SCC Health and Safety Manual
Guidance
HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
PERSONAL EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLANS (PEEP’s)
1
Guidance
2
Example Peep
3
Peep Proforma
4. County Hall visitors
PEEP
Introduction
A PEEP is a record of the arrangements needed to accommodate and evacuate a person with
disabilities within a particular building. It must be designed around the needs of the individual
taking into account their limitations and abilities, together with the physical features and general
emergency procedures of the building or site where they work.
It is the responsibility of the manager of the person with disabilities to produce the PEEP before
the individual is admitted or assigned to a workplace. Professional assistance is available
through CHSU and other services of SCC.
Each person and each building is different. There is no expectation that a PEEP, which is
adequate for one individual or workplace, will be suitable for any other. See also the note on
arrangements for casual visitors, contract and temporary staff
This document has been written in conjunction with the Physical Impairment Medical
Support Team (PIMST).
1. Scope and purpose of this document
This guidance:
 Provides guidance for managers/Headteachers and
SENCO’s on the measures necessary to ensure that
persons with disabilities can be safely evacuated from
premises, and can therefore safely occupy them.
 Provides guidance for preparing a PEEP for individuals
 Provides guidance for staff to assist persons with
disabilities to evacuate safely from premises
 Provides guidance for a person with a disability so that
they know how to react to a fire situation and the support
that will be given them
 Provides guidance on Standard Emergency Evacuation
Plans
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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Issue date:
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Guidance
HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
It does not cover:
 Large scale events to which members of the public can attend (which should be
approached under licensing arrangements) or
 The care plan for individual service users.
Guidance on preparing a PEEP
A PEEP must bring together and take into account information about the following:
Individual - A PEEP must always be designed around the individual needs of a person i.e. their
abilities and limitations. It is imperative that the individual is involved in the development of the
plan so that their needs are understood.
All impairments can put a person at higher risk, but the highest risks are where
o The person is on a floor other than the ground floor (or where there are changes in levels
by steps)
o The building has no fire evacuation lift
o The person cannot independently transfer to an evacuation chair to facilitate their
evacuation by stair
Location – Any features of the buildings, which may restrict emergency evacuation, should be
identified. Given that a PEEP will be designed around the needs of an individual as they relate
to a particular building, it follows that a PEEP will apply to only one building – if the person uses
other buildings, then additional PEEP’s should be prepared for use of other buildings.

Exit routes, including doors, must be of adequate width to take the person and any wheel
chair they use.

The travel distance for persons with disabilities to a final exit or safe place must not exceed
18 metres where there is travel in a single direction, or 45 metres where there is more than
one direction.
Awareness of all staff - Employers are legally required to communicate details of emergency
arrangements to staff. A PEEP is an effective method of ensuring that a procedure becomes
practice. In providing a PEEP, there is also a need to ensure that the information is delivered in
the most appropriate medium, (written, audio, Braille) which meets the needs of the disabled
person.
Any line manager or Head Teacher that develops a PEEP, either temporary or permanent,
should inform the Premises Manager for the site, for someone working in County Hall they
should inform the Facilities Services Manager – Soft FM.
EVACUATION STRATEGY FOR PERSON WITH DISABILITIES
The design and planning of a building is usually based on an assumption that the occupants of
the building can escape unaided. However, some disabled people, particularly those with
restricted mobility or impaired vision or those with learning difficulties, may need assistance in
order to escape in the event of fire.
Staff with premises responsibilities must ensure that in all SCC premises there are pre-planned
and effective procedures to assist disabled people and should plan accordingly.
They should anticipate these needs both in the design of a building and in the way it is
managed.
The fundamental strategy for evacuating disabled people usually involves two stages –
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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Guidance
HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan

Movement initially to a place of temporary safety (a refuge or designated lift lobby)

Assisted escape to the outside of the building.
Disabled people cannot be left in refuges until rescued by the fire brigade.
Although the fire brigade may take-over this task during the
course of the evacuation, you are responsible for the safe
evacuation for the disabled person from the building.
People requiring assistance in order to escape are not
restricted to those who are wheelchair users or whose mobility
is otherwise impaired. The evacuation needs of visually
impaired and deaf people also need to be considered.
Disabilities to be considered include
a.
Mobility impaired person
b.
Sensory impaired persons
c.
Persons with mental health issues
d.
The very elderly or very young
e.
Autism or other Sensory or Communication difficulties
A disabled person's needs for assistance should be assessed by the direct line manager in
liaison with the facilities manager.
A personal evacuation plan should be established in consultation with the disabled person and
will need to be constantly reviewed, taking into account changes of:

A person's level of impairment

The level of assigned assistance

Their working environment

Their timetable
Remember that personal manual handling needs assessments must be reviewed annually and
the PEEP is best reviewed at the same time.
Suitable arrangements should also be made for disabled visitors, so that they can be assisted
as appropriate. It is the responsibility of the disabled person's host to ensure that adequate
arrangements are made. For County Hall, all non-ambulant persons will be seen on the ground
floor. A standard PEEP for visitors to County Hall is available in all reception areas.
Premises features and other special facilities
Lifts
The only lifts that may be used for evacuation purposes are those, which are specially designed
to evacuate disabled people. These need duplicate power supplies as well as special controls
and communications systems. Normal passenger lifts are not suitable for this purpose without
adaptation.
Issued by:
Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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Guidance
HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
There are no fire evacuation lifts in any of this Council’s premises with the
consequence that lifts must not be used for fire evacuations in any SCC
premises.
Therefore other techniques will needed to move mobility-impaired people up
or down at least certain staircases in multi-storey premises if they are to be
accommodated.
Refuges
Refuges are temporary places of safety for person with disabilities, where they can wait for
assistance. They need to be areas enclosed with fire resisting construction. It is usually possible
to designate existing areas, such as evacuation lift lobbies, staircase lobbies or stair landings,
as refuges provided there is sufficient room to accommodate a wheelchair user without
obstructing any escape route for others. The advice of the Council’s fire risk assessor must be
taken.
On each floor, there should be a refuge for each escape staircase that is intended as a means
of escape for person with disabilities.
Refuges should be clearly indicated by appropriate fire safety signs in white letters on a green
background. Refuges in lobbies or staircases should also be signed 'Refuge keep clear'. The
sign should be circular in shape with white letters on a blue background.
Communications
Two-way communication facilities will be needed between refuges and the person managing the
evacuation. Ideally, these should comply with BS 5839-9, but, in any case, they should be
reliable. Mobile phones, walkie-talkies or pagers are often used as two-way communication
systems. These systems must be charged, turned on at all times, and staff need to know how to
use the systems. A charging log is helpful, alongside spot checks to see if the process is
working.
Evacuation chairs
Special evacuation chairs allow suitably trained staff to assist persons with disabilities to
negotiate staircases. Evacuation chairs are likely to be needed in buildings in which there are no
evacuation lifts and the person cannot use stairs unaided.
It should be noted that the transfer of a person from a wheelchair to an evacuation chair should
not be regarded as a desirable strategy for evacuation of mobility-impaired people.
The individual disabled person should be asked as to their views about evacuation. In
formulating a Personal Evacuation Plan, an assessment of all risks to all persons involved in the
operation should be undertaken before a decision is made.
Framework for preparing a PEEP
1.
Identify all persons with a disability who will be your responsibility, and any consequences
of impairments.
2.
Identify all locations in the premises that may be used by persons with disabilities.
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
3.
Check all evacuation routes that they may need to use to make sure that they can use
them.
4.
Identify any special features or facilities needed by a person with disabilities.
5.
Identify sufficient persons to assist a person with disabilities and see that they receive the
necessary training for this role.
6.
Ensure the person with disabilities knows what they should do in the event of fire and the
assistance they can expect.
7.
Ensure the Premises Manager for the site and for someone working in County Hall the
Facilities Services manger – Soft FM should be informed of the content of the PEEP, either
temporary or permanent.
8.
Review and keep the PEEP up to date.
EXISTING ADVICE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN PREPARING A PEEP
DDA access surveys by SCC
A programme of surveys of SCC premises is underway to identify any
features or modifications needed to allow person with disabilities to
have access to Council services. Although different in purpose from
identifying emergency evacuation features, these will help simplify
PEEPS where there is only to be use of ground floors of premises or
where there are no changes in levels.
Fire risk assessments by SCC of premises
An assessment of fire risks has been made of all SCC premises and a copy provided for each
establishment manager. These include reference to premises related issues for person with
disabilities, but will not deal with the needs of individual persons.
Advice from Education Support Services or employment advisors
Education Support Services may set out advice in respect of pupils’ disabilities to allow their
admission to schools, but are not able to give detailed comment on premises.
Disability rights advisors may advise or have requirements regarding working conditions for
individual employees.
Principles of Evacuation sequences:
1.
Evacuation from ground floor or where there are no changes in level
On hearing the alarm the person should move or be assisted to the nearest exit.
2.
Evacuations from buildings without evacuation lifts
The sequence should be
1.
On hearing the alarm, a person with a disability should move or be assisted to the nearest
refuge
2.
Persons delegated to assisting the person with a disability should immediately make their
way to the refuge. They should then assist the person down the stairway towards the final
exit when it is safe.
Issued by:
Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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Guidance
3.
HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Evacuations from buildings provided with evacuation lifts
An evacuation lift is a specially designed lift that can continue to operate safely when there is a
fire in the building under the control of an authorised person. It should always be available as a
passenger lift and not one used for transporting goods. It should be associated with a refuge
and be clearly identified by appropriate fire safety signs.
The evacuation sequence should be:
1. Person with disabilities move or are assisted to the lift lobby to await the lift.
2. The designated lift operator collects the person with a disability and takes them to the
final exit level.
3. If the lift lobby becomes untenable before the lift arrives.
1.
The person with a disability moves to positions outside the door to the stairway in
a compartment not yet affected by fire, to await assistance to move to a lower
floor.
2.
The person with a disability awaits the lift at a lower level, or if the lift has failed or
is unsafe to use, continues progressive movement down the stairway to the final
exit.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The manager of the person with disabilities or Head Teacher should undertake an
assessment to determine the requirements for the evacuation of disabled people and
produce a PEEP, which should consider:
 The number and distribution of mobility-impaired people.
 The number and distribution of staircases that are taken into account in the
disabled evacuation strategy.
 Any need for evacuation chairs, their number and location should be considered as
part of the assessment.

Depending upon the assessment of an individual’s needs, trained helper(s) may
need to be appointed to assist the person in escaping from the building. In the
case of visually impaired and deaf people, this alone may be all that is required to
facilitate safe escape. However, it is important to cater for the situations in which
the helper is absent.

Staff to assist, where necessary, in the evacuation of disabled people up or down
stairs. These staff may well be helpers but they should all be trained in the
techniques they are to employ in moving people. Fire wardens have a role in
assisting a person to reach a refuge, but should only render further assistance
when they have completed their primary duty to report the area as clear.
In buildings with a two-stage fire alarm system, the fire procedures should ensure that
evacuation of disabled people commences during the ‘alert’ stage. In buildings where,
for a transitional period, there are no two-way communication facilities at refuges, a key
role for fire wardens will be to identify the presence of a person at a refuge and to inform
the fire incident management accordingly.
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
EXPLANATORY NOTES
Refuges for persons with disabilities
These consist of areas at or close to staircase landings, or lobbies to Evacuation Lifts, that have
been modified to allow wheelchair users to remain for a short time in a place of relative safety
whilst persons nominated to assist in the evacuation immediately go to these areas.
The nominated persons then assist in moving the disabled
persons down (or up) the staircase by assisting them in some
other way e.g.

Arm supporting, carrying their wheelchair whilst they
descend/ascend stairs separately) or

By carrying or transporting the person in their wheelchair,
utilising either an evacuation chair, evacuation blanket or

Moving the disabled person utilising Progressive Horizontal
Evacuation if appropriate and desirable.
This should lead either to a place of comparative safety within
the building from which a place of ultimate safety may be
reached, or to a place of safety in the open air.
Communications systems may be provided within disabled
refuges.
Evacuation chairs
These are devices that allow a non-disabled person to move a disabled person across floors
and down staircases with relative ease having transferred the person from a wheelchair to the
evacuation chair.
It should be noted that British Standards do not promote the use of EVAC chairs as the physical
act of transferring a person from a wheelchair to an EVAC chair can injure the person especially
if that person had a skeletal disorder. However, they can be used where risk assessment
shows them to be a valid measure.
Assistants must be fully trained in the use of Evacuation Chairs.
Fire warning systems
In buildings with a two-stage fire alarm system, the evacuation procedure for disabled people
should begin on the alert stage of the alarm.
Progressive horizontal evacuation
In larger buildings it may be possible to utilise the passive fire resisting elements of the building,
which might allow disabled persons to move horizontally to the next fire compartment. It may
be possible to then wait with a nominated person (whilst in communication with the emergency
control point) and then return to the workstation after the emergency has ended. This is only
acceptable for a small incident.
Appropriate plan(s), and sufficient assistants, should be available (taking in to account sickness
absence) to assist in the event of the necessity to commence vertical evacuation.
Co operation between the person with disabilities and their manager / supervisor
Primary responsibility for completion of a PEEP lies with the Line Manager, who may draw on
the advice and support of others to derive an effective plan. In schools, the
SENCO/Headteacher might seek advice from the PIMS TEAM
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
The individual must recognise that they may need assistance in order to evacuate, and their
involvement in developing a plan will assist them in understanding how to play their part in the
PEEP.
Colleagues may need to be nominated to provide assistance. In
these circumstances these persons will need to be aware of
their responsibilities and may need training specific to the
agreed PEEP. Deputies must be also nominated to cover
absences.
Visitors (Standard Emergency Evacuation Plan)
Hosts should ensure that they communicate the evacuation
procedures for a given site to any visitor who may have
impairment. Escape routes, refuges, stairs, and Evacuation Lifts
should be identified to visitors. A PEEP plan should be devised
as necessary, and appropriate numbers of staff should be
designated and available to assist in the event of evacuation for
the duration of the visitor(s) presence.
Training
Staff such as Fire wardens, allocated helpers (buddies) or nominated others should receive
instruction/training in how to assist disabled persons in the event of evacuation. Such instruction
should include practical demonstrations and training appropriate to their responsibilities. The
following should be included in the training aims: 
Be aware of the organisations legal responsibilities for assisting disabled employees.

Be able to locate those disabled employees who they are to assist within one minute of
the fire alarm being sounded.

Be able to assist, during an emergency, disabled employees by using the methods
identified in the employees PEEP, including the use of Evac Chairs and methods of
vertical movement of wheelchairs.

Training should cover the theory of, but not necessarily the practice of lifting persons and
should take account of “out of chair” situations of persons with disabilities.
The effectiveness of the training should be evaluated during fire drills.
The Corporate Health and Safety Unit provide Evacuation chair
training.
Who is it for?
Mandatory for those who may be required in the delivery of a PEEP (Personal Emergency
Evacuation Plan).
Aims and objective
To train delegates in the safe set up and use of the appropriate Evac Chair provided in their
workplace
Booking
To book on any of the courses detailed in this brochure please use SAP within your
ESS access, you will need to provide a budget code to confirm your booking. If you have
difficultly with this, or do not have SAP access, please contact us at Training@somerset.gov.uk,
Tel: 01823 35 5495 / 5442
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
EXAMPLE - Evacuation PEEP
Person’s name: A.N. OTHER
Named staff who are trained to carry out this procedure:
 Buddy one
 Buddy two
Which premises:
1. On hearing the fire alarm:
 Evacuate the room with Buddy one and Buddy two
 Go to lobby area between the staircases, ensuring not to obstruct doorways –
there is up to 30 minutes safe time in this space
 If the fire is on the same floor as A.N. Other, he needs to go to the stairwell –
immediately as there is up to 30mins safe time in this space.
2. Once in refuge:
 Using the safe system of work hoist into evac chair/blanket and evacuate the
Building
 As soon as the “rush” down the staircase has subsided proceed down the
staircase
3. Facilities needed once evacuated from the premises:
 Person 1 take A.N. Other in evac chair Staircase
 Person 2 to collect wheelchair and take down staircase.
4. Other factors to consider:
 A.N. Other may need reassurance
 This building does not have an evacuation lift.
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
5. Assess Evacuation PEEP following an evacuation:
 What went well?
The process went well, and everyone knew their role and where to assemble
 What can be improved?
A.N.Other became stressed due to the number of staff vacating the building via the
staircase, in future A.N.Other will wait in the lobby outside the stairwell until most
staff have left the building and the stair case less crowded. A.N.Other’s Peep will be
duly amended and staff informed.
All Evacuation PEEPs must be part of the premises fire evacuation policy
Signature of Line Manager:
Printed name: Date:
Signature of Person to agree to PEEP procedure:
Printed name: Date:
1st Review date:
Signed:
2nd Review date:
Signed:
3rd Review date:
Signed:
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
Evacuation PEEP Proforma
Person’s name:
Named staff who are trained to carry out this procedure?

Which premises:
1. On hearing the fire alarm:

2. Once in refuge:

3. Facilities needed once evacuated from the premises:

4. Other factors to consider:

5. Assess Evacuation PEEP
 What went well?
 What can be improved?
All Evacuation PEEP’s must be part of the premises fire evacuation policy
Signature of Line Manager:
Printed name: Date:
Signature of person to PEEP procedure:
Printed name: Date:
1st Review date:
Signed:
2nd Review date:
Signed:
3rd Review date:
Signed:
Issued by:
Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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Guidance
HS010 (a) Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
(Non County Hall premises may wish to modify this guidance to make it suitable
for their own premises)
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan
For visitors to County Hall site.
Escape Procedure for all disabilities
Non Ambulant Persons
The person you are visiting will arrange to meet with you on the ground floor only at this
time. All final exits from the ground floor have level egress, which is suitable for
wheelchair use. The person you are visiting will escort you to the fire assembly point .
Sight/mobility
When the fire alarm sounds the person you are visiting will escort you to the safe refuge
area in the nearest available protected stairway if you are meeting anywhere other than
the ground floor. Refuge areas are provided at each level of the evacuation staircases in
the building. The evacuation stair has 30 minutes protection from fire. When the
stairway is clear, the person you are visiting will escort you out of the building at a pace
suitable to you. When you reach a final exit you will continue to the fire assembly point
with the person you are visiting.
Hearing
When the fire alarm sounds the person you are visiting will inform you of that fact and
will escort you to the safe refuge area in the nearest available protected stairway if you
are meeting anywhere other than the ground floor. Refuge areas are provided at each
level of the evacuation staircases in the building. The evacuation stair has 30 minutes
protection from fire. The person you are visiting will escort you out of the building at a
pace suitable to you. When you reach a final exit you will continue to the fire assembly
point with the person you are visiting.
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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NOTICE TO VISITORS
Emergency Evacuation
Please inform Reception if you have
difficulty using the stairs.
Arrangements can then be put in place to
Ensure your speedy and safe evacuation
In the case of fire or other emergency.
Thank you for your
co-operation.
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Corporate Health and Safety Unit
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