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Six Town Housing
FS 10b - Guidance on Preparing a PEEP
Preparing a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
1.
AIM
1.1. The aim of a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is to provide people who
cannot get themselves out of a building unaided with the necessary information to be
able to manage their escape. It also gives the services concerned the necessary
information to ensure that the correct level of assistance is always available.
2.
RESPONSIBILITIES
2.1. It is the responsibility of the line manager to talk to disabled staff and identify whether
any assistance will be required in the event of an emergency evacuation. If a
member of staff requires assistance the Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Questionnaire (FS 10a) should be completed. The disabled person should complete
this with appropriate support from their Line Manager and, if necessary, from the
Health & Safety Advisor.
3.
WRITING THE PEEP
3.1. From the information gathered in the questionnaire and using the template (FS 10), a
Personal Emergency Egress Plan (PEEP) should be formulated. Advice and support
for writing the PEEP is available on the health and safety pages of the Six Town
Housing intranet.
3.2. Given the unique characteristics of buildings and the need for a PEEP to take
account of the building’s capabilities, disabled persons who regularly use different
buildings may have to have a separate PEEP for each building.
3.3. If assistance with escape is required, the extent of such assistance should be
identified in the PEEP i.e. the number of assistants and the methods to be used.
These assistants may require specialist training, in which case the Health & Safety
Advisor should be contacted.
4.
EVACUATION IN AN EMERGENCY
4.1. Mobility Impaired Persons
4.2. Where people with disabilities, particularly mobility impairments, are located above
ground floor level there are a number of considerations. In all the following issues the
Health & Safety Advisor will be able to give more advice and assistance.
4.2.1. Refuges - A refuge is a designated space where disabled people can safely wait
for assistance. It is an area that is both separated from a fire by fire resisting
construction and provides a safe route to a final exit e.g. the head of a protected
stairway - where there is sufficient space. The provision of a refuge will permit a
staged evacuation to be implemented. A refuge area must be clearly signed and
should be of sufficient size to accommodate both the people using it as a refuge and
anybody passing through it or alongside it on their way out of the building.
More modern buildings, such as the 6 Knowsley Place building, often have
designated Refuge areas on the stairway landings of each floor above Ground Floor
August 2015
Review by August 2018
1
Six Town Housing
FS 10b - Guidance on Preparing a PEEP
level. These areas are signed, often have intercom communication systems fitted
(as at 6 Knowsley Place) and always have an enhanced level of fire protection to
allow plenty of time to evacuate anybody who is waiting in them.
It is unlikely, because of the higher level of fire stop and compartmentation
separation construction needed, that a Refuge could be created in a building where
one did not exist previously. The Health & Safety Advisor will be able to provide
further advice and guidance on the issue of Refuges.
Where Refuges exist they must be covered in the building Fire Risk Assessment
and a defined Emergency Evacuation Plan must clearly detail how people will be
evacuated from Refuge areas.
It is the responsibility of the employing Department or the Department that the
person is visiting in the case of disable visitors, to ensure that people are evacuated
safely from Refuges. The Fire & Rescue Service does not guarantee to evacuate
people left in Refuge areas. The approach of Six Town Housing therefore is to
evacuate disabled employees and visitors located above Ground Floor level to a
Refuge while the rest of the building evacuates in the usual way. Once all able
bodied employees, contractors and visitors have evacuated the building the
disabled persons designated helper(s) can attend the Refuge (travelling against the
normal evacuation direction if necessary) and can assist the person to evacuate
safely. This may involve the use of an Evac Chair or other strategy.
4.2.2. Lifts – Most lifts cannot be used in an emergency. Any lift used for the evacuation of
disabled people should be designated as either a “fire-fighting lift” or an “evacuation
lift.”
If you believe that there is a suitable lift in your building the Health & Safety Advisor
can advise on the correct procedure for using the lift as an evacuation lift and will
also advise on the signage and training required.
4.2.3. Evac-Chairs – These can be used to assist disabled people downstairs and are
provided in some buildings. Each wheelchair using or mobility impaired disabled
member of staff should be given the opportunity to have an Evac-Chair located
adjacent to their place of work. Evac-Chairs are also provided in some buildings for
the evacuation of visitors. Staff who volunteer to act as Evac-Chair operators and
agree to assist mobility impaired people out of the building in an emergency must
receive full training in the use of the chair and practice its use regularly.
4.3. Deaf and Hearing Impaired persons
4.3.1. Generally, most deaf people working alongside hearing colleagues will not require
special equipment, providing they have been made aware of what to do in the event
of a fire or other emergency. They will be able to see and understand the behaviour
of those around them.
4.3.2. However, deaf or hearing impaired persons working alone may need an alternative
method of being alerted to an emergency. For example many alarm systems have
visual indicators in the form of a flashing light. Vibrating pager systems can also be
used. If additional equipment is required then please consult with the Health &
Safety Advisor.
August 2015
Review by August 2018
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Six Town Housing
FS 10b - Guidance on Preparing a PEEP
4.4. Visually Impaired Persons
4.4.1. Where applicable, staff should be offered orientation training. This must include
alternative ways out of the building. If a visually impaired person uses a guide dog it
is important that the dog is also given ample opportunity to learn these routes.
4.5. Safe Routes
4.5.1. A PEEP should contain details of the escape route(s) the disabled person will be
expected to use. Clear unobstructed walkways and floor layouts should be
considered at this planning stage.
4.5.2. It is especially important to ensure that locks, doors and other devices are all easily
operated by the evacuating person(s). It is illegal to have an emergency exit door
that requires a key to unlock it.
4.5.3. Whenever possible alternative means of escape routes should be considered and
provided. Escape route travel distances (to places of safety or relative safety) must
not be excessively long. It is very important to ensure that escape routes are kept
clear of obstructions, significant sources of ignition and build ups of combustible
materials.
5.
Training
5.1. Any evacuation plan relies on the ability of staff to respond effectively. Staff will
therefore receive instructions, practical demonstrations and training appropriate to
their responsibilities. Emergency Evacuation Plans must be practised regularly.
5.2. Details of training available and further advice is available from the Health & Safety
Advisor.
August 2015
Review by August 2018
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