Q. My workplace has a fire safety plan but what happens if someone with a disability needs to evacuate? What steps can I take to make sure our facility is safe for people with disabilities in the event of fire or other emergency?
A. There are many barriers to fire safety for people with disabilities. Decreased mobility, health, sight, and hearing may limit a person’s ability to take the quick action necessary to escape during a fire emergency. Depending on physical limitations, many of the actions an individual can take to protect themselves from the dangers of fire may require help from a caretaker, neighbor, or outside source.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has created several publications for both organizations and consumers on fire safety. Is your facility prepared to handle the needs of people with disabilities in case of fire? The materials below can help!
- NFPA Page on People with Disabilities
- Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide and Consumer Planning Checklist
- Safety in the Workplace, this guide is also available en Español.
Additional Resources
Get Podcasts for your MP3 Player
Comments for this post
