Hi Vin
Just some thoughts and my starter for ten......
a)
>Is that all disabled people? (not just wheelchair users) .......
>How will they know if someone is disabled if a person chooses not to
declare it?
>This could be very difficult to manage in practice.
b)
>Limiting access to two disabled people would in my opinion be
discriminatory because it is imposing a limitation for a reason directly
related to their disability.
>The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 makes it clear that a
responsible person must ensure that everyone, including disabled persons,
can be safely evacuated from a building.
>Refuges and protected routes to exit will have to be associated with the
evacuation chairs and therefore a single chair can be used as many times as
is necessary. It is therefore irrelevant how many disabled people are in
the building because the escape route should be safe for fire marshals to
re-enter the building.
>If many disabled people regularly use the building then the refuge area(s)
needs to be large enough to cope with the anticipated occupancy level.
>Consideration should also be given to a phased horizontal evacuation to
another safe part of the building.
>It should also be recognised that many disabled people will not be able to
transfer to an evacuation chair so restricting access to two disabled people
could still mean that the evacuation chair is not a viable means of
evacuation.
>It is important that the management team evaluates all possible scenarios
and is confident that it can provide an appropriate level of support in an
emergency whatever the circumstances.
Regards
Alan Hunt
Access Officer
Pembrokeshire County Council
tel: 01437 775148
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: Accessibuilt list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Vin West
Sent: 28 May 2010 12:17
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Evac chairs [again]
HI,
I have been asked about the legality and advisability of:
a) requiring disabled people [only disabled people] to register with
reception on entering a public building and letting staff know where they
are in the building and
b) limiting access to upper floors to two mobility impaired people on the
grounds that only two evac chairs are held in the building.
I have provided interim advice on the basis that management do have a
responsibility for the safety and safe evacuation of the public but that
that does not excuse them from complying with the DDA or treating people
equally and with dignity, and that excluding people from any part of a
building on the basis that management are not sufficiently prepared will not
protect them from challenge under the DDA since it is clearly discriminatory
- but I would value others' views.
Regards,
Vin
Vin West
Secretary Arfon Access Group
Glyn Dwr
Llandwrog Uchaf
Caernarfon
LL54 7RA
01286 880761
[log in to unmask]
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