Disabled Access Consultants

Emergency Evacuation

Disabled Escape

Disabled Evacuation

 

  

HELP ME!!! I CAN'T GET OUT
Disability Egress Consultants
Planning for ALL Staff Members Egress

Emergency evacuation is high priority for ALL employers. With the ever increasing likelihood of accidents, fires, flooding and terrorism emergency evacuation plans need to incorporate all levels of staff abilities.

What  happens with a staff member with a disability in an emergency?
How do you assist people of differing needs to ESCAPE?
Who is responsible for assisting staff in an emergency evacuation including visiting individuals?

Universal ESCAPE provide a holistic approach to the planning for emergency evacuation for ALL staff members. This approach includes PEEP's (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans), Consultation and Professional Development.

For more details Universal Escape

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HALLAM HOTEL,
Princes Highway, Hallam, Victoria.
A recent refurbishment at the Hallam Hotel in the South Eastern suburbs of Melbourne resulted in the following works that do not comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) or AS1428.1 & 4

  • Ramp gradients are as steep as 1:6.8, not a maximum of 1:14
  • Tactile Ground Surface Indicators (TGSI's) incorrectly placed on ramps.
  • Ramp landings are not level.
  • TGSI's not installed to stairs.
  • Contrasting stair nosing's not installed.
  • Kerb or kerb rails not provided to ramps.
  • Handrails incorrectly designed.
  • Accessible car spaces are not in close proximity to the entries.
  • Bottom of stairs finish at carpark aisle. This aisle is also used as a patron drop off and taxi waiting.
  • 50% of Accessible car spaces require navigating across the main traffic aisle and the drop off aisle. The remainder require navigating across the drop off aisle.
  • Lighting levels from the accessible car spaces to the entries are only around 2-4 Lux. The minimum requirement is 14 Lux as detailed in AS1158.3.1

The following is a guide that explains how the works could have been completed in a more satisfactory manner.

What do these issues mean?
Persons that are vision or physically impaired as well as the elderly can not safely enter & exit the venue; in addition, they are being forced to share access to accessible car spaces with vehicular traffic. This is unsatisfactory and must be avoided in all circumstances; risk is increased at night with poor lighting.

Bruce Bromley advised the hotel in writing on 7 March the works that had commenced did not meet the above requirements and emphasised the correspondence was in no way seditious. The Hallam Hotel confirmed receipt of the email on the 9 March; they also noted it had been forwarded to the Venue Manager and the Area Manager.

Works were subsequently completed and it would seem no further action was taken on the accessibility issues raised.

How Disability Access Could Be Improved ?

  • All items mentioned above should have been installed to BCA & AS1428.1/4 requirements
  • Install a new concrete path at the bottom of the ramps and stairs. This will provide a safe transition to accessible parking spaces.
  • Reposition accessible spaces too directly in front of entry path. This will provide a safe transfer from the venue to parking. It will require some minor re line marking to balance of carpark.
  • Install contrasting strips to entry doors.
  • Upgrade car park lighting.

Legalities
The hotel is exposing itself to a public liability claim as well as a successful discrimination claim being taken pursuant to the provisions of the DDA.

It however must be asked how such works could be initially designed /documented in it current form and how a certificate of occupancy was obtained.

 

Disabled Toilets

Accessible Design

Disability Access Consultants

  

A national campaign, Changing Places, has been launched to tackle the problem faced by many thousands of disabled people in the UK caused by the lack of fully accessible public toilets. The Changing Places consortium including Mencap and PAMIS is calling for Changing Places toilets to be installed in all large public places, including city centres, shopping malls and leisure venues.

Without these facilities, carers are often forced to change family members on a dirty toilet floor with little or no privacy. This is unhygienic and is also extremely dangerous, as carers must physically lift the person they care for on and off the floor. However, the alternative is to limit outings to a couple of hours or to not go out at all.

Who needs Changing Places toilets?
The UK is home to approximately 40,000 people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, the majority of whom need Changing Places toilets. And many other people have similar needs, for example approximately 24,000 people with a spinal injury, 20,000 people with muscular dystrophy and 8,500 people with multiple sclerosis. The number of people with complex disabilities is growing — we are all living longer,

What are Changing Places Toilets?
Changing Places toilets are different to standard accessible toilets. They are designed to meet the needs of people who need support from one or two carers to use the toilet or have their continence pad changed. They include the following facilities:

  • A height adjustable changing bench
  • A tracking hoist system, or mobile hoist
  • There should be adequate space
  • A peninsular toilet
  • A screen or curtain to allow the disabled person and carer some privacy
  • Wide tear off paper roll to cover the bench Good
  • A large waste bin for disposable pads
  • A non-slip floor

Extracted from Spring 2007 Access By Design
Produced by Centre for Accessible Environments UK http://www.cae.org.uk/

 
Disabeld CAD Details
  

Equal Access Pty Ltd Accredited Disability Access Consultants provide free of charge a library of CAD details for use when designing accessible amenity areas to AS1428.1

A full listing of manufacturers and suppliers of products that provide accessibility to the Built Environment are available in the "Specifiers" section of the website. Items listed include Tactile Ground Surface Indicators, Signage, Fittings, Fixtures, Flooring, Lifts & Door Controllers.

Click Here for more details

 

For information about Disability Access Audits in Australia, services and advice we provide, or to receive a company profile/ fee proposal please call us or visit our website Equal Access Disabled Access Consultants.

For a full listing of manufacturers and suppliers of products that provide accessibility to the Built Environment plus a range of downloadable CAD files visit the Equal Access Project Specifier

The DDA, BCA & Australian Standards are highly complex and subject to constant change. Litigation over property access and compliance is increasing at an astounding rate. Property and business owners are subject to substantial and often unexpected liability.

 
Copyright 2007 Equal Access Pty Ltd