Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)

Fire Alarm Systems for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired:

What is the DDA?

The Disability Discrimination Act aims to prevent discrimination against any person living with a disability and seeks to provide equal and enforceable rights, with access to goods, facilities and services. It states that service providers are not allowed to treat people less favourably because of their disability and failure to consider and take into account their needs will be viewed as 'discrimination'.

Service Providers

include any company, partnership or sole trader that employ people and offer goods, facilities or services to the public in the UK.

Reasonable Adjustments

Until October 2001 making reasonable adjustments has largely meant making alterations to practices, policies and procedures of an organisation to accommodate allowances for the disabled. However, as of the pt October 2004, organisations are required to make appropriate physical changes to buildings to ensure factors such as disabled access, circulation, communication etc particularly in times of an emergency, are addressed and suitable and appropriate equipment is provided.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of public and private sector owners or occupiers to ensure their premises meet DDA requirements.

Implementation

The first stage of the Act, made law in 1996, was relatively vague and demanded little response other than making it unlawful for service providers to treat disabled people less favourably for reasons relating to their disability. The next stage, which came into force in 1999, was more pro-active requiring service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people. But the third stage of the Act, which became an enforceable requirement from 1 s t October 2004, makes detailed requirements regarding construction and refurbishment and specification of all public buildings and commercial premises r elating to the approach to buildings, parking, entrance routes and access, especially in times of emergency alarm and escape. It also removes the small business exemption for employers with less than 15 employees.

Penalties

The RNID believe that in most cases, the award to an individual may receive for 'hurt feelings' is likely to be less than £5000, with the possibility of an injunction against the service provider to make adjustments. However, employers should take note that awards of damages by an Employment Tribunal for breach of the DDA are uncapped. Further exposure to potentially significant increased risk occurs from Employers and Third Party Liability Insurance and under Duty of Care.

British Standards

Recommends that visual alarm devices or tactile devices be incorporated with the existing fire system to provide a warning to the hard of hearing and partially sighted. The final decision on the method of providing a fire alarm warning is the responsibility of the system user following their own annual fire risk assessment and consultation with their fire alarm specialist.

They must also ensure that whichever method they choose it must comply with the British Standards listed below: -

BS5446 Part 3 2004 smoke alarm kits for the deaf and hard of hearing
BS5839, Part 1 2002 the code of practice for the design of fire detection and alarm systems
BS8300, 2001 the code of practice for design of buildings for disabled people

As a rough guide visual alarm devices should be installed in all areas where the hard of hearing and partially sighted may be alone such as corridors, stairwells, toilets, plant rooms, bedrooms etc, whilst tactile devices such as vibrating pagers or pillow pads need only be held at reception ready for use by hard of hearing and partially sighted when they visit the building.

Note when adding the visual alarm devices to a system it will impact on the load, therefore the battery backup will need to be increased. The system user must also take into account that there is a maximum number of audible and visual alarm devices allowed on sounder circuits or loops, therefore additional sounder circuits or loops may need to be added to the fire system in order to provide the facility.

BDS Fire and Security Limited provide the specialist personal to assist you in your decision on what type of devices should be used and where necessary a site condition survey can be arranged, which is chargeable at our standard hourly rates.

Should you wish to discuss the aforementioned further, require guidance or wish a quotation please do not hesitate to contact us on 020 8773 3377.