Fire Safety and Evacuation Procedures

Fire kills. Whilst legislation dealing with the needs of the disabled does not make any specific requirements regarding means of escape, the reasonable adjustments to buildings, called for by the DDA, must not compromise the building’s fire safety features.

For example, a platform lift serving two or more storeys and going through a floor acting as a fire break must have its shaft and doors fabricated from fire-resisting material. This is an option on our Companion Prestige model. Unfortunately, not all platform lifts can meet the one hour standard without further protection being added. At upper landings, emergency hand lowering devices have to be built into the door surround. Our Prestige model has an access panel small enough not to effect the lifts rating. Other lifts, have larger panels that require covering with fire resistant material to satisfy the standard.

A platform lift must never be used as a means of escape in the event of a fire. People may be trapped if the lift becomes immobilised. Only appropriately protected passenger lifts can be used to evacuate disabled people. Guidance on safeguarding evacuation lifts is given in BS5588: Part 8, covering fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. The general rules are that an evacuation lift should be located in a well protected enclosure. It should have a switch enabling a supervisor to override the landing call buttons and take the lift to floors from which disabled people need to be evacuated. Where evacuation lifts are not available, disabled people, particularly wheelchair users will need assistance to use stairways.

The new British Standard 8300: 2001 makes specific reference to the use of inclined platform lifts. It states that where a building has two or more stairways, a stair lift should only be installed on a stairway that is not intended to be used as a means of escape. If a stair lift is installed to the only stairway, a clear width of 1000mm needs to be maintained between the lift’s support rail and the handrail opposite.

Evacuation procedures must take account of the special needs of the less able. It is also important that building modifications, such as the introduction of a platform lift, to improve access do not have an adverse effect on building safety. The Building Control and Fire Authorities should be consulted prior to the installation.

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