Evac chair training teaches you how to safely and effectively use an evacuation chair to help people with mobility impairments exit a building during a fire or emergency. This training mixes practical chair use with emergency planning so staff feel confident and competent when it matters most.
While there isn’t a named legal requirement for training in every workplace, UK fire safety and equality legislation mean you must provide safe evacuation for everyone — and that includes training designated staff to operate evac chairs where they’re installed.
You can physically operate an evac chair without formal training, but without proper evac chair training you risk injury to both you and the person you’re helping, and you may not meet your duty of care under fire safety law.
Most evac chair training courses last around 2.5 to 3.5 hours, combining essential theory and practical hands-on use of the chair so learners gain real confidence and skill.
An evac chair training course usually covers understanding the chair itself, correct set-up, safe manoeuvring — especially on stairs — disability awareness and how to support an evacuation calmly and safely.
Staff who may be responsible for assisting in emergencies — such as fire marshals, safety leads and nominated evacuation team members — should attend an evac chair training course so they can act quickly and safely.
It’s best practice to refresh evac chair training regularly — often every 1–3 years or whenever there’s a change in personnel, equipment or building use — to keep skills current and confidence high.
Yes — reputable evac chair training courses typically provide a certificate on completion, giving documented proof of competence that can support your fire safety compliance.
You can search online for a local provider or contact a specialist to book an evac chair training near me — many companies deliver courses nationwide or on-site at your premises.
While it’s especially important in multi-storey buildings, evac chair training benefits any workplace that may need to evacuate people who can’t easily use stairs unattended — helping ensure everyone can escape safely in an emergency.
Learn to safely evacuate individuals with mobility impairments using our Evacuation Chair Training Course. Gain confidence through theory and hands-on practice.
Service Type: evacuation chair training
