An evacuation plan only works if the people, equipment and procedures it relies on are in place when they are needed.
For people who may need assistance to leave a building, a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) sets out how that assistance will be provided. Where an evacuation chair forms part of that plan, it needs to be supported by trained staff, suitable equipment and clear responsibilities.
Here, we look at how evacuation chair training and PEEPs fit together, and what to check so your plan works in practice.
What Is a PEEP?
A PEEP is a plan for an individual who may need assistance to evacuate. It should reflect that person’s particular needs and set out the arrangements for getting them to a place of safety.
Government guidance on means of escape for disabled people explains the importance of planning around individual needs and involving the person concerned in that process.
Your PEEPs should sit alongside your wider Fire Emergency Evacuation Plan (FEEP), which sets out the procedures for the building as a whole. A PEEP should not be written in isolation from the FEEP, the fire risk assessment or the people expected to carry it out.
Separate rules now apply to some residential buildings in England. Under the Fire Safety (Residential Evacuation Plans) (England) Regulations 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, the Responsible Person for residential buildings with two or more homes that are at least 18 metres high or have at least seven storeys, or that are over 11 metres high with a simultaneous evacuation strategy, must offer residents who may need help to evacuate a person-centred fire risk assessment and, where appropriate, a Residential PEEP. If you manage this type of building, check how the Regulations apply to your premises.
Start With the Individual, Not the Equipment
An evacuation chair is not automatically the right aid for every person or situation.
Some people may be able to use the stairs with assistance. Others may need a different method of evacuation, or may not be able to transfer safely into a chair. Individual needs can also change over time.
When preparing or reviewing a PEEP, consider:
- The assistance the person may need and how they would prefer it to be provided.
- Whether an evacuation chair is suitable for them.
- Whether a transfer into the chair is needed and how this would be carried out safely.
- Where the person is likely to be in the building and at what times.
- How the person will be alerted to an evacuation.
Plans for visitors and members of the public may need a different approach, as you may not know their needs in advance. This should be considered as part of your wider evacuation arrangements.
Make Sure the Right Equipment Is Available
If a PEEP relies on an evacuation chair, check that a suitable chair is available where it would be needed.
Evacuation chairs are available in different forms, including models designed to descend stairs and climber chairs that can be used to ascend stairs. The plan should reflect the type of chair provided, the routes it would be used on and the manufacturer’s instructions for its use.
Also consider where the chair is stored, whether it could be reached quickly and whether more than one chair may be needed in different parts of the building.
Match the Plan to Trained Staff
A PEEP that names an evacuation chair but does not identify who will operate it leaves an important gap.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the Responsible Person to nominate a sufficient number of competent people to implement evacuation procedures. For evacuation chair arrangements, this means having staff who have received appropriate practical training and are available when they may be needed.
Check that:
- The people expected to operate the chair have been trained on the equipment provided.
- Enough trained staff are available across shifts, breaks, holidays and sickness.
- Operators understand the individual arrangements in the PEEPs they support.
- Trained staff are not also allocated other emergency duties that would prevent them from helping.
Your plan should still work if the person you would normally rely on is not on site.
Set Out Clear Responsibilities
In an emergency, people need to know what they are expected to do without having to work it out at the time.
A practical plan should make clear who will go to the person needing assistance, who will collect the chair, who will operate it and how this will be communicated. It should also make clear how the Fire and Rescue Service will be informed about anyone who is still awaiting assistance or has been moved to a refuge area.
Your FEEP should explain how vulnerable people will be evacuated and identify key staff members who are trained and able to assist. Each PEEP can then set out the individual arrangements for the person concerned.
Review the Plan When Things Change
PEEPs and chair arrangements should be reviewed when the person’s needs change, when staff responsibilities change, or when there are changes to the equipment, premises or escape routes.
Drills and reviews can also help identify whether the arrangements work as intended. Any practice involving an evacuation chair should be carried out safely and in line with the training staff have received.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The arrangements should reflect the individual’s needs and the building. An evacuation chair may be suitable for some people and situations but not others.
The person who may need assistance should be involved, together with the people responsible for managing fire safety and evacuation arrangements in the building.
No. A FEEP sets out the evacuation procedures for the premises as a whole. A PEEP sets out the arrangements for an individual who may need assistance. The two should work together.
Related Articles
- How many staff need evacuation chair training?
- Evacuation chair refresher training: when should staff be retrained?
Bring Your Evacuation Planning and Training Together
Benfield Fire Safety can support you with both the planning and the practical side of assisted evacuation. We provide help with Fire Emergency Evacuation Plans and fire safety policies, as well as on-site Evacuation Chair Training using the chair provided at your premises and a designated staircase.
To discuss your evacuation arrangements or book Evacuation Chair Training for your team, contact Benfield Fire Safety for bespoke pricing.
Call: 0300 303 3277
