Product Warranties are No Substitute for Training and Servicing Warns Evac+Chair

Evac+Chair International has launched an awareness campaign to highlight the importance of training and servicing in the emergency evacuation equipment market.

Speaking about the issue, Mark Wallace said, “It is an increasingly common misconception that purchasing an emergency evacuation chair with a long product warranty is enough to comply with health and safety regulations.”

He warned, “ Simply purchasing the equipment, regardless of the length of product warranty is no longer adequate. Training and servicing of the equipment is now just as important under regulations such as the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), and this is the message we are keen to communicate to ensure business owners are fully protected.”

PUWER for example states that work equipment must be suitable for use, and for the purpose and conditions in which it is used; maintained in a safe condition for use so that people’s health and safety is not at risk; and inspected in certain circumstances to ensure that it is, and continues to be safe for use. It says ‘software’ measures should also be taken such as providing adequate information, instruction and training for the particular equipment. These points are also emphasised in the Disability Discrimination Act and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

As a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of emergency evacuation chairs for the mobility impaired, Evac+Chair offers customers various training options and a nationwide inspection and evacuation chair maintenance service as part of its comprehensive aftersales support.

There is a practical short course for employees willing to learn the simple techniques. Carried out where possible on-site, it involves 2½ hours of hands-on certified training and assessment for groups of up to four individuals.

For medium to larger organisations, a higher level of training is provided. An employee who receives the Key Trainer Masterclass© course is then entitled to train other employees in turn. This makes it a useful and cost-effective method of sharing information within organisations, which are often multi-site. Evac+Chair International now has four experienced training staff who carry out numerous training courses nationally.

This one-stop shop approach makes it easy for clients to fully comply with regulations, giving total peace of mind.