Evac Chairs Debated For People With Reduced Mobility

The recent UK school evac chair debate in late 2025 centered on a Parliamentary debate sparked by Lucas Vezza-O’Brien’s petition after his personal experience being left behind, pushing for mandatory chairs & training. The UK government stated chairs are required if Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) need them, but not all disabled students are suited for them, highlighting inconsistent approaches and a need for better, inclusive solutions beyond just chairs, with commitments to further review.

Key Points from the Debate:

• Campaigner’s Motivation: The debate followed a fire incident where Lucas Vezza O’Brien, a wheelchair user, felt left terrified and alone, inspiring his #NoStudentLeftBehind campaign.
• Current Legislation: The government noted that fire safety laws and the Equality Act already placed duties on responsible bodies (local authorities, trusts) to provide safe evacuation, often through PEEPs, requiring chairs if needed.
• The Gap: The issue highlighted that while PEEPs exist, the provision of chairs and training isn’t consistently mandatory, leading to varied safety standards across the UK.
• Calls for Mandate: MPs argued for a legal requirement for all schools and colleges to have evacuation chairs and trained staff, emphasizing that a chair alone isn’t enough without trained operators.
• Outcome: The debate itself didn’t result in a new law or immediate mandate, as petitions debates don’t end in votes. However, it increased pressure on the government and underscored the need for consistent, nationwide policy for disabled students’ safety.

What’s Next:

• Campaigners, including Lucas and organizations like Evac+Chair, continue to advocate for policy changes to ensure safe, dignified evacuation for all in emergencies.
• Schools and colleges remain responsible for their fire risk assessments and individual evacuation plans.

EVAC chairs are essential for ensuring legal compliance, inclusive evacuation, and best practice in fire safety. Proper placement, training, servicing, and alignment with standards such as BS 9999 and BS 8300 are critical to ensuring safe, effective evacuations for mobility-impaired individuals.

Our team aims to deliver expert customer care, from site survey to completion through to ongoing maintenance. Developing a lasting relationship with a partner you can trust to protect you and your premises whilst ensuring your businesses and organisations are fully compliant to the latest legal requirements. We are CHAS accredited, BAFE registered and, SSAIB certificated with BS EN ISO 9001:2015 & Construction Line approved, so your organisation can be assured that all our fire, security and safety equipment is designed, supplied, installed and maintained in accordance with the latest British Standards.

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