Evac+Chair Maintenance: Why Readiness Can't Be Left to Chance
The one thing you hope you'll never need
There are some pieces of equipment within a building that become part of everyday life. Doors open and close thousands of times, lights switch on without a second thought, and building systems are relied upon without anyone questioning whether they’ll work. Their purpose is familiar, and their performance is expected.
An Evac+Chair is different.
Most organisations hope it will never be needed. It may remain mounted on a wall for years, quietly waiting for a situation everyone hopes never arises. Because it is rarely used, it’s easy to assume it will be ready whenever it’s needed.
Unfortunately, emergencies don’t announce themselves, and evacuation equipment doesn’t get a second chance to perform.
Readiness isn’t measured by how often an Evac+Chair is used; it’s measured by whether it’s ready to perform when it matters most.
An Evac+Chair is more than a piece of emergency equipment. It is a Class I Medical Device, designed to provide a safe, controlled and dignified means of evacuating people who cannot use the stairs independently during an emergency. Like any medical device, it must be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions to help ensure it remains ready for use.
That readiness doesn’t happen by chance. It requires regular inspection, expert maintenance and an ongoing commitment throughout the product’s service life.
The reality is simple. Nobody plans for an emergency, but every organisation has a responsibility to be prepared for one. Maintenance isn’t simply about protecting equipment; it’s about protecting the people who may one day rely on it to reach safety.
How often should an Evac+Chair be serviced?
One of the most common questions we hear is, “How often does an Evac+Chair actually need servicing?”
The simple answer is annually.
Many organisations assume that because their Evac+Chair has never been used, it doesn’t require maintenance. If it has remained mounted on the wall since installation, it’s easy to assume nothing has changed.
The answer lies in understanding what maintenance is designed to achieve. Servicing isn’t determined by how often an Evac+Chair is used, but by ensuring it’s ready to perform when it’s needed.
Think of it like your car. Even if you’ve only driven a few hundred miles since its last MOT, you wouldn’t assume it’s still roadworthy without having it tested. An MOT isn’t based on mileage alone; it’s there to confirm the vehicle remains safe to use. The same principle applies to an Evac+Chair.
Like any piece of equipment, an Evac+Chair is affected by time as well as use. Environmental conditions, temperature fluctuations, humidity, dust and the natural ageing of components can all affect performance, often without any visible signs.
An Evac+Chair may appear to be in excellent condition, but appearance alone cannot confirm that every component is operating correctly. That’s why annual servicing is essential.
Manufacturer-approved maintenance verifies that your Evac+Chair continues to perform in accordance with its original design specification, while identifying wear, deterioration and hidden faults before they become a risk.
An emergency is the worst possible time to discover that your Evac+Chair isn’t ready.
Is servicing an Evac+Chair a legal requirement?
Yes. In the UK, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) require work equipment to be maintained in safe working order and good repair. In addition, Article 17 of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, as amended by the Fire Safety Act 2021, requires Responsible Persons to ensure that fire safety equipment is subject to a suitable system of maintenance.
As an Evac+Chair is a Class I Medical Device, it should be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Evac+Chair specifies annual servicing to help ensure its products continue to perform as designed. Following the manufacturer’s servicing schedule helps employers and Responsible Persons demonstrate they are meeting their duties under PUWER and the Fire Safety Order.
Ultimately, maintenance isn’t just about compliance. It’s about protecting the people who may one day depend on your Evac+Chair and ensuring you’re prepared when every second counts.
What does an Evac+Chair service include?
Not all servicing is the same.
Every manufacturer-approved service is carried out by trained Evac+Chair Service Technicians and approved service partners using the manufacturer’s approved maintenance procedures.
Each service includes comprehensive physical inspections and operational testing to verify that the Evac+Chair and its critical components continue to perform as intended. Using our exclusive patented FrictionChecker™ and TensionChecker™, technicians can identify hidden faults, wear and deterioration that cannot be detected through visual inspection alone.
If replacement parts are required during servicing, only genuine Evac+Chair parts are used. Genuine Evac+Chair parts are supplied exclusively to approved service partners and are not available to unauthorised third parties.
Once servicing is complete, you’ll receive a comprehensive digital service report, updated maintenance labels and a clear record of all work undertaken, providing a full audit trail of your maintenance history.
Who can service an Evac+Chair?
This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding Evac+Chair maintenance.
Many organisations assume that servicing is the same regardless of who carries it out. In reality, only Evac+Chair and our approved service partners can provide a manufacturer-approved Evac+Chair service.
As the original manufacturer, we’ve spent more than 40 years designing and manufacturing Evac+Chair products. That experience underpins the maintenance procedures, training and specialist equipment used throughout our approved service.
Our Service Technicians and approved service partners receive specialist manufacturer training and follow the same approved maintenance procedures, ensuring every manufacturer-approved service is delivered to the same exacting standard.
When choosing a maintenance provider, it’s important to know who is carrying out the work. Only Evac+Chair and our approved service partners are authorised to service Evac+Chair products in accordance with the manufacturer’s approved procedures. Unauthorised maintenance providers do not have access to genuine Evac+Chair replacement parts and can only undertake a visual inspection; they cannot provide a manufacturer-approved service.
A visual inspection is not the same as a manufacturer-approved service
A visual inspection can identify obvious signs of damage or wear, but it cannot verify that an Evac+Chair is ready to perform in an emergency.
A manufacturer-approved service goes further, providing:
✔ Comprehensive physical checks
✔ Operational testing
✔ Hidden fault detection
✔ Genuine Evac+Chair replacement parts
✔ Patented FrictionChecker™ and TensionChecker™ testing equipment
✔ Manufacturer-trained Service Technicians
When people’s lives may depend on your evacuation equipment, “it looks fine” simply isn’t enough.
What servicing records should I keep?
Keeping accurate servicing records is an important part of demonstrating that your evacuation equipment has been professionally maintained.
Following every manufacturer-approved service, you’ll receive a comprehensive digital service report together with updated maintenance labels applied to your Evac+Chair.
These records provide an auditable history of inspections, testing and any replacement parts fitted, helping Responsible Persons demonstrate that their evacuation equipment is maintained as part of a planned maintenance programme.
They also support maintenance planning, internal audits and compliance reviews.
Readiness is never a one-off decision
Purchasing an Evac+Chair is an important step towards creating a safer, more inclusive evacuation strategy, but it isn't the end of the journey. Readiness requires ongoing commitment. Equipment should be maintained, staff should receive regular training and evacuation plans should be reviewed to reflect changes in your building, its occupants and potential risks. Together, these elements create an evacuation strategy that is practical, dependable and ready when it's needed. Book your manufacturer-approved Evac+Chair maintenance today, or request a quotation, to help ensure your evacuation equipment remains compliant, reliable and ready for use.
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