The National Disability Authority (NDA) has launched an important new publication entitled ‘Promoting Safe Egress and Evacuation for People with Disabilities’. The publication is aimed at ensuring the speedy and safe evacuation of public buildings by people with a disability, particularly in the event of an emergency.
The Chairperson of the NDA, Dr. Angela Kerins commented: “ensuring safe egress in an emergency is a complex issue requiring consideration of a broad range of factors, including the design and usage of a building, the training of staff and the provision of appropriate equipment and facilities.
“Those responsible for buildings must ensure safe egress for all and this requires consideration of the needs of everyone using the building, particularly the specific requirements of people with disabilities,” she said.
This publication will be of special interest to facilities managers, accommodation officers, health and safety personnel, access officers, disability liaison officers and human resource professionals in the public sector. It will also be of interest to design consultants and disability organisations involved with accessibility matters as well as people with disabilities, families and carers.
This important guide will assist organisations to plan effectively for the safe evacuation of people with disabilities, both staff and customers. Readers will find information on evacuation strategies, alarm equipment, evacuation equipment, training and specific building types, including healthcare buildings, educational buildings and heritage buildings.
It also provides details of an appropriate planning process to ensure that people with disabilities can safely evacuate a building in case of emergency. There is a practical ‘risk assessment checklist’ to help organisations to assess their current situation.
