General Procedure for Emergency Fire Evacuation and for those People with Disabilities

Policy statement

The Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 requires provision to be made for the safe egress of people from a building in the event of an emergency situation. The University of Dundee acknowledges the extreme risks to life, property and the University's livelihood caused by fire, and the legal requirements to control fire risks. It is the University's policy to evacuate everyone in an emergency whenever possible and not to rely on the Fire Brigade for assistance, see enclosed Fire Evacuation Policy. Staff should follow local arrangements in buildings not owned or controlled by the University. Additionally, each member of staff is urged to remain vigilant, to take personal action to reduce fire risks and to never assume that fire safety is always someone else's responsibility.

1.1 Introduction

The University recognises that the Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustment to allow free access for all. The University has a legal obligation, under the Fire Scotland Act 2005 to have a procedure allowing the safe evacuation for all staff, students and visitors to its campuses. This obligation includes those who are, for reasons of disability, unable to evacuate the premises without assistance.

1.2 Scope of procedure

This procedure applies to all school and department of the University within the Dundee Campus. It includes all students, staff and visitors to the University and those who have a disability which could cause them mobility issues, requiring assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation.

Disability in this context does not just refer to permanent conditions but also includes temporary conditions such as broken limbs.

1.3 Foundation in policy

Within the University’s Fire Safety Policy it states that the policy is intended to ensure Health and Safety of all staff, students and others while attending any University premises by establishing effective fire safety standards and procedures within all University premises.

The current applicable legislation is The Fire Safety (Scotland) Act 2005 together with The Fire (Safety) Regulations 2006. This procedure, if followed, should ensure that the University complies with current legislation and with its own Fire Safety Policy.

1.4 Procedure to be adopted by people with a disability

This procedure is incorporated within the fire safety section of the Health and Safety website. The procedure will be individually explained to staff and students by Disability Services and the Fire Safety Officer when the Personal Emergency Evacuation Procedure is formulated.

There are persons with disabilities of many forms who do not wish to disclose, (nondisclosure). The university must have in place some information/communication giving those persons the opportunity to disclose their disability to a buildings responsible person and or reception of their occupation of a building. This may take the form of a conspicuous notice displayed in an appropriate location which can be read by the person on entry to the building and/or some other form of communication.

1.5 Procedure to be adopted by the Security Response team

Security Staff involved in response team duties will be trained in Fire Safety, management of equipment (evacuation chairs and fire lifts, as appropriate) and manual handling techniques involving human loads. This training will be repeated as refresher training on at least an annual basis.

The Security Response Team should comprise a minimum of 2 trained security officers within the University Campus location who can respond to any building within the campus within a reasonable time and take on the responsibilities of Fire Marshall and/or assist the on-site Fire Marshall located within specific campus buildings.

2.0 Security Response team procedures

Fire alarm procedures for the Security Response team

• In the event of any fire activation, the tower reception shall notify all security patrol officers of fire alarm building and location including any other relevant information received from either the collector service or the affected building.
• The appointed security response team members (minimum 2), should mobilise to the affected buildings Fire Alarm panel location (normally main entrance).
• The security response team shall take charge on the ground assuming the role of "fire marshal" or assistant fire marshal in the case of an on-site security presence and including the responsibility for any disabled evacuation as necessary.
• The security response team shall remain at the scene to liaise with fire and rescue service and ensure that all personnel evacuate to their appropriate assembly point in conjunction with the buildings "fire wardens".
• The standing down of any incident will be on authority from the senior fire officer via communication with the security response team in control.

3.0 Training requirements

Adoption of the above policy incurs additional training. A Security Supervisor has been appointed and trained by Safety Services to cascade this training to all security personnel, details of which are displayed below:

• Evacuation Lift
• Evacuation Chairs and other evacuation aids (ski-pads)
• First Aid Firefighting (fire extinguishers)
• Fire Marshall duties
• Defibrillator
• First Aid (local in-house courses)

Some security contractual arrangements may be required to implement individual elements of this training.

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