Evacuation Chairs Versus Stairlifts: Which Works?

A stairlift may make a building accessible every day, but it is not automatically a safe way to leave that building during a fire. When considering evacuation chairs versus stairlifts, organisations need to look beyond convenience and focus on what will protect staff, visitors, pupils and service users when normal routines stop.

The right decision depends on your premises, the people using them and the emergency procedures already in place. A chair fitted to a staircase and a stairlift may both involve moving someone on stairs, but they are designed for very different purposes. Getting that distinction wrong can delay evacuation, place someone at risk and leave staff facing an impossible decision under pressure.

Evacuation chairs versus stairlifts: the key difference

An evacuation chair is designed to help trained staff move a person down a staircase during an emergency. It is usually lightweight, stored in an accessible position and operated manually. Most models use tracks, belts or friction-controlled systems to provide a controlled descent, reducing the physical strain on the operator.

A stairlift is a day-to-day mobility aid. It enables a person to travel between floors while seated, normally at a slow speed and with the building operating as usual. It is fixed to the stairs, relies on mechanical components and may rely on mains power or battery charging. It is not normally intended as a fire evacuation solution.

That difference matters because a staircase may be the main escape route for everyone else. During an emergency, a stairlift can obstruct the route, take too long to use or create a bottleneck. The person using it may also be isolated on an upper floor if the lift is unavailable, unsafe to operate or unsuitable for the circumstances.

An evacuation chair is not a universal answer either. It must be selected, positioned and used as part of a planned evacuation process. A chair that remains folded on a wall because nobody knows how to use it will not protect anyone.

Your legal duties start with the fire risk assessment

For organisations in England and Wales, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to take general fire precautions and provide safe means of escape. Equality duties also mean that disabled people must be considered properly, rather than being expected to wait for assistance or rely on a one-size-fits-all plan.

The practical question is simple: can every person on your premises reach a place of safety without unreasonable delay? If the answer is uncertain for anyone who cannot use stairs independently, your arrangements need closer attention.

Your fire risk assessment should identify who may need assistance, where they are likely to be, the routes available and who will provide support. This must account for employees, regular service users and predictable visitors, not only the people who happen to be in the building on a quiet day.

For many workplaces, schools, care settings and community venues, this leads to a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan, often called a PEEP. A PEEP is not a generic statement that staff will help if needed. It should set out an agreed, practical arrangement for the individual concerned.

When an evacuation chair may be the right choice

Evacuation chairs can be highly effective in multi-storey buildings where people may need assistance to descend stairs and there is no suitable evacuation lift. They are particularly relevant where a wheelchair user, someone with restricted mobility, a person recovering from injury or an individual who becomes unable to walk safely may be on an upper floor.

They can offer a quick, dignified and controlled route down when trained operators are present. In many cases, they are more practical than carrying somebody, which can endanger both the person being moved and the staff attempting the lift.

However, suitability must be assessed individually. Some people may be unable to transfer safely into an evacuation chair, may have a medical condition that affects positioning, or may become distressed in a confined situation. Others may require a different device, such as an evacuation sheet or mattress, or a plan that uses a designated refuge while trained assistance is arranged.

Before choosing a chair, consider:

• the number of floors, stair width, turns, landings and surface condition;

• the likely number of people who may need assistance at the same time;

• whether transfers into and out of the chair can be completed safely;

• where the chair will be stored and whether it can be reached during an incident; and

• how many trained staff are reliably available during every shift.

A chair must also be compatible with the escape route. There is little value in purchasing equipment that cannot safely negotiate a narrow staircase or cannot be accessed when doors are closed or corridors are busy.

Why a stairlift should not be your evacuation plan

A stairlift can transform daily access, and it may be an essential reasonable adjustment for an employee, resident or visitor. That does not mean it should be included as the primary way to evacuate during a fire.

First, its journey is slow. A stairlift travelling down one flight can hold up others who need to use the staircase quickly. Second, it may be affected by power failure, heat, smoke, fault conditions or the need to isolate equipment. Third, the stairlift itself remains attached to the escape route, which can reduce clear width and complicate emergency movement.

There is also a human factor. A person who uses a stairlift independently in calm conditions may not be able to do so during an alarm, in smoke, or when staff are urging everyone to leave. A safe evacuation plan must work in the conditions most likely to cause panic and confusion, not merely during a demonstration on a quiet afternoon.

If your building has an evacuation lift, that is a separate matter. An evacuation lift is specifically designed and managed for emergency use, with protected power supplies, fire-resisting features and defined operating procedures. It should not be confused with a domestic-style stairlift or a standard passenger lift.

The equipment is only one part of the plan

Buying an evacuation chair does not transfer responsibility from the organisation to the equipment. The people expected to operate it need practical training, not simply a manual read once during induction.

Training should cover safe opening and setup, moving the chair to the staircase, positioning the passenger, securing straps, controlling descent, communicating calmly and transferring the person to a place of safety. Staff also need to understand when not to use the chair, how to summon further assistance and how their role fits within the wider fire evacuation procedure.

Practice matters. A trained operator who has handled the equipment on the actual stairs in your building is far more likely to act decisively than someone who has watched a video or been told they are a designated helper. Competence should be refreshed when staff change, equipment is replaced, building layouts alter or a drill identifies a weakness.

Training 2 U provides practical, workplace-based evacuation chair training that helps teams build the confidence to use their equipment safely in the environments where they may need it most.

Make the decision around people, not products

The best choice is rarely made by asking which product is cheaper or easier to install. Start with the people you are responsible for, then test whether your arrangements will work at different times of day, with reduced staffing levels and in a genuine emergency.

Speak with the individual who may need assistance. Their knowledge of their own mobility, comfort, communication needs and medical considerations is central to a respectful PEEP. Include them in drills where appropriate, review the plan regularly and avoid assumptions based solely on a diagnosis or the mobility aid they use.

A stairlift can support inclusion every working day. An evacuation chair can provide a controlled means of escape when stairs are the only safe route down. Protect your people by ensuring both are used for the purpose they were designed for, and by giving your staff the hands-on skills to act when every second counts.