Provision of refuges

Refuges are relatively safe areas for disabled people, with a disability or other impairment which may slow or restrict their ability to exit, to wait for short periods before completing their evacuation. They are not areas where disabled people should be left to wait for rescue by the Fire and Rescue Service, or to wait until the fire is extinguished. A refuge should be provided for each protected stairway affording egress from each storey, except storeys consisting exclusively of plant rooms. A refuge should also be provided at each final exit that leads unto an external flight of steps (in this case the refuge may be external). However, refuges are not required in a small building in single occupancy which comprises not more than a basement, a ground floor and a first storey with the floor area of each storey not more than 280 m2. Note – Whilst a refuge should be provided for each stairway, they need not necessarily be located within the stair enclosure but should enable direct access to the stair. The number of refuge spaces need not necessarily equal the sum of the number of wheelchair users who can be present in the building. The use of refuges forms part of the management plan and it may be that more than one disabled person will use a single refuge as they pass through as part of the evacuation procedure.