Sector page - Education

In Their Hands Lies the Future - In Yours, Their Safety

Every school day, more than 8.5 million children walk into classrooms across England. They arrive with curiosity in their eyes and the expectation of safety in their hearts. For each pupil, there is a parent or guardian who has handed over something irreplaceable – their trust.

Across the country, there are approximately 16,700 primary schools, 3,500 secondary schools and over 1,000 special schools, with a further 2,300 independent schools supporting diverse learning needs. Add to that over 160 universities serving nearly 3 million students and the scale of responsibility becomes staggering. Within these institutions, more than 500,000 teachers, alongside thousands of support staff, site managers and senior leaders, are entrusted with far more than academic outcomes, they are responsible for lives.

These environments are designed to inspire learning and nurture growth, but behind the scenes, the foundations of every educational setting must be built on safety and preparedness. Because when the unexpected happens; a fire alarm, a power outage or a lift failure, the ability to evacuate everyone safely becomes the single most important task.

This is especially critical for those who may face barriers to evacuation. Children and young people with disabilities, temporary injuries, chronic health conditions or sensory sensitivities may be unable to evacuate unassisted. Staff and visitors with mobility challenges or who are unfamiliar with the building, may find themselves stranded during an emergency. And in special schools, where many pupils require constant supervision or support, the risks are magnified even further.

In these moments, it’s not enough to have good intentions. You must have a plan.

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 places a clear legal duty on education providers to protect all individuals on site – not only staff, but pupils and visitors too. This is supported by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which require educational settings to carry out risk assessments and put suitable measures in place to manage those risks. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, updated by the Fire Safety Act 2021, as well as more recent updates, mandates that the ‘responsible person’, typically a headteacher, site manager or governing body, must ensure there are appropriate fire safety systems and suitable evacuation provisions in place.

Moreover, the Equality Act 2010 requires schools, colleges, and universities to make reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities, including the provision of Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and any necessary aids, such as evacuation chairs. This is not an optional extra, it is a legal and moral obligation.

Inadequate planning or failure to act can result in more than regulatory breach, it can lead to avoidable tragedy.

At Evac+Chair, we believe that no pupil should be left behind in a crisis. No teacher should be left to choose between helping one student or another. And no school leader should ever have to ask themselves, “What could we have done differently?”

Preparedness saves lives. Responsibility begins now.

Because Their Safety Is in Your Hands

Pupils and Families Rely on You to Safeguard Them

Education is more than teaching. It is care, protection and the promise of safety.

Every student who walks through your gates trusts you to keep them safe – not only in the classroom but in every corridor, stairwell, and emergency. As the education sector supports a more diverse population, including children with complex medical needs, mobility impairments, and learning differences, that responsibility becomes both more complex and more vital.

The care and safeguarding of children is not a box to tick; it’s a commitment that lives at the heart of your school or university. It means ensuring everyone, regardless of their abilities, can evacuate safely and with dignity when the time comes.

The Children Acts of 1989 and 2004 affirm the duty to prioritise the welfare of children. The Equality Act 2010 mandates reasonable adjustments for disabled students, staff and visitors, including emergency planning. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, updated by the Fire Safety Act 2021 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations place legal obligations on leadership teams to prepare for evacuation scenarios and to provide safe means of escape for all individuals.

In short: if someone cannot self-evacuate, you are responsible for ensuring they are not left behind.

An evacuation chair is not just a piece of equipment; it is a critical lifeline. It allows your team to act swiftly, calmly and safely during a crisis. It gives reassurance to parents and carers that their child won’t be forgotten or abandoned. And it provides your school with peace of mind, knowing that your evacuation plan meets the required standard of compliance and care ensures that every student is protected, no matter the circumstance

At Evac+Chair, we support schools, colleges, and universities in fulfilling their legal and moral responsibilities. Our expertly engineered Evac+Chairs, built to the highest quality standards, are designed to meet a range of mobility and support needs when used in conjunction with the ProMove Sling; a portable device that enables you to lift and transfer passengers into an Evac+Chair.

We offer training to ensure operators are confident and competent in the use of the Evac+Chair – vital in an emergency when speed is essential. Additionally, our regular maintenance services ensure your Evac+Chair remains fully operational and ensures you stay compliant with PUWER 1998.

This is about protecting more than regulations. This is about protecting futures.