SubscribeThe Evac+Chair is designed to allow an adequate means of escape for all visitors and staff during an emergency situation.
Operated by just a single able-bodied individual, the chair enables anyone with restricted movement to be moved down stairs and out of the facility in a fast and efficient manner. But the Evac+Chair is not just a safety product which an employer can buy to show compliance. It is both a tool and a service. "Employers are beginning to realise the value of the service we offer," says Barry Scholes, Managing Director of Evac+Chair International Ltd.
"We aren't just manufacturing and supplying a product; we're providing a service to our customers." One aspect of this service is the annual maintenance contract, known as Servicare, provided by Evac+Chair International, which helps to remove some of the administrative burden from employers. The company will diarise your maintenance requirements and visit your offices once a year to give your chair a complete and thorough service, and currently services over 6,000 chairs a year.
However, the product will only fulfil its potential if staff know how to use the chair correctly and safely, and feel confident in their ability to do so. In order to address this issue, Evac+Chair International offers certificated competency training, confirming that individuals are capable of using the chair in an emergency situation. This basic level training qualifies the employee to be known as a 'dedicated escort', and involves two hours of hands-on training in the practicalities of using Evac+Chair.
Employees can be trained and assessed in groups of up to four people, and those who successfully complete the course receive a certificate proving their competency with the chairs. Scholes explained, "In facilities, you already have first aiders and fire marshals for staffs to turn to in an emergency.
But if there is an emergency, companies don't want to tie up their first aiders with assisting evacuations and security guards are often based on lower levels so are not available to readily help on upper levels. We are trying to establish a new role called dedicated escorts, who will help those with mobility problems to use the Evac+Chairs."
Evac+Chair International also offers a higher level of training for 'Key Trainers'. An employee who has received this training is entitled to train other employees in turn. This can be a useful method of sharing information for larger organizations which are based across several sites - a large high street retail store, for example, put 16 people through this training course so that information could be shared across each of its branches.
Key Trainers are validated for a period of two years, and need to be retrained every two years to ensure their skills and knowledge remain up to date. Where possible, training is carried out on site, though it can be arranged at a nearby hotel if this is preferred. However, it makes sense for employees to learn to use the equipment on their own stairs, if this can be arranged.
Evac+Chair International is dedicated to providing a holistic solution to building and facility evacuation through its after sales service and training.
Contact details
Evac+Chair International Ltd
+44 (0)121-706-6744
info@evacchair.co.uk
www.evacchair.co.uk
