An overview of the principal UK legislation, regulations and evacuation plans organisations need to understand.
Establishes the overarching legal duty to protect the health, safety and welfare of employees, visitors and other building occupants.
Introduces proportionate security and preparedness duties for qualifying public premises and events to reduce the impact of terrorist incidents.
Defines the legal responsibilities of the Responsible Person to implement suitable fire precautions and ensure occupants can evacuate safely.
Requires organisations to make reasonable adjustments so disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage during emergency evacuation.
Provides a bespoke evacuation strategy for individuals who require assistance to reach a place of safety during an emergency.
Establishes the site-wide evacuation arrangements, procedures and responsibilities for safely evacuating building occupants.
Sets the requirements for the safe provision, maintenance, inspection and competent use of workplace equipment.
Establishes the statutory requirements for the safe use, examination and maintenance of lifting equipment used for lifting people or loads.
Our team can help you understand your legal duties and choose the right equipment.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain.
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 does not specifically state that organisations must provide evacuation equipment. Instead, it places a legal duty on employers and those responsible for premises to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of employees, contractors, visitors, and members of the public.
A key part of meeting this duty is ensuring that everyone can be evacuated safely during an emergency. While many people can leave a building independently, individuals with temporary or permanent mobility impairments may be unable to use stairways if lifts are unavailable. Organisations therefore need to consider how these occupants will be assisted to a place of safety.
For many buildings, particularly those with multiple floors, an evacuation chair provides a practical and reliable solution for safely evacuating people down stairways during an emergency. Providing suitable evacuation equipment demonstrates that an organisation has considered the needs of all building users and has taken reasonable steps to reduce the risks associated with emergency evacuation.
When considering compliance with the Act, organisations should ensure they:
By investing in appropriate evacuation equipment, organisations are not only supporting their legal responsibilities but also demonstrating a commitment to protecting employees, visitors, patients, residents, students, and anyone else who may require assistance during an emergency. An effective evacuation strategy can reduce risk, improve emergency preparedness, and provide reassurance that no one is left behind should an evacuation become necessary.
The UK-wide legislation requires qualifying public venues and event spaces to implement proportionate security measures to prepare for and reduce the impact of terrorist attacks.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, commonly known as Martyn’s Law, introduces a legal requirement for qualifying publicly accessible premises and events to improve their preparedness for potential terrorist incidents.
The Act applies to premises and events based on their expected capacity:
Standard Tier
Premises with a capacity of 200–799 people.
Enhanced Tier
Premises and events with a capacity of 800 or more, where additional duties are placed on those responsible for managing the venue.
Although Martyn’s Law does not specifically require organisations to provide evacuation equipment, it reinforces the need for robust and inclusive emergency planning. Any emergency response plan should consider how everyone within the premises will be moved to safety, including people with disabilities, reduced mobility, temporary injuries, or other conditions that may prevent them from evacuating independently.
In many multi-storey buildings, lifts may be unavailable or unsafe to use during an emergency. Having suitable evacuation equipment available, together with trained personnel, enables organisations to assist individuals safely via stairways when alternative escape routes are not possible.
To support compliance with Martyn’s Law, organisations should consider:
By incorporating evacuation equipment into emergency response planning, organisations can strengthen their resilience, improve the safety of all occupants, and demonstrate that reasonable steps have been taken to prepare for a range of foreseeable emergencies. Effective planning not only supports compliance with Martyn’s Law but also contributes to a safer, more inclusive environment for employees, visitors, and members of the public.
The primary fire safety legislation for England and Wales. It mandates that the “Responsible Person” in almost all non-domestic premises (including workplaces and common areas of multi-occupancy dwellings) must conduct a fire risk assessment, implement safety measures, and maintain escape routes.
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is the principal legislation governing fire safety in non-domestic premises in England and Wales. It places legal responsibility on the Responsible Person—typically the employer, building owner, occupier, or person in control of the premises—to ensure suitable fire precautions are in place and that occupants can be evacuated safely in the event of a fire.
A suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment must consider everyone who may be within the building, including employees, contractors, visitors, customers, patients, residents, and any person who may require assistance during an evacuation.
A common misconception is that refuge areas are places where people wait to be rescued by the Fire and Rescue Service. In reality, refuge points are temporary waiting areas that form part of a building’s evacuation strategy. The Responsible Person must have arrangements in place to ensure occupants can be assisted from the refuge to a place of ultimate safety without relying on the arrival of the emergency services.
For many multi-storey buildings, this means considering the provision of evacuation equipment and ensuring staff are trained to use them effectively.
To support compliance with the Fire Safety Order, organisations should:
By implementing an inclusive evacuation strategy, organisations can reduce risk, improve emergency preparedness, and demonstrate compliance with their legal responsibilities under fire safety legislation.
The Equality Act 2010 is the cornerstone of UK anti-discrimination legislation. It legally protects individuals from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation in the workplace and wider society. The law consolidated over 116 separate pieces of legislation (such as the Equal Pay Act and Disability Discrimination Act) into a single, comprehensive legal framework
The Equality Act 2010 requires employers and service providers to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people are not placed at a substantial disadvantage when accessing employment, services, or public facilities.
Although the Act does not specifically require evacuation equipment, it does require organisations to consider whether disabled people can leave a building safely during an emergency. If an individual cannot use the standard means of escape, reasonable adjustments may include changes to evacuation procedures, additional support, specialist equipment, or staff training.
For buildings with stairways where lifts cannot be used during an emergency, providing evacuation equipment is often the most practical and effective reasonable adjustment. This not only supports legal compliance but also demonstrates an organisation’s commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for everyone.
Organisations should consider:
By planning for inclusive evacuation, organisations can help ensure that no individual is disadvantaged during an emergency while meeting their obligations under equality legislation.
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is a bespoke, tailormade escape strategy for individuals who cannot safely evacuate a building without assistance during an emergency, such as a fire.
A Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) is an individual plan that details how a person who may require assistance will evacuate a building safely during an emergency. PEEPs form an important part of an organisation’s overall fire safety strategy and help ensure that evacuation arrangements are tailored to an individual’s specific needs.
An effective PEEP identifies the assistance required, the equipment to be used, who will provide that assistance, and the evacuation route that will be followed. It should be regularly reviewed to reflect any changes in the individual’s needs, staffing levels, or building layout.
Where evacuation equipment is identified within a PEEP, organisations should ensure:
Having well-managed PEEPs, supported by appropriate evacuation equipment and trained personnel, enables organisations to reduce risk, improve evacuation times, and provide confidence that everyone can be evacuated safely during an emergency.
A General Emergency Evacuation Plan (GEEP) is a site-wide emergency plan that outlines how occupants will safely evacuate a building during an emergency. Unlike a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), a GEEP is not tailored to an individual; instead, it provides general evacuation procedures that apply to the majority of building occupants.
A GEEP typically includes:
Whilst a GEEP provides the foundation of a building’s emergency arrangements, it should also consider how individuals who cannot evacuate independently will be assisted. Where occupants may require additional support, the GEEP should work alongside Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) and identify the resources, trained personnel, and evacuation equipment required to ensure everyone can reach a place of safety.
By integrating evacuation chairs and other appropriate evacuation equipment into a General Emergency Evacuation Plan, organisations can develop a more inclusive emergency strategy that protects all occupants and supports compliance with fire safety and equality legislation.
PUWER stands for the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. It is a set of UK health and safety laws placing duties on employers and equipment operators to ensure all tools, appliances, and machinery are safe, suitable, regularly inspected, and used only by competent, trained personnel.
Where evacuation equipment is provided within a workplace, they are generally considered work equipment and should be managed in accordance with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER).
PUWER requires employers and those responsible for equipment to ensure that it is:
For evacuation equipment, this means organisations should have a planned maintenance programme, ensure equipment is serviced in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, and provide practical training for those expected to operate it. Regular refresher training helps maintain operator confidence and competence, ensuring the equipment can be used safely when needed.
By following PUWER, organisations can be confident that their evacuation equipment will perform as intended during an emergency, reducing risk to both the operator and the person being evacuated. Well-maintained equipment, combined with trained staff, forms a key part of an effective and legally defensible emergency evacuation strategy.
It is a set of UK health and safety laws enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that dictates the safe planning, operation, and statutory examination of lifting equipment.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) apply to equipment used for lifting or lowering people or loads where lifting operations are undertaken. Some evacuation equipment, particularly devices that involve lifting or transferring an individual, may fall within the scope of LOLER depending on their design, intended use, and the manufacturer’s guidance.
Where LOLER applies, organisations must ensure that lifting equipment is:
For organisations using evacuation equipment, it is important to understand whether the equipment is managed under PUWER, LOLER, or both.
Standard tracked evacuation chairs that primarily provide controlled descent on stairs are typically managed under PUWER. However, evacuation devices that involve lifting or suspending a person, such as certain evacuation stairclimbers, may also fall within the scope of LOLER
Maintaining evacuation equipment and ensuring staff are trained in its safe operation helps minimise the risk of injury to both the operator and the person being evacuated. It also provides confidence that the equipment will perform effectively when it is needed most, supporting a safe, compliant, and well-prepared emergency evacuation strategy.
Our team can help you identify suitable equipment, train your team and keep you compliant with regular servicing and maintenance.