In any business it’s important for the safety of your staff, customers and any potential visitors that you adhere to all current health and safety guidelines. It’s equally important that you and your staff, both new and those who have been there for a number of months/years, are kept up to date with all legislation. However, knowing the relevant legislation and what to do in an emergency can be rendered pointless by a poorly cared for piece of safety equipment, which is why here at K5 we’ve provided some useful tips for looking after your evac chair.

Here at K5 we provide a range of evac chairs, including manual and powered chairs, from some of the leading names in the industry. But it doesn’t matter which chair you have, if you haven’t maintained it correctly.

To ensure that your manual evac chair is looked after correctly, here at K5, we’d suggest:

1) Keeping the chair somewhere safe (but within easy reach in case of emergency) to make sure that it doesn’t become damaged during the everyday running of your business

2) Regularly checking to make sure all straps are in working order and safely secured to the chair itself – when doing this, it’s also wise to check the fabric on the main seat

3) Testing the wheels to make sure that they rotate smoothly to prevent any sudden jolts when in use

4) Ensure there are no sharp edges or parts of the frame loose which could cause harm

If your company has a powered evacuation chair, along with the four steps above, it is also important to make sure that the batteries which power it are fully charged.

Should you find any fault with your evac chair whilst carrying out any of the above steps, then it is equally important that instead of hoping you’ll never have to use the chair, you instead contact us here at K5 so that we can provide you with our repair of replacement services.

Ever since their inception, evac chairs have been saving and safeguarding lives across the country. There remains no more effective alternative, and as it’s the building’s operators’ responsibility to ensure everyone is evacuated safely from the onset of an emergency (not the fire service’s), they’re becoming increasingly popular. If you’re responsible for the wellbeing of employees with impaired mobility, it may well be time to look at the chairs available from a specialist like us here at K5. We have provided and continue to supply evacuation chairs and access products (including servicing and training) to businesses from a wide range of industries.

The true value of evacuation chairs becomes strikingly apparent when compared with alternative methods of evacuation. Many businesses claim to have designated refuge areas, selected on the basis of structural specifications within the building. They propose to use these areas as locations in which a disabled employee and a colleague can wait until the emergency services arrive to escort them out safely.

Not only is this method dangerous for both people involved, it’s also not recommended by us here at K5 or the emergency services respectively. Smoke inhalation in the event of some fires can kill within three minutes; showing that waiting an emergency out is simply not a viable option.

Other methods might include using a specially designed fire fighting lift or similar specialist equipment. Unfortunately, in order to use this safely the operator must be properly trained and is required to liaise with the fire service fully regarding its use.
Finally, some companies consider manually lifting employees with a disability in the event of a fire or similar emergency.

Besides the obvious issues surrounding the dignity and well being of those being evacuated, this method is in contravention of health and safety regulations and puts the person doing the lifting at risk. Overall, it’s clear that evac chairs represent the safest, easiest and most dignified solution to the safety of those less able to evacuate a building. To make sure you’re taking your responsibility seriously, please get in touch with our friendly team today.

While most businesses now recognise the vital importance of disabled access in the modern world, some companies overlook ways in which to safeguard those with a disability in certain infrequent situations, such as emergencies. In the event of a fire or similar hazard, it’s very dangerous to make use of regular facilities such as lifts. That’s why an evacuation chair is an essential part of every business’ disabled facilities. Here at K5 we believe that a company’s commitments to equality and diversity shouldn’t cost them a fortune, that’s why we stock such a varied range of evac chairs.

On our website customers will find a catalogue of chairs, including images, specifications and product descriptions which are ideal for choosing the right chair for your premises. We stock specialist equipment for larger individuals, or budget chairs for budding businesses keen to fulfil their obligations towards health and safety.

Evacuations chairs use a diverse range of techniques to help those with a disability escape from a building quickly and safely. Here at K5, we can offer advice regarding the most efficient technology, and customers can choose from single operation, tri wheel, and powered track chairs amongst others.

Businesses actually have a legal responsibility to ensure staff and visitors to their property can be evacuated in a dignified and efficient manner. Therefore, by neglecting to invest in something as useful as an evacuation chair, firms could be leaving themselves susceptible to lawsuits. Our website contains a wealth of downloadable information designed to keep various business types aware of the legal requirements in this area.

Here at K5 we can also offer maintenance and servicing for evacuation equipment in order to help you keep your valued staff and customers safe. For further information regarding an evacuation chair displayed on our website, get in touch with our friendly team, who possess extensive knowledge regarding each and every high quality product we supply.

Current UK legislations require that all people should be evacuated from a building safely and promptly in the event of an emergency such as a fire. Naturally steps and staircases are the route of exit for non-disabled users, but what about the needs of people with disabilities? This is where the efficiency and usability of evacuation chairs is needed the most. An evac chair supplied by K5 has been specifically designed to facilitate the secure and timely evacuation of disabled people or those with walking difficulties.

Traditional methods of escape assume that users are capable of escaping via an emergency exit or staircase. This presumption is inadequate and actually dangerous to those for whom immediate escape is not necessarily an option. In response to legislation many Building Managers have introduced refuge areas, which really fail to ensure the safety of their building’s disabled users. These areas are a short-sighted and short-term solution, and leave people with disabilities vulnerable to harm if there is not a rapid response from the fire services.

Many businesses still believe that the evacuation of people with disabilities is the responsibility of the emergency services, and that further to the provision of refuge areas there is nothing else they can do. This naive mindset puts their disabled employees in danger, and the importance of a comprehensive evacuation strategy in any building cannot be stressed enough.

The installation of an evac chair at a property is essential if the business has workers with disabilities using the building. These safety chairs can be operated by one individual, meaning they are ideal for evacuating disabled people out of building safely and efficiently.

An evac chair should incorporate safety breaks on the rear wheels, a sturdy and resilient framework, supportive seat and advanced belt system for ease of travel and, most pertinently in times of emergency, instant deployment. These features are all consistent with the models supplied by K5, who are committed to ensuring the independence and safety of people with disabilities.