Evacuation Chairs

Evacuation Chairs- What You Need To Know

What is an evacuation chair?

Evacuation chairs are specifically designed to provide safe, efficient and comfortable relief in evacuating individuals with hampered mobility in emergency egress situations such as fires or similar rescues. Equipped with wheels and restraining harnesses, these devices are fitted with equipment to ensure that individuals do not fall out during swift transits.

Wheels fitted to evacuation chairs are vital to provide mobility aid

Many chairs are supplied with protective storage covers

A simple patient harness, fitted to an evacuation chair

Evacuation chairs often fold flat for compact storage

There are different designs for different situations and specific setups. They are also known as fire, disabled or emergency evac chairs. Some require only an individual operator, while others may require more to safely control.

An evac chair improves workplace safety by helping a diverse range of people to evacuate from dangerous situations, not just those with a mobility issue. These include people with injuries and disabilities, pregnancies and medical conditions.

Seton’s team of dedicated experts considered all designs and functionalities. As such, we stock top-quality evacuation chairs for every eventuality. Need advice? Contact our team today.

A fire evacuation chair is made from robust, lightweight materials to ensure strength while facilitating optimal manoeuvrability. On level surfaces, they work like normal wheelchairs.

When ascending or descending stairs, attached tracks create a bridge between the lightweight stair evacuation device and the stairwell. This reduces descent speeds for safe and controlled evacuations. You can easily fold an ambulance evac chair and store it against a wall or specifically designed unit.

For example, our extensive range includes the EV 4000 Evacuation Chair with head support and cross-body straps. Its lightweight construction makes it possible for a single person to comfortably handle and manipulate the emergency escape equipment while keeping the person requiring assistance safely in place.

If you’re looking for a saving on the evacuation chair price, you’ll be delighted with Seton’s promotional offers. These include the legally required guidance signs for your establishment, such as labels indicating where your evac support is located.

It is important to note that the operators of these devices need detailed training, which includes a theoretical and practical component. So, when budgeting for this vital equipment measure, you should also consider the training of trainers and operators. At Seton, we offer tailor-made evacuation chair training and servicing packages, filled with expert advice and legally-compliant guidance to suit your needs.

Are evacuation chairs a legal requirement?

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) includes the need for evacuation chairs in any multi-occupied building under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Although this regulation does not specifically refer to such apparatus as a legal obligation, it does prescribe the evaluation of risks and the implementation of mitigating relief measures.

Conducting an assessment forms part of the evacuation regulations of the HSE. These evacuation chair regulations include the comprehensive assessment of buildings and occupants, which extend to visitors to the premises.

In your risk assessment, you may identify a need for specialist storage or compact escape equipment design. For example, some staircases are difficult to navigate and require additional measures or an advanced emergency evac chair such as the EV 8000 Powered Stair Climber. This power-assisted stairs evacuation chair moves up and down stairwells using innovative power-climb technology.

Its user-friendly control panel features simple on and off switches for quick operations. This fire evacuation chair also comes with a lithium-ion battery pack to ensure that it works during power outages. This device is suitable for use by a single or multiple operators.

How many evacuation chairs do I need?

Deciding on the number of medical evacuation chairs goes hand in hand with your legally required risk assessment and counteractions. Some setups require one or more powered evacuation chairs to navigate tricky stairwells, while others can make do with a single simpler design.

Take a look at our calculator below for advice on how many emergency escape chairs you may need.

Generally, one medical evacuation chair is required per floor to provide relief for one person. This means that a multi-storey environment needs at least one patient evacuation chair per floor. It is also important to consider the evac chair weight limit, as well as storage options, when acquiring your escape relief products.

Seton’s EV4000 Evacuation Chair and Signage Kits offer a comprehensive solution for your buildings. Our experts carefully selected the necessary signage that must accompany an evac chair for disabled people. These labels include refuge assembly point signs and fire action instructions.

Where do I station my evacuation chairs?

Place your evacuation chairs in logical and appropriate areas. Make sure that you consider the requisite fire safety levels, the layout of the building, and the individual needs of occupants. You should compile and keep this information in your Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).

The evacuation chair serves as a supplement to your evacuation plan and is not a replacement for it. You must include regular evacuation chair training as part of your evacuation training during activities such as fire drills. Properly preparing for such scenarios will form a key part of your obligations in caring for the health and wellbeing of staff and visitors, to your premises.

Ensure that your evacuation chairs are accessible in emergencies. The method of their storage should not cause them to be in the way during normal operations. A bulky chair standing about can cause accidents. Many of the evacuation chairs in our range fold flat, and include covers, to allow for proper storage when not in use.

Product	Size (cm)	Weight	Capacity	Image
EV4000 Evacuation Chair	124 x 57 x 26.5	14.3kg	200kg
EV5000 Evacuation Chair	110 x 57 x 26.5	21kg	158kg
EV7000 Evacuation Chair	124 x 57 x 26.5	14kg	250kg
EV8000 Powered Stair Climber	116 x 57 x 32	33kg	159kg
Code Red Evacuation Chair	136 x 52 x 90	12kg	159kg
Code Red Transit Chair	95 x 46 x 9	7kg	195kg

Our Code Red Evacuation Chair complies with HSE and fire safety regulations. One operator can easily manage the chair while ensuring quick and safe evacuation of mobility reduced persons. Adjustable restraints tighten to fit the patient and a headrest promotes a smooth transit. The robust aluminium alloy construction is lightweight to assist with easy handling. You can easily store the chair when not in use thanks to the included compact wall-mounting bracket and cover.

Seton’s Emergency Transit Chair is ideal for places where larger devices such as trolleys or stretchers cannot be manoeuvred. It has a sturdy and reliable chrome-plated tubular frame and is specifically designed to facilitate easy portability. This transit chair also comes with a fire-retardant and anti-bacterial removable PVC cover to improve hygiene and maintain user health.

The EV7000 Evacuation Chair comes with a high weight capacity and sturdy design, which makes it ideal to transport and provide relief in evacuating bariatric patients. This evacuation chair features reinforced adjustable tracks for safe journeys down stairwells.

When transporting such individuals, a single operator will not be sufficient. Which is why this device provides room for up to four operators for added comfort and control. A four-point harness secures individuals during transport to prevent accidents. The EV7000 has an adjustable padded seat and head restraint with an immobilisation strap for added patient support. Industrial locking wheels ensure complete control at all times.

No building, whether a multi-occupier residential complex, industrial warehouse or commercial shopping centre, can go without an evacuation chair. It is an important safety measure and legally-required piece of rescue relief equipment.

Our team of professionals source only the best HSE-compliant evacuation chairs. These include options for different buildings and demographic compositions. You can be assured that Seton has something that suits your needs and price range. Feel free to approach us for advice on the best solution for you and your building.