successful completion of the course and assessments, you will receive the following course certificate issued by Chris Garland Training:
• Evacuation Chair Operator Certificate, or Evacuation Chair Assistant Certificate.

Course Content

This course covers a range of content including:

• History behind evacuation chairs.
• What is an evacuation chair?
• Who would use one and when?
• Legislation relating to evacuation chairs.
• Disability awareness & etiquette
• Planning an evacuation
• Evacuation strategies
• PEEPS & GEEPS
• Risks to evacuation sledge operators
• The spine
• Employers considerations
• Moving, lifting & handling techniques.
• Postural issues to avoid injuries to the chair operator.
• Evacuation Chair use (practical)
• Assisting people into the evacuation evacuation chair and back.
• Written test

Assessment

• Multiple-Choice Question paper:
  • You need to score 70% to achieve a pass.
• Practical assessment:
  • You need to score 100% to achieve a pass.

Certificate and Validity

Upon completion of the course candidates will receive a certificate which is available as a PDF (Portable Document Format).