Evacuation of disabled persons

[Carnforth Ranger]

I have to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment in a first floor tea-room. They have a stair-lift in a very wide (central handrail) protected stairwell. My thoughts are that, if frail people can access the tea-room via the stair-lift, they may not be able to evacuate without assistance. That is assuming that the stairlift cannot be used to take them back down.
Thinking ahead, and referring to the RRFSO guide "Means of Escape for Disabled People", I am considering puting in the following as actions:

1. Post a sign at the bottom of the stair-lift along the lines of "Fire Safety - We provide assisted evacuation in the event of a fire - please inform a member of staff if you would require assistance to get back down the stairs"
2. Prepare "standard plans" (based on the matrix) - I'm thinking that there will be at least 3 plans - 7,13 & 14
3. Train staff in "disability evacuation etiquette training" and in the use of whatever evacuation chair they provide
4. Provide an evacuation chair to facilitate carry-down

Am I going OTT ?

[nearlythere]

I have to carry out a Fire Risk Assessment in a first floor tea-room. They have a stair-lift in a very wide (central handrail) protected stairwell. My thoughts are that, if frail people can access the tea-room via the stair-lift, they may not be able to evacuate without assistance. That is assuming that the stairlift cannot be used to take them back down.
Thinking ahead, and referring to the RRFSO guide "Means of Escape for Disabled People", I am considering puting in the following as actions:

1. Post a sign at the bottom of the stair-lift along the lines of "Fire Safety - We provide assisted evacuation in the event of a fire - please inform a member of staff if you would require assistance to get back down the stairs"
2. Prepare "standard plans" (based on the matrix) - I'm thinking that there will be at least 3 plans - 7,13 & 14
3. Train staff in "disability evacuation etiquette training" and in the use of whatever evacuation chair they provide
4. Provide an evacuation chair to facilitate carry-down

Am I going OTT ?

No. This is what it should be like as the norm. In the end it is all down to good staff training and a well practiced evacuation strategy.
I take it the stairway serving the tea room is enclosed to 1/2hr fr and sc doors?

[Carnforth Ranger]

Thanks nearlythere - yes the stairway is 1/2hr fr with sc doors. This leads to a hallway on the first with various sc doors off it - one is the tea-room. There is a secondary means of escape along corridors to a spiral external stairway. As disabled persons could not escape (or be easioly carried down) this route, I'm going to risk assess assuming that the main route is the only means of escape from the tea-room.

[afterburner]

The only flaw is the assumption that the disabled person can read or can read English (assuming you're publishing posted sign in English only). is it possible / likely / forseeable that the tea-room could attract customers who cannot read, or cannot read English?
There is no easy Pictogram route out of this that I am aware of.
Nor, am I for one second, proposing a sign the size of billboard with every language known to mankind repeating the message, but the possibility of a sign being missed / misunderstood could throw your strategy into disarray.
as for being OTT, no, I don't think so, you're facing the normal fire safety problem that access does not always = egress especially for persons who require assistance to use the egress route.

[kurnal]

Carnforth ranger all that you and other posters suggest is absolutely right and best advice. But as it sounds like a stair climbing lift, it may be a good idea just to evaluate the profile of the persons likely to use it to gain access to the tea room.   You suggest provision of an evacuation chair- but on the other hand the tea room is unlikely to attract wheelchair users- due to the need to transfer to use the lift. So presumably the clients using the stair lift will be ambulant enough to walk  once they reach the head of the stairs? If so maybe they could be assisted to walk down the stairs after most other clients have left?

[Carnforth Ranger]

Thanks for the replies guys.
Sign - as the first interaction with staff is on the first floor, I feel that the sign is required - better to let people know that , although they may go up in the chair-lift, they may have to come back down the stairs on foot (in the event of a fire). Not sure about different languages or pictogram though - I suppose that training the staff to ensure those who need help to evacuate are given that help is the more important control measure.

Evacuation chair - good point kurnal. I'll discuss the typical customer profile with my client before committing them to an evacuation chair.