|
|
Disability Discrimination Act 1995: Part III
Guidance Notes & Summary of how Fire & Safety
Provision is affected
1st October 2004 marked a landmark for disabled people.From this date anyone providing a service was required to address those physical features which otherwise would make it difficult for disabled people to use their services.
This means that service providers – including shops and restaurants, pubs, clubs, gyms, swimming pools and hospitals – had to make “reasonable adjustments” to their premises or the way they provide their services to ensure they are not unreasonably difficult for disabled people to use.
Who does it affect?
Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 applies to those providing goods, facilities or services to the public. i.e. if you provide goods or a service to the public “free or paid” you are then a service provider. Accordingly, such examples as follow are affected:
- Hotels
- Public houses
- Restaurants
- Leisure facilities
- Retail outlets & Shopping Centres
- Banks
- Hospitals
- Doctors surgeries
- Schools, Colleges, Universities, Libraries
- Solicitors
- Accountants
- Theatres
- Care homes
- Airports
Service providers should make reasonable adjustments to physical features but what is a physical feature?
The majority of the duties placed upon you by Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 look at the physical features of your building. These include:
- Ramps / Stairways / Internal / External doors
- Counters / Service Desks
- Entrances / Exits
- Floor Layouts
- Toilet Facilities
- Telephones
- Escalators / Lifts
- Printed Materials
- Fire & Safety provision
What is a reasonable adjustment?
A DDA risk assessor can do a full access audit and advise you on what you may need to change, but it is down to you as a responsible company to determine what is considered a reasonable adjustment. Your local fire officer would help you determine any changes to your fire safety provision.
IMPACT ON YOUR FIRE SAFETY STRATEGY
The following examples need to be considered when developing your fire safety strategy since each type of disability brings its own unique set of risks and impairments.
Hard of Hearing
It is necessary to consider how the hard of hearing may be alerted to the fact that the fire alarm has been activated and so ensure a swift and safe evacuation from your premises. Your current fire alarm system may just include traditional audible sounders and bells but you should consider supplementing your sounders with visual flashing lights.
Sleeping Risk
In applications such as hotels and care homes, or anywhere that provides a service that incurs a sleeping risk, you need to consider how you would wake sleeping residents that are hard of hearing. A sounder at each bed head each with a flashing light, and a vibrating pillow are solution examples to consider.
Mobility
People with physical and mental disabilities may create mobility problems and therefore require assistance, generating much slower evacuation times. Consideration should therefore be given to more regular servicing & maintenance to ensure efficient system performance. Additionally, the fire alarm should be monitored by an alarm receiving centre and so ensure the Fire and Rescue Services are automatically despatched.
Sight Impaired
There are around 2 million blind and visually impaired people in the UK. Braille, tactile and high contrast signs are specifically designed to help organisations satisfy this risk. Emergency Lighting will help direct all people to their nearest fire exits
FIRE SAFETY STRATEGY AUDIT
For advice on the DDA and its impact on your Fire Safety Strategy, contact us on 0845 23 098 23
If you are concerned about any of the elements of Part III of the DDA, we can offer a full Fire Safety Strategy Audit concerning your fire detection and safety provisions.
This guidance note has been compiled by Crime Prevention Services Ltd and is their summary of The Disability Discrimination Act 1995: Part III and how it impacts, in part, on Fire detection & Alarm Systems. The information is neither guaranteed nor intended as an all-encompassing document.
A full transcript is available from: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1995/1995050.htm
|
