DOCUMENT RESUME

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TITLE Employers Are Asking...About the Safety ofHandicapped Workers When Emergencies Occur.

INSTITUTION President's Committee on Employment of theHandicapped, Washington, D.C.

PUB DATE 85NOTE 21p.PUB TYPE Guides 'on-Classroom Use (055)

EDRS PRICE mrol/pcol Plus Postage.LESCRIPTORS *Accident Prevention; *Disabilities; *Emergency

Programs; *Mmployers; Industry; Rescue; *SafetyEducation

ABSTRACTThe booklet is intended to answer employers' common

questions regarding safety of disabled workers during emergencies.The importance of prevention is stressed, and the value of goodsafety habits in decreasing potential danger considered. AdeqUate andcoordinated planning are seen as critical. Evacuation assistance forthe physically handicaOped, in the form of preselected buddies ormonitors, is described. Other evacuation suggestions include liftingand carrying techniques and devices fcr transporting disabled personsdown stairs. Safety considerations for persons with communicationsi.Amitations card sensory handicaps are noted. It is suggested thatsafety drills should include disabled persons. (CL)

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11111 Em p l o y e r s a r e asking . . .

"What happens when the alarmsounds and the emergency lightsstart flashing?"

"How do I look after the safetyof my handicapped employees ?"

"I made my plant ac4essible tohandicapped people by buildingramps anti w' Bening doorways,but how to theirevacuaf :aster suddenlystrikes':

In rec ;ears. the nunibes 01firms co...oitted to employinghandicapped job applicants hasgreatly increased. Employers havebecome impressed with thebusiness advantages of hiringdisabled workerstheir jobperformance has built up the typeof record that makes a favorableimpact on any firm.

Particularly in the past decade,American business and industryhave made extraordinary efforts torecognize the abilities of

handicapped persons and tosmooth the path for their entryand advancement in the world ofwork. They have paid greaterattention to accommodating thework place and the worksituations to the needs ofhandicapped individuals. Theyhave adapted the workenvironment and provided insome cases special facilities andequipment, enabling handicappedworkers to have access to, andfunction effectively in, their jobs.

Employers can be justifiablyproud of the modifications theyhave made to provide careeropportunities for theirhandicapped employees. Now, aprevalent concern is for theirsafety in cases of emergencies.Most building designspecifications have emphasizedsolutions that permit handicappedpeople to have access to abuilding or facility with only

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limited emphasis centered on howto get them out.

The design specifications andstandards regarding architecturalaccessibility to handicappedpersons seem to have beendeveloped with little mention ofprovisions for safe egress shoulda fire, explosion. power blackout,earthquake or other catastropheforce a mass evacuation.

This area of concern isreceiving more concentration fromresearchers and emergency servicepersonnel, who are studyinginnovative ways to capitalize onrapidly expanding technology inthis direction. However, the factremains that, until the state of theart attains new levels ofsophistication, most employerswill have to depend uponconventional methods forevacuating their disabledemployees during emergencies.

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1111 First Step: PreventionThe intent of building codes is toprovide safety to all occupants incase of an emergency. Thesecodes provide a significant levelof safety to all employees.including those with disabilities.While additional safeguards maybe provided for some disabl--demployees, it is vitally importantto all handicapped individuals thatthe safety features required by

_ building codes be installed andmaintained. Special equipmentand procedures to protecthandicapped persons are effective(

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. only if the building is basicallysafe for everyone.

1 a Good safety practices should beemphasized among all employeeswithout exception. The handling+

of smoking materials, electricalhazards, flammable liquids, andother hazards need to be identified

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for handicapped as well asable- bodied .employees.Awareness of, and adherence to,good safety habits can decreasethe potential danger that can arisewhen preventive measures are notstressed in the work place.

MI Heed the Concerns of theDisabled

Disabled persons have three basicconcerns about their safety:

I. That the risk of disastermight not be used as an excuse toexclude them from working inany building.

2. That the level of safetyprovided handicapped peopleshould equal, as nearly aspossible. that traditionallyprovided able-bodied people.

3. That the unique difficultiesthey may have in a lifethreatening situation be

anticipated and dealt with beforethe fact.

Neither the difficultiesexperienced by some disabledpersons, nor the risk ofemergency, justify keepingdisabled persons from the use ofany building, whatever floorlevel. Buildings and workenvironments are not alwaysconstructed to ensure the safety ofhandicapped or able-bodiedworkers in the case of a disaster,particularly a fire. Some of thesebuildings are poorly equipped toprovide a safe environment forpersons with limitations ofmobility; vision, orcommunication. Nevertheless,safety often can be improvedwithout extensive renovations orthe installation of expensivehardware. The keyis to payattention to the essential humanrequirements.

Improved safety measures foreveryone, including earlydetection systems, two-waycommunication methods, andprovisions of areas of refuge, maybe considered long-termapproaches to the problem.Improved management proceduresto cope with the special needs ofall persons can bring immediateimprovement to the safety outlookof disabled employees.

Coordinated PlanningRequired

It would be folly to attempt todraw up an emergencypreparedness plan withoutconsulting with, and coordinatingwith, local agencies, such as thefire department or otheremergency services. Emergencypreparedness planning is bynature complex and, due in partto the different variables involvedin the physi:al layouts of workplaces, by no means uniform, Theknowledge and experience ofprofessional emergency servicepersonnel need to be tapped toensure clarity and consistency.Responsibilities need to be clearlydefined. Both management andemergency service organizationsneed a systematic method ofidentifying and locatinghandicapped individuals within aplant or office building tofacilitate their rescue duringemergencies.

It is vital to have a clear understanding through prior planningwith the local fire or rescue seryices regarding evacuation procedures for handicapped employees.Professional opinions can varyamong local fire departments as towhether handicapped personsshould remain in their rooms,assemble in staging or holdingareas to await the arrival of firefighters or whether otheroccupants or fellow workersshould help with their immediateevacuation. Such details shouldbe worked out and clearlycommunicated to all parties.

Handicapped employeesthemselves should participate inthe planning process. After all,who knows their needs better?Limited knowledge orunderstanding on the part ofable-bodied persons can result' instereotyped images ofhandicapped people as a group.This can lead to the perpetuation

of myths about assumedlimitations, with well-meaning but'incorrect measures undertaken tosolve problems. Remember thepreconceived notion of the boyscout who insistently helped thelittle old lady across the street?Not everybody desires to get to

e o er side, or, perhaps moreraistically, not everybody needsto be forced.

Evactudion AssistanceWhen fire or disaster strikes amulti-story building, elevatorsnormally are called to the firstfloor and cannot be used byfleeing occupat)ts. Physicallyhandicapped people may findthemselves in a dilemma. Usuallythey can move horizontally, eitherwith or without assistance. If theyhave to move verticallyusually downward some willfind the use of stairs an obstaclethat must be overcome.

Here is when: your

management plan, with approvalof your local fire department,must specify whether assistanceshould await the arrival of rescuepersonnel, or whether trainedemployees can help in theevacuation. Of course, in cases ofdire emergency, there may not besufficient time to request rescuepersonnel and wait for their firebucks or other apparatus toarrive. Mass evacuation may haveto be undertaken immediately.

This means that co-workersshould be assigned and trained tohelp any disabled person flee afactory, plant or office buildingwhen the alarn-sounds. Thesepreselected pe. sons, often calledbuddies or monitors, take responsi-bility for ensuring the safety ofdisabled persons who would bevulnerable without assistance.Alternates, or back-up helpers,also should be named to assumethis responsibility during theabsence of the designated buddy.

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je 4 4 4 .1Lifting and CarryingTechniques

The obvious method fortransporting down stairs anemployee who lacks mobilityin a wheelchair is not apractical solution unless there areat least two strong persons tocontrol the chair. This is certainlya possibility where there is a largepool of employees concentratedaround a work station. However,it is far too strenuous for oneperson to attempt. There is thepossibility that the large wheels ofthe chair can roll out of controlunless sufficient force is exertedon the wheels to act as a brake.Other problem. may also arise:the foot rests m iy come off; handgrips may slide off; the center ofgravity of the chair may not allowcontrol to be maintained.

There will be instances whennon-ambulatory persons will haveto forsake their wheelchairs

during an emergency evacuation.Those co-workers who areassigned to assist them shouldwork out the best method oflifting and carrying them toprevent the risk of physicaldamage, prticularly to personswith paraplegia and quadriplegiawho have lost sensation of theirextremities and cannot receivewarning of pain.

Recently the National ResearchCouncil of Canada supported aresearch study to evaluate thevarious techniques for evacuatinghandicapped persons. Testing wasaccomplished using a large groupof disabled people with a widerange of disabilities andlimitations. We are fortunate toreap the benefit of the Council'sfindings.

There are generally fourmethods whereby one person cancan a non-ambulatory employee.None of the tecnniques is suitablefor all persons. With increasing

weight of the disabled employeethere is increasing difficulty,unless he or she retains amoderate amount of arm strength.

The pack-strap technique, oftenpreferred by health careprofessionals, restricts thebreathing of the person being

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rescued and may induce legspasms where there is a history ofproneness to. this condition.

The piggy-back techniquecauses less restriction ofbreathing. Lifting a person for thepiggy-back technique can bemade easier if done at the top of

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a flight of stairs where the rescuercan use the handrail for support inlifting. (See illustration).

The cradle lift may be favoredby both parties, but is very riskyif they are approximately thesame size and weight; the rescueris forced to assume a postureduring the lift which can result ininjury to the back.

The firefighter's lift requiresconsiderable skill on the part ofthe rescuer to get the personbeing rescued into a positionwhere breathing is not restricted.

The Research Council studyconcludes that if it is necessary tomow a person out of awheelchair and down a flight ofstairs, then the piggy-backposition is preferable. Ifhowever, the handicapped personhas no arm strength, or weighsless than half of the rescuer, thenthe cradle lift is preferable.

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Devices for TransportingThere are several evacuationchairs available for transportingdisabled persons down stairs.Tests have shown them to bequite successful, although the sizeof the disabled person beingtransported may reduce theirefficiency. They also presentsome problem to disabledemployees who must transfer tothem from their whellichairs.

One commercially availablechair uses rubber skids to graspthe stairs as it descends, with thepace controlled by the frictionalforce of the occupant's weight.The seat tilts back to adjust to theslope ti the stairs. This type ofevacuation chair worerbetterwhen the stairway has a vinyl Orcarpeted surface; concrete Or steelstairs provide too much grip for

easy movement.To determine which techni\que

is appropriate for evacuating anemployee with a certain

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impairment, it is advisable todiscuss the matter with thatper', r. It isalso necessary tohave an awareness of thelimitations vaulting from his orher specific disability.

CommunicationLimitations

A number of workets in a plantMay have some fain of commun-ication problem, whether deafness,hearing limitations, difficulties ininterpreting messages, or diffict:'ties undemanding bractinstructions. How can suchpersons be best approached in anemergency and given instructionsto ensure prompt cooperation?

To instill confidence in theperson to be evacuated, thebuddies or monitors should workout a contingency plan that cantake effect when an alarm is setoff. 'Not only do some disabledpersons deny their neat for assistme, bit some communication

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disorders may cause a person understress to react in a confused way.To conduct the evacuationeffectively, the buddy.is advisedto use some form of prop, such asa card with the symbol of fireimprinted on it, or an arm bandor hard hat such as floor wardenswear. He should persuasively usehand gestures. facial expressionsand body language to get his

--meisage across. Any verbalmessage should be kept short,such as "There is a fire (or bombthreat, etc.)" or "You must leavethe building," or "Follow me (orfollow those other people).

Some co-workers and supervi-sors of deaf people have on theirown, or their firm's initiative,taken classes in American SignLanguage. To find out how a classmight be started by employees ofyour firm, write to: CommunicationSkills Program, National Associa-tion of the Deaf, 814 Thayer AveSilver Spring, MD 20910.

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Sensory AlarmsIt is possible to develop anem& rgency warning signal systemfor the hearing impaired bysupplementing audio signalsystems with visual or othersensory information. Usuallythese are fire alarm and smokedetector systems that activatestrobe lights, vibrators, orvariable-intensity fans.

High-intensity lightsInterconnected with the standardfire alarm will flash a warning topersons who cannot hear anemergency signal. It isrecommended that thesehigh-intensity strobe lights betimed to flash once per seem!.Extremely rapid flashes morethan five per second aresuspected of triggering seizures insome susceptible individuals.

For those who do not wish touse the light system, vibrators,installed in appropriate place at

the work station andinterconnected with the fire alarmsystem or a radio receiver, canalert deaf or deaf-blindindividuals. Also fans can use thehigh speed air flow setting as awanting signal if they are wiredinto the alarm system.

Descriptions and sources fromwhich one may obtain deviceswhich warn the hearing impairedof an emergency can be obtainedfrom: Department of ProfessionalPrograms and Services, AlexanderGraham Bell Association for theDeaf, Inc.. 3417 Volta Place,N.W., Washington, D. C. 20007.

The administrators of Ga !LauderCollege, an institution of higherlearning for deaf and hearingImpaired students, have developedand implemented a program offire prevention and control,.emergency signals, andevacuation procedures especially

suited to deaf persons. Forinformation, write to Division ofPublic Services, GallaudetCollege, Kendall Green,

on, D. C. 20002.The N mai Technical

Institute for the Deaf at RochesterInstitute of Technology installed astate-of-the-art visual alarmsystem in its midence hall whenthe Institute built its facilities in1974. A strobe light system warnsof fire and other emergencysituations that may requireevacuation.

NTID, in cooperation with theRochester, New York, FireDepartment, is producing a25-minute videotape andaccompanying booklet containingpractical suggestions to help fireservice persomml commmicatewith deaf people.

NTID has also produced abrochure, "Tips You Can UseWhen Communicating with Deaf

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Employees," that contains usefulinformation about communicatingwith deaf people. It includes hintsfor accommodating deafemployees in the workplace andsuggested safety devices.

For more information, write tothe National Technical Institutefor the Deaf, Rochester Instituteof Technology, PublicInformation Office, One LombMemorial Drive, P. 0. Box 9887,Rochester, N. Y. 14623.

Eiriployees AreV y "fed

Employees who are blind or onlypartially sighted may beindependent or may be totallydependint on a buddy to lead

*-them to safety during anemergency, according to their .

level of mobility skills. Even ifan employee uses a guide dog,the dog may become disorientedin smoke or other emergencysituation. Prior consultation andpractice with each employeeusing the guide dog, if there isone will determine what

`assistance, if any, may beneeded. ,

Instructions relating toevacuation should be furnished to ..

blind employees in Braille, inlarge type, on tape, or orally. (It

d be stressed that oralinstruction is considered areasonable method ofcommunication only if all

employees are treated similarly; ifsighted employees receive writteninstructions, then (blind employeesdeserve a more permanentcommunication medium).

The route of egress should betraveled and studied in detail. Theblind persons should be madefamiliar with the designatedplaces of assembly or refuge.Since blind people depend onacoustical and tactile cues to helpwith mobility, it might be wise toinstall some form of aid if theroute of egress is intricate,lengthy, or susceptible toenvironmental changes (smoke,dust, etc.) that could distort soundwaves bouncing off walls. OneSolution is to attach tape or othertactile material along the corridorWalls to serve as directional

.2`feelers'along the path of egress.Another possible answer is an

interio, design solution. A path oftravel having a contrasted surfacetexture from the adjacent

carpeting or tile can provide ablind person with a tactile routewhich can, through use of a cane,direct the way to safety.

Since blind employees maylose auditory cues duringevacuation, some buildings havebeen fitted with intermittantlyplaced alarms along the i Ate ofegress, to provide a succession ofsounds leading to safety.

Safe Area of RefugeWhen exiting a multi-storybuilding is not feasible, a place ofrefuge should be provided thatoffers safety to the occupants ofeach upper floor pending theirevacuation.

The concept of a safe area ofrefuge is becoming more commonamong architects and pfanners,particularly in desigri of high risestructures. It involves"co niation", or "wallingoff' spread of fire and smoke

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by creating barriers to contain andreduce the area of buildingdamage. At the same time, peopleinside the building can avoid alife threatening situation byremaining in place until rescuepersonnel arrive, or the danger ispast. each compartment musthave a way out either stairs oran elevator with protected power.

A safe area of refuge is createdby using barriers that either shutor fold across to provide spaceprotected from smoke and fire.Usually' these are fire doorsclosing off corridors. Recentinnovations include flexible wallsthat are automatically activated bysmoke and which effectivelyblock off space to give smoke,tonic gas, and flame protectionfor one or two hours. While theseareas are intended for the generalpopulation, and disabled peopleshould not be considered theirexclusive users, it is important to

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account for the square footageoccupied by wheelchairs whenplanning the minimum spaceneeded by the building occupants.(Note: Able-bodied persons areserved at 6 square feet/person,and wheelchair occupants areaccommodated at 15 squarefeet/person.)

Another recommendation forconsideration is the installation ofa two-way communicationssystem within each refuge area.This will permit occupants tosend information on theircondition and to receiveinstructions from emergencyservice personnel.

Emergency instructions foreach floor should be posted in aprominent place, preferably inclose proximity to the elevator.Ideally, everybody mast be ableto clear an area likely to beexposed to a fire in a reasonableperiod of time, regardless ofhandicaps. A reasonable period of.

time is judged by experts assomewhere between 11/2 and 5minutes.

Mills Should IncludeDisabled EmployA

popular misconception is thatpeople "panic" in largescaleemergencies or natural disasters.On the basis of research evidencewe now know that much of th,..conventional thinking about panicand related behavior is wrong.According to E. L. Quarantelli ofthe Disaster Research Center atOhio State University, ". . . inboth absolute and relative terms.human behavior in disasters inmodern, industrial society is fairlygood by any reasGnable criteriaone could use. 'I here iSsfittleevidence beyond anecdotalstories, and none of a systematic,'comparative and quantitativenature, that suggests that behaviorunder stress is any more illogical,

irrational or dysfunctional thaneveryday behavior."

In place of this unfoundedt.oncern about panic. it is moreappropriate to assume thathandicapped employees, if theyare ambulatory, can be dependedupon to observe normal crowdmovement procedures when abuilding must be vacated. Theyare able to judge their own needsand will make known theirrequirements if they needassistance for stability or balancewhile using the staid. In fact,tests have shown that: somesemiambulant persons are able tomove more quickly alone thanwhen aided.

For this reason, disabledemployees should be included inall evacuation drilli. Sometirres,when a building eVaciration drilliF planned, they are alerted inadvance and told theirparticipation in the drill is at their

discretion. This increases thepotential hazards already faced bydisabled people and does them nofavor.

If managers persist in givingthem a wink and an invitation totake an early coffee break in thebuilding lobby just prior to thedrill alarm. handicappedemployees will not get thepractice in evacuation techniquesthat they need. Neither will theyget that extra measure ofconfidence that their situationmight require.

After all, a company'semergency plan is only as goodas the last time it was tested onall employees.

Checklist

CI Has allowance been madefor the special needs of personswith visual. hearing, mental andmobility disabilities in the film'semergency plans?

D Disabled employees havethe best knowledge of theircapabilities and their needs. Havetheir views been taken intoaccount in making up the firm'semergency plans?

ED Is it possible to know thegeneral locations of disabledemployees at all times withreasonable confidence?

E] Have employees beenselected to act as buddies on aone-to-one basis for eachhandicapped employee requiringassistance in case of emergency?Have they received training?

ED For blind employees, haveall instructions relating toemergencies been distributed inBraille, large type. or cassettetapes? Have you provided a reliefmap showing the evacuation routefrom the work station?

Ha. easily recognizablesymbols been adopted to indic'the nature of the evacuation alertto deaf employees?

For persons with severecommunication disorders,. haveco-workers been trained toprovide clear instructionsregarding the nature of theemergency and the route ofevacuation?

El Are there accessible areason each floor that can provide atleast a temporary refuge untilevacuation can be carried out? Dothese refuge areas have escaperoutes?

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El To ease their minds, havehandicapped employees beenadvised of the safety features thathave been installed in the workplace e.g., sprinklers, tiredoors, and smoke control featuresof the heating and ventilationsystem?

Has the firm's emergencypreparedness plan beencoordinated with and approved bythe local emergency servicepersonnel?

E3 Are regular evacuationexercises held for all the workforce, including those employeeswho are handicapped? Whenstairs are a key element in theescape mute, are they used duringthe exit drills?

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111 Where to Tarn forAdditional Help

Several organizations having aparticular interest in this topic ofemergency planning haveproduced materials which canguide managers and supervisors incounseling disabled employeesabout their safety. You are invitedto contact these organizations forfurther information:

Federal Emergency ManagementAgency

500 C Street. S.W.Washington, DC 20472

Publication Sales DivisionNational Fire Protection

AssociationBattermarch ParkQuincy. MA 4)2269

National Center for a Barrier FreeEnvironment

Suite 7001015 15th Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20005

National Safety Council444 North Michigan AfenueChicago, IL 60611

International Fire Service TrainingAssociation

Fire Protection PublicationsOklahoma State UniversityStillwater. OK 74078

Center for Fire ResearchNational Bureau of Standard!:Washington, DC 20234

Eastern Paralyzed VeteransAssociation

432 Park Avenue SouthNew York, NY 10016

National Office for Life Safetyand the Handicapped

*1015 15th Street, N.W.Washington, DC 20005

The Worksite Committee ofThe President's Committee on Employment of the HandicappedWashington, D. C. 20210

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