Evac+Chair delivers for Stoke City FC

As one of the Premier League football clubs committed to complying with the requirements for disabled access set out in Accessible Stadia, Stoke City has chosen stairway evacuation chairs supplied by Evac+Chair to provide safe means of exit for supporters unable to use stairs in an emergency.

The Evac+Chairs are among the new facilities being introduced at Stoke City’s bet365 Stadium as it undergoes its first major re-development since being built in 1997. 

Increased provision for disabled supporters was added to permission gained in 2013 for the club to ‘fill the gap’ in the South-East corner of the stadium and lift capacity to over 30,000.  It was decided to carry out the new development in tandem with improved provision for disabled supporters, particularly wheelchair users, when the Premier League clubs agreed to comply with the requirements of the Sports Grounds and Safety Authority (SGSA) Accessible Stadia document by the deadline of August 2017.

The Evac+Chair model range offers a universal solution for safe stairway descent during an emergency.  The model chosen by Stoke City is the 300H which has a 182kg carrying capacity and is designed for one-person operation, avoiding the need for heavy lifting or manual handling.  British made, all Evac+Chairs carry the CE mark (class 1 medical device) and also undergo independent type testing.

With a large rota of match-day stewards, plus catering and other on-site staff, training is being rolled out to as many staff as possible, to ensure that there are always sufficient numbers of trained people on site on a match day.  The club is also in the process of recruiting a large team of access stewards as part of its Stoke City Safety Operation.  Their role includes helping with ingress and egress of the stadium to ensure spectator safety. Evacuation chair training will also be included with their disability training.

Gerard Wallace, Managing Director of Evac+Chair International said: “Rob and the team at Stoke City identified Evac+Chair as a key partner in achieving their aims to provide safe evacuation equipment for anyone visiting the ground who may require help. As part of our service, we assess individual stairs for the appropriate equipment and confirmed that the 300H was the ideal solution for use throughout the stadium.  The Evac+Chairs, plus our support, will be there to assist Stoke City Football Club and its dedicated fans for years to come.”

With development work well underway on the bet365 Stadium, the new facilities will be ready for use in August 2017.  By that time, a further 21 Evac+Chairs will be in place, with staff trained in their use.

www.evacchair.net