Under the Equality Act 2010, any establishment has a duty to ensure its premises are accessible to people of all abilities. In the entertainment industry across the UK – at cinemas, theatres, music venues and stadiums – it is common to find increasingly improving levels of accessibility for disabled patrons, such as level entrances, lifts, wheelchair spaces and low level counters. There are also a growing number of features that attract disabled visitors too, like infra-red hearing and induction loop systems and sign-language performances, to name a few.
So it stands to reason that such establishments will at any given time be entertaining persons who are disabled. If you are responsible for running an entertainment venue, or for its health and safety, you will probably know that you have a responsibility to ensure people of all abilities can be safely evacuated in the event of an emergency situation arising like a fire, flood or other incident, such as the ceiling collapse at London’s Apollo Theatre in December 2013.
Evacuation Chair Requirements
Evacuation chairs – similar to wheelchairs and fitted with angled skis and a rubber belt and braking system – are used to carry disabled persons to safety in the event of an emergency occurring anywhere above the ground floor. They are also employed when patrons are taken ill or injured, or to transport heavily pregnant women. They are an excellent tool, but simply buying them and having them to hand is just not enough. Operators need to be appointed and correctly trained, and this training needs to be kept up to date regularly.
Evacuation Chair Training
Training can be provided in-venue, so that it is fully tailored to deal with the particular types of scenario that arise. Relevant training is far more engaging and memorable. In-house training is also less disruptive than taking staff out of the workplace. The Evacuation Chair Operator certificate is a half-day in-house course from Alistair Bromhead Ltd that results in competent and confident, certificated evacuation chair operators.
To ensure skills are kept fresh – vital to maintain confidence and competence so that when needed, operators can use the chairs safely and effectively – it is advisable to have a few in-house trainers on your staff. Anyone who has completed the operator certificate course can go on to be trained as a trainer themselves courtesy of the IOSH Evacuation Chair Train the Trainer certificate, also available from Alistair Bromhead Ltd. Alistair is currently touring a cinema chain providing train the trainer to 36 operators, and has previously done so with a theatre chain plus numerous music venues and stadiums.