PEEPs / Accessible Fire Safety

What is a PEEP (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan)?

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) are bespoke plans that are created to assist individuals who may require additional support during an emergency evacuation. A PEEP should be completed before the person attends the building, or at the earliest possible stage. They must not be brought into a building that they will not be able to safely evacuate. 

To ensure your safety at UCL your department and if applicable, UCL Accommodation, must know about your needs to ensure you are able to safely evacuate in case of an emergency from your workspace, learning space or accommodation. The PEEP will be written with you to ensure it is specific to your needs and will be reviewed during your time with UCL to ensure it remains accurate and appropriate.

Who may require a PEEP? 

A PEEP may be required for any individual attending UCL (staff, students, or visitors) below is a list of circumstances that may require a PEEP. 

-    Mobility impairment
-    Visual impairment
-    Hearing Impairment
-    Dexterity or Strength
-    Neurodiverse
-    Mental Health condition 
-    Temporary illness or injury
-    Pregnancy
-    Other circumstances that may affect a person’s ability to evacuate. 

Where can I find help and advice?

Once an initial conversation has been had with the individual and the questionnaire part of the form has been completed, you will then have a better understanding of their needs and can begin writing their plan. However, should you require further support or have some initial questions you may find answers within the below: 
 
-    Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan SharePoint page (UCL login required)
-    A range of Technical Notes have been created and can be accessed via the Fire Safety SharePoint (UCL login required)
-    Fire Safety Handbooks for many of the buildings at UCL provide evacuation information and are available on the Fire Safey SharePoint (UCL Login required)
-    Area Facilities Managers (AFM) on the AFMs pages
-    Inclusive Environments Team 
-    The Fire Team (building plan, evacuation route advice, lift queries) fire@ucl.ac.uk

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) form (UCL login required)

Frequently asked questions

Who is responsible for conducting the PEEP/Who fills out the PEEP assessment with the individual?

This is different within every department and can range from any of the following:

• Head of Department (HoD)
• Department Safety Officer (DSO)
• Summary of Reasonable Adjustments Lead (SoRA)
• Teaching and learning administrator 
• Other dedicated person within the department

Why doesn't every building have evacuation chairs? 

Evacuation chairs are implemented on a case-by-case basis. At UCL there are a variety of different options that can be explored to ensure safe evacuation before looking at implementing an evacuation chair. Evacuation chairs come with a cost, if they were to be implemented in every building at UCL this could mean potentially thousands of unnecessary chairs where other evacuation procedures can take place. We consider the following factors when considering if an evacuation chair is suitable for a location:

• The chair needs to fit the angle and width of the stairwell
• Is there space to implement a refugee area?
• Will there always be personnel trained to use evacuation chairs if there is a fire?
• Can we provide sufficient training?
• What is an appropriate maintenance schedule for this location's equipment?
• Can regular checks be provided and logged?

How do I know if a specific room (e.g. on my timetable, my office) is accessible?

Although a room may be accessible, this does not always mean that the room provides suitable evacuation routes. The following teams will assist you with identifying if the room has suitable accessible evacuation routes:

• Room bookings. 
• Building fire safety handbooks on the Fire Safety SharePoint.
• Speaking with the Building Facilities Manager.
• Contacting the UCL Fire Team they will all be able to assist in whether the selected locations are suitable for emergency evacuation dependant on the individual’s needs.