Workplace adaptations for disabled workers

[Andy Davies]

Hello, we’ve recently hired an employee in a wheelchair. We’re a startup in services offices and while the building is fully accessible, we’re on the second floor which would cause an issue in the event of a fire (obviously we can’t use the lifts).

I believe there are evac chairs we can get to let him get down the stairs but they cost a lot - are there any govt grants etc to help with the costs of buying this? The building mgmt say it’s not their issue

Thanks,

Andy

 

[Mr D]

I would suggest, if you haven't already, discussing fire safety with the person concerned.
They may have their own suggestions.

 

[tony84]

£65 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/2235261236...6Hh_QIVwST_x1kAZZqLYN70_krRq-H4BoCPAgQAvD_BwE


Or you can buy new for less than £150 - https://www.google.co.uk/search?cli...vjAhU3UBUIHRYeBYUQvSsIswQoAA&biw=1473&bih=695

 

[paulears]

Surely in a multiple occupancy building the owners have a duty of care to get everyone out. otherwise, you could discover 3 people in a toilet taking refuge, but only one is your customer, and the others somebody else responsibility. if the lift goes wrong, who pays for the repair? The chair is an alternative to the provided lift.

 

[CharlotteS]

I would imagine that it’s an issue for all tenants within the building. What if they have a visitor with a disability if a fire breaks out?

 

[Andy Davies]

Thanks everyone, I thought it was the building owner’s/manager’s responsibility to provide fire evacuation equipment but they’re adamant that it’s down to the tenants to sort out.

I’ll keep digging and maybe check with the council’s environmental health folk.

 

[tony84]

I do not know the legal stance but if you can get something for £65 and it is tax deductible (I assume), it is costing the business close to £50, is it really worth the arguments if you have other things to be getting on with.

Any things they buy will just get added to everyones rent next year and I doubt they will go and buy a £65 version.

 

[Andy Davies]

Thanks Tony- the problem we have with the £65 chair is that there’s only a couple of us in the office who would be strong enough to use it, and we’re often out with clients. Chairs that are powered are many thousands

My question was if anyone knows if there is any govt support or similar for small business to make accessibility adaptations.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

My question was if anyone knows if there is any govt support or similar for small business to make accessibility adaptations.

Your local chamber of commerce will know of any such grants. You don't have to be a member to ask.

 

[paulears]

This is a bit silly - if the people responsible for the emergency evacuation of the building might be not there, then it's not just the safety of the disabled person is it?

What does the fire evacuation notices that are all over the building advising? has anybody put up a notice saying 'do not use the lift in the event of fire'.

If somebody is in a wheelchair, then getting them into the evacuation chair isn't that easy anyway.

We are also not talking about adaptions are we. We're talking about an appliance that would normally be attached to the wall near the stairway. Adaptations would be ramps, new stairways that kind of thing. An evacuation chair is a simple cheap purchase.

Have you done a risk assessment to go with the evacuation plan? What does it suggest.

 

[Root 66 Woodshop]

when all else fails...

Adaptions can be made via a grant, contact your local council to discuss your options.

 

[Nico Albrecht]

Just carry him downstairs. It is only 1 floor to go.

 

[Mr D]

Just carry him downstairs. It is only 1 floor to go.

Depending on weight...
Try it with a 100kg plus person being carried slowly by 2 people between them....

Hey, OP would a manual hoist work on your stairway? Still awkward...

Wife just pointed out to me she has a fire plan for 2nd floor of her building.
A safety point to wait for firecrew to evac her on evac chair. She isn't in a wheelchair but uses a rollator at work. To get to assembly point would be half hour without it.

 

[Andy Davies]

Carrying won’t work. He’s quite light but so are most of the people in our office.

I’ve just got a stair evac chair which should do the trick. There’s a real lack of decent information out there but no shortage of “experts” who want to spend your money for you on “H&S audits” and other rubbish.

You can almost understand why SMBs avoid hiring anyone with disabilities...

 

[Mr D]

Carrying won’t work. He’s quite light but so are most of the people in our office.

I’ve just got a stair evac chair which should do the trick. There’s a real lack of decent information out there but no shortage of “experts” who want to spend your money for you on “H&S audits” and other rubbish.

You can almost understand why SMBs avoid hiring anyone with disabilities...

From the other side of the chair its not so great.

My adaptation needed is a chair with arms. Just a bog standard computer chair with two plastic arms.
The problems of getting that agreed by one employer....
Amusingly the entire office apart from me were female. Sometime in the past they'd made the female toilets the disabled toilets too.
So all of us used the same toilets...
The manager sure regretted the organisation renting that building.

Another made a fire plan for me without bothering to get input. I use one or two walking sticks, that employer had me walking down the stairs blocking a few hundred people getting down quick (trip down took about 40 minutes) and due to the sticks I'm taking up 2/3rds of the width of the stairs.

 

[Andy Davies]

The guy in question is totally happy with what we’re doing, he suggested it and told me what he needs, the purpose of this thread was just to see if the govt (or someone) helps companies to buy the equipment

 

[paulears]

this is actually the problem - few people ask those the legislation is designed to protect what they need, and give them things they don't want, or ever use! We raised every single work surface in our edit suites and studios so a person with a wheelchair could get under them. Which made it horrible for everyone else. one day she said, why didn't you just buy me a lower wheelchair? A tiny proportion of what we spent!

 

[Chris Ashdown]

The first thing I would do would be to contact your local fire safety officer at the fire station and ask for advice
They are the experts and will come around and do a assessment for free and advise as you are not the first company in this situation