Greater fire risk faced by disabled staff David Shaw 02/06/2004

Confusion over proper evacuation procedures can lead to employers endangering disabled staff during emergency evacuations. Serious concerns have been voiced by the Disability Rights Commission over the widespread misuse of dedicated “refuge areas”.

Tim Wilkins, chief fire consultant, explains that some organisations are taking the view that refuge areas are an alternative to evacuation of the disabled person/s and should not be used as a short term gap, or last resort to hold disabled people who then can be rescued by the emergency services. The fear by employers surrounds the fact that litigation could be encouraging firms to engage in this practice. It is true that if an untrained employee was to drop or injure another employee, or to injure themselves then the company could face prosecution.

Disability rights experts also claim that the use of refuge areas is a misinterpretation of the guidance, it effectively leads to the disabled person being left alone in the burning building to await the arrival of the emergency services.

David Dennis, a Chartered Fellow of CIPD who lectures on disability rights stressed that disabled employees should only be placed in a refuge area while the bulk of able bodied people got out, this was to minimise the risk of disabled persons being knocked over, and would apply to large companies or high rise buildings.

Andrew Shipley, policy analyst at the Disability Rights Commission states “There appears to be a misconception in some organisations that disabled or wheelchair bound workers should be placed in a refuge area until the emergency services arrive to release them. That is simply not why these areas are there. Refuges are in place to buy some time and not just places to leave people until the emergency services arrive. In addition companies should consider allocating buddies to disabled employees to ensure that someone is responsible for aiding them in their evacuation in the event of a fire. These people should be adequately trained in lifting and carrying of people. The guidance for employers on these areas should be much more specific and clear about what refuge areas are for. The fact that some organisations don’t put adequate procedures in place could be considered to be discriminating against disabled people by not ensuring they have a suitable and effective escape route.”