The topic of emergency evacuation has been a hot one in the media over the past few weeks.
Working in the industry we do, we frequently see news stories about difficult evacuations, fires in public buildings and even stories where businesses have been prosecuted for not having an effective fire/evacuation plan in place.
There are many online resources available to businesses which will guide you through the process of creating an efficient and safe emergency evacuation plan. Alternatively you could consult a specialist company to advise on fire safety and evacuation planning.
A PLAN IS A GOOD THING – TRAINING TO CARRY OUT THAT PLAN IS EVEN BETTER
Even where a detailed plan has been created, how confident are you that in a real emergency, your staff would carry it out effectively and that all people would be evacuated safely? This process becomes even more important when you work with children, vulnerable people or injured/ill individuals.
At Ruth Lee, we are committed to helping our customers to create training which will ensure that your evacuation plans run smoothly.
Manikins are a useful addition to your training equipment, allowing you to simulate unconscious, ill, injured or vulnerable people who need assistance.
Use your imagination – what sort of situation might someone need help quickly in an emergency? You could place a Bariatric manikin in a bathtub if you work in a care setting, or a Patient Handling manikin in a wheelchair on the second storey building – how would you evacuate this person if the lifts were not working in the event of a fire?
Using manikins eliminates the risk of injury to a live ‘volunteer’ and in fact can be more realistic in some instances, as they will not help you if you have to lift them – they provide a true ‘dead weight’ which is perfect for allowing your staff to train to lift people safely in an emergency.
SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR EFFECTIVE TRAINING
You have your training planned, your manikins in position and your staff ready to go…sounds great. But – what do you think would happen if you added to this scenario by introducing some fire simulation effects? If smoke and a burning smell was coming from the next room do you think your staff would react rationally and maintain safe lifting procedures?
At Ruth Lee we can advise on creating a realistic simulated fire emergency, and provide you with the equipment to create this. As well as smoke machines and fake flames, you could invest in a soundbox or even an explosion simulator!
The only limit to the scenario you create is your imagination. You may also be surprised that creating such an impressive training scenario costs less than you think. A complete fire simulation ‘starter kit’ costs as little as £1039 and is an investment you can use time and again to ensure your staff react in a positive way to fire emergencies! They are quick and easy to set up and leave no mess. Flick a switch, open a window and in ten minutes everything will be back to normal.
Call 01490 413 282 for expert advice on using manikins and fire simulation for your training. If you are based in the UK, we could visit your business to demonstrate these products and give you an idea of the sort of scenarios you could create. Email our UK Sales Manager Stuart Cheetham (stuart@ruthlee.com) for further details.