Evacuation Kits

Evacuation Kits Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about emergency evacuation kits for sites, workplaces, care homes and hospital wards in the UK.

What is an evacuation kit?

An evacuation kit is a ready-to-grab pack of equipment that helps marshals and staff clear a building safely and account for everyone during an emergency evacuation. It brings together high-visibility identification, a means to direct and reassure people, first aid, and tools to help check the premises are clear everything the responsible person needs in the first minutes of an evacuation, in one place.

What should an evacuation kit contain?

Contents vary by setting, but a typical evacuation kit includes high-visibility vests to identify marshals, a means of communication such as a loud hailer, a torch and lighting, emergency blankets, a first aid kit, a roll-call register or means of accounting for people, and a copy of the site evacuation plan. Kits for care and healthcare settings add assisted-evacuation equipment. Each EVAQ8 kit lists its full contents on the product page.

How do I choose the right size of evacuation kit?

Choose by the number of people on site. EVAQ8 evacuation kits are grouped by headcount for example a workplace kit for around 20 people up to a site kit for up to 100 persons so items such as blankets and casualty support match the size of the group you may need to move. For larger or multi-zone premises, a kit per floor or per evacuation zone is a common approach.

What is the difference between an evacuation kit and a grab bag?

A grab bag is a general-purpose emergency pack a warden picks up when leaving, focused on first response. An evacuation kit is built specifically to help clear a building and account for people, emphasising marshalling, identification and headcount over shelter or survival supplies. Many organisations keep both see our Emergency Grab Bags range.

Do care homes and hospitals need specialist evacuation kits?

Yes. Settings where people may need help to leave care homes, hospital wards and similar benefit from kits designed around assisted evacuation. These can include an evacuation escape chair for moving people down stairs and a patient-transfer sheet. EVAQ8 offers dedicated care-home and hospital-ward evacuation kits alongside the standard range.

What is an evacuation chair and when is it needed?

An evacuation chair is a device that allows one or two operators to move a person who cannot use stairs unaided safely down to an exit during an evacuation, for example when lifts are out of use. They are commonly used in offices, care homes, hospitals and public buildings where people with limited mobility may be present. Brief operator familiarisation is recommended.

Can we order evacuation kits on a purchase order, or have them customised?

Yes. EVAQ8 welcomes purchase orders from care providers, NHS trusts, schools, councils and businesses, and has produced bespoke kits for UK organisations for over 20 years. Add the items you need and request a quote, or contact us for a kit built to your premises, headcount and layout.