Guidance for students who may need a PEEP

Most disabled students will be able to evacuate University buildings safely unaided or by making use of the standard Assisted Evacuation Arrangements.  A small minority of disabled students will need more specific help and will require a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP).

If you need practical assistance to exit buildings under emergency circumstances please read the full guidance about our standard assisted evacuation arrangements to help decide what level of support you will need.

Remember that you WILL NOT be able to use passenger lifts in an emergency and may need to use the stairs to leave the building.

 

Standard Assisted Evacuation Arrangements

The key points of the standard Assisted Evacuation Arrangements are:

In advance of an emergency:

  1. Download the SafeZone app to your phone and make sure you are registered as a University user.
  2. Add the emergency contact number into your phone contacts:
  3. Gilmorehill campus 0141 330 4444
  4. Garscube campus 0141 330 2222
  5. Find the location of Refuge Areas close to your room in halls of residence, or teaching venues. Typically, these are found on fire-protected stair landings.
  6. Training and familiarisation in the use of evacuation chairs can be arranged with Security.

 

In the event of a fire alarm or other emergency evacuation:

  1. Make your way to the nearest Refuge Area
  2. Contact Security by:
    • Pressing the Emergency button on the SafeZone app – this activates an alarm in the control centre, or
    • Using the two-way communication system, if available, or
    • Phoning 0141 330 4444 (Gilmorehill) or 0141 330 2222 (Garscube)
  3. Wait in place for central and/or local response teams to assist. 

Fire drills and false alarms

  1. In the event of a fire drill you must go to a Refuge Area and be ready for evacuation.
  2. If you are a wheelchair user you will not normally be required to fully evacuate the building during drills and known false alarms provided you are at a Refuge Area and prepared for evacuation. This is to minimise any discomfort and risk of injury associated with using an evacuation chair or other device when this is not essential for safety.
  3. If you want to be fully evacuated from the building in a fire drill, to fully experience the use of an evacuation chair, you should discuss that with the evacuation team. You are entitled to be fully evacuated from the building if that is your preference.

Evacuation chairs

  1. You need to be able to get yourself into the evacuation chair, with minimal assistance, to use an evacuation chair safely.
  2. Training and familiarisation in the use of evacuation chairs can be arranged with Security.
     

Evacuation lifts

  1. Evacuation lifts are available in some buildings but are not self-operated. Use of an evacuation lift would be covered by a PEEP, if appropriate.
     

The standards arrangement may not be suitable for everyone and you will need an individual PEEP if:

  • You cannot hear the standard fire alarm.
  • You cannot move unaided to a Refuge Area
  • You use a wheelchair and would need to use an evacuation device to negotiate stairs e.g. evacuation chair.
     

To use the standard Assisted Evacuation Arrangements, you need to be able to move to a Refuge Area and after arrival of the evacuation team, to transfer yourself into an evacuation chair with minimal assistance. If you cannot do either of these, it is very important for your safety that you notify your course co-ordinator so that we can develop suitable individual evacuation arrangements for you.

Staying in Halls of Residence:

If you plan on living in University accommodation, you’ll be asked to include information about your disability on the application form. For example, if you need an accessible room, or if you need to use the Deaf Alerter system. You can also indicate if you think you’ll need special arrangements to help you evacuate the building and a PEEP.

Studying:

You can disclose a disability on your UCAS application, at the point of registering with the University or by registering with the Disability Service. If you think you’ll need a PEEP, you should make contact with the Disability Service as soon as possible to discuss your needs.  If you need a PEEP for your academic studies, they will make your School aware that a PEEP is recommended in your disability report in MyCampus. Alternatively, you can inform your School directly.

Postgraduate research students should discuss the need for a PEEP with their supervisor.
  

Completing a PEEP:

Step 1   A member of staff from your School or Halls of Residence will meet with you to discuss whether the standard assisted evacuation arrangements are sufficient for your needs and decide what other arrangements need to be made for you.

Step 2   The specific arrangements that are required will be discussed with and reviewed by Security and the University Fire Safety Advisers. You may meet with Security staff to discuss the practicalities of your PEEP. In most cases, Security are responsible for providing assistance during any emergency evacuation.

Step 3   When the arrangements have been agreed, these should be recorded on the PEEP form. Please note, you may require multiple PEEPs for different teaching venues, if the arrangements vary between different locations.

Copies of this evacuation plan must be held by:

  • You
  • Your Academic School
  • Disability Service
  • Security
  • University Fire Safety Advisers
  • Local Fire Safety Coordinator(s) for each location

Accommodation PEEPs:

  • Accommodation staff
  • Residence Life team.

Teaching PEEPs:

  • Disability Co-ordinator (relevant to the course to which this PEEP relates)
  • Course Administrator (relevant to the course to which this PEEP relates)