White paper exposes alarming gaps in residential fire safety plans
Leading evacuation equipment manufacturer, Evac+Chair, has warned cursory residential fire safety plans could put vulnerable people at risk.
In their new A Safe Exit for All white paper, the company examines the risk of relying solely on the Stay Put strategy, which advises residents unaffected by fire or smoke to remain in their flats.
English Housing Survey research shows 59% of social-rented households include at least one person with a long-term illness or disability, who could be at higher risk if containment fails, conditions deteriorate or the strategy becomes unsafe.
Evac+Chair’s white paper argues that multi-faceted building-specific plans must be in place, which also factor in the introduction of Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (RPEEPs) that came into force from this April, requiring identification and preparation for individuals who may need help evacuating.
The company’s research uncovers a large gap between the understanding and application of this legislation, with most senior housing, property, and care professionals they interviewed rating their knowledge at between five and seven out of ten. One Senior Property Manager rated their confidence in translating obligations into real-life action at just two out of ten.
Incomplete resident information, inconsistent assessment standards, building constraints, and uncertainty around responsibility, staffing, training, and equipment have been identified as key barriers, with the paper warning that identifying someone’s needs via an RPEEP achieves very little without the practical capability to support them.
Concerns are particularly acute across care environments, with separate Evac+Chair research conducted with Care Home Magazine reporting that 78% of professionals only considered Stay Put to be appropriate ‘sometimes’ or ‘rarely’ in cases where residents have mobility or cognitive impairments. Overall, 79% believed its use in care homes should be reconsidered.
Summarising the whitepaper’s findings, Claire Blakemore, Managing Director of Evac+Chair, said:
“Stay Put may be an appropriate Plan A, but no resident should be left without another way out if the conditions supporting it crumble. RPEEPs are a significant step forward. However, they must now be backed by realistic procedures, trained people, and appropriate equipment, to ensure plan B works when lives are at risk”.
Founded in 1982, Birmingham-based Evac+Chair pioneered the original evacuation chair. Its equipment, training, and support now help organisations in more than 70 countries evacuate people with mobility challenges safely and with dignity.
This latest publication follows the company’s award-winning Risky Business whitepaper, which raised national awareness of gaps in inclusive workplace evacuation planning.
To learn more, please download a copy of A Safe Exit for All here.