40-stone dummies help prepare carers for rescuing obese people

Ruth Lee is training care home staff to be able to rescue obese people in the event of an emergency.

The dummies, which have been developed in response to rising obesity rates, are being used to replicate the weight of unconscious people.

Sarah Hampson from Ruth Lee Ltd said: “Events like Grenfell have highlighted the need to come up with a good evacuation plan. There’s no point having a plan if you’re not sure you can carry it out.

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“As a company, we aim to make manikins which provide teams with a realistic challenge. With the obesity levels rising, it’s important that the emergency services learn how to safely manoeuvre heavier people from difficult access areas.”

The dummies come in three sizes – 90kg, 180kg and 260kg – and are filled with a stone core and steel ball bearings.

There is also a water-fillable bariatric suit which allows teams to position their manikin in a difficult spot to access.

Demand for a range of bariatric dummies comes as the number of morbidly obese people has dramatically increased. A quarter of British adults are classified as obese.