Evacuation Chairs

An evacuation chair is designed to help safely transport people with reduced mobility during emergency building evacuations, especially where stairs are involved and lifts cannot be used. These chairs allow trained operators to move individuals downstairs in a more controlled and secure manner during situations such as fires or power failures.

Evacuation chairs are widely used as part of emergency evacuation planning in workplaces, healthcare environments, educational buildings and public spaces.

Evacuation chairs are intended for people who may struggle to use stairs independently during an emergency. This may include wheelchair users, people with temporary injuries, individuals with reduced mobility or those who become physically unable to evacuate safely without assistance.

They are also commonly included in Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) to help organisations prepare safer evacuation procedures for staff, residents or visitors who may need additional support.

Many evacuation chairs use tracked systems or specially designed glide mechanisms that help control movement while descending stairs. This allows trained operators to guide the chair down staircases more smoothly and steadily while reducing lifting effort.

Some evacuation chairs are designed for single-person operation, while others may require additional assistance depending on the staircase layout, user weight and evacuation environment.

Most evacuation chairs are designed with folding frames so they can be stored compactly when not in use. Wall-mounted storage brackets are also common, allowing the chair to remain easily accessible while helping keep corridors and escape routes clear.

Lightweight construction and quick-fold mechanisms can help staff deploy the chair more rapidly during emergencies.

Evacuation chairs are commonly used in multi-storey buildings where emergency stair evacuation may be required. This includes offices, hospitals, care homes, schools, hotels, shopping centres and other public or commercial buildings.

They are particularly important in environments where disabled access arrangements and emergency evacuation procedures form part of health and safety planning.

Important factors include staircase type, storage space and user weight capacity. Some evacuation chairs are designed primarily for compact storage and occasional use, while others are intended for frequent deployment in healthcare or high-occupancy environments.

It is also worth considering frame weight, braking systems, stair tracking design and ease of manoeuvrability. Choosing the correct evacuation chair can play an important role in improving emergency preparedness and supporting safer evacuation procedures.