Evac+Chair at Fitness First

Evac+Chair has been specified by gym and health club chain Fitness First as part of the company’s evacuation strategy for the mobility impaired.

Evac+Chair has provided a simple, cost effective evacuation solution, and its Key Trainer Master Class© will enable Fitness First to train all staff in the correct use of the evacuation chairs. “After researching the market and looking into alternative products, we concluded that Evac+Chair represented a high quality and effective evacuation solution. We were extremely impressed with the initial presentation and the company’s professionalism”, said health and safety manager Phil Hardy.

Fitness First is the largest gym, health and fitness club group in the world with 500 clubs worldwide and over 170 clubs in the UK. The group pledges to make its facilities accessible for all customers, including persons of reduced mobility, the temporarily injured and the able bodied. As part of this pledge, managers at Fitness First identified that there was a need in some gym and health clubs to provide assistance to evacuate mobility impaired customers in the event of an emergency. Phil Hardy commented “We pinpointed around 130 clubs where, due to two or more storeys or basement facilities, there was a need to aid disabled customers in an evacuation.”

The Evac+Chair is a simple, easy-to-use device which can be employed in the event of an emergency when lifts cannot be used. The lightweight unit allows one person to transport another downstairs or on the flat quickly and safely with only a minimum amount of training required and very little physical strength.

Evac+Chair also offers a Key Trainer Master Class©, allowing organisations to receive training for ‘key trainers’ on Evac+Chair emergency evacuation chairs. These ‘key trainers’ can then train their own staff.

Fitness First purchased 130 chairs in total, with eight members of staff taking part in the ‘key trainer’ training. The chain is now in the process of training all staff in the use of the chairs in clubs where Evac+Chairs have been installed. Phil Hardy added, “We are very happy with the chairs. The Key Trainer Master Class© has given us the flexibility to train all staff as and when required and represents a cost effective solution in helping to provide equal access and egress for all customers, staff and visitors.”