Evacuation - a no nonsense approach
Mark Roberts Evac+Chair International
Reasons for an Evacuation
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Fire Alarm Instruction Fire Terrorist Incident Earthquake Flood Total Electrical Failure Vandalism Building Management Instruction
International Trends - Causes
• Ageing structures – there will be increased incidents. • World wide - desire to keep building up, to live closer to amenities. • Construct buildings to a minimum standard, fire systems are not always a great selling feature, financial constraints. • Environmental efficiency becoming a focus area over fire safety. • Mixed use tall buildings – coordinating different occupancy. • Increased external fire spread incidents – fire systems not designed to handle these incidents and fire service have limited capability for external fire spread - taller buildings. • Ageing populations, limited ability to evacuate.
Most Common Fire System Failings • Fire Sprinkler Pumps requiring repair, waiting for parts, systems offline. • Passive fire systems, faulty installation and lack of ongoing inspection. • Faulty evacuation system. • Occupant evacuation procedures. • Fire Risk Assessment not completed to a satisfactory level of competence. Crucial that fire services or occupiers conduct a Building Fire Safety Program/Audit.
Nowt so queer as folk
Nowt so queer as folk
Building Management is Critical
• Ensure the building when in fire mode is easily recognisable. • On site personnel are aware of how the building is going to function. • Have expert advice readily available and be well rehearsed in this action. • Fire services will continue to provide an ever expanding service, but some form of resilience and organisation from within the building is essential. • When a Fire Officer can walk into a fire control room, be informed of the situation and quickly assess what fire systems are installed and functioning, they have a great head start.
BURJ KHALIFA EVACUATION STRATEGY The Burj Khalifa Evacuation Strategy includes four Areas of Refuge designed to assist in the phased evacuation of occupants in the event of a crisis affecting the building. The Areas of Refuge are directly connected to Sky Lobbies on the floors above to coordinate the use of specific lifts to evacuate occupants. AREAS OF REFUGE?
911 The Evacuation Issues Evacuation of WTC complex on 9/11 represents one of the largest full-scale building evacuations in modern times • •
Provides an opportunity to collect data from a real incident to address key questions in human behaviour during evacuation. This event focused the research community attention on a number of issues.
911 – Twin Towers - Stats
• 58,000 people in WTC complex at time of first impact. This includes all the buildings of the complex, subway system and concourse – not simply the towers. • WTC evacuation estimate that there were 17,400 people in the buildings. 8,900 in WTC1 and 8540 in WTC2. • Estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 people in each tower at time of impact.
911 – Twin Towers - Stats • Low occupancy due to: • Early morning voting for NYC mayoral primary election. • First day back at school for a number of children. • Economic downturn in Asia meant many of the Asian investment firms had closed offices or cut staff. • And …. it was early! • 1,462 in WTC1; 630 in WTC2 (2,092 total number of building fatalities)
911 The Evacuation Issues Cue recognition and response: What is a representative range of occupant response times for High Rise building evacuation Travel speeds on Stairs: What was the speed of people on the stairs and what contributed to it? How was the travel speed related to crowd densities? Population demographics? Fatigue People with Reduced Mobility: What did PRM do? How did they evacuate? Did their presence impact the evacuation of others?
911 The Evacuation Issues Exit route selection: Did occupants familiar with the building know the exit route? Was the emergency signage effective in assisting people in wayfinding? Evacuation time: How long did it take to evacuate from the towers? What would have happened had the towers been fully occupied?
911 The Evacuation Issues
Floors 101-110 947 dead Impact floors 94-98 Floors 91-100 413 dead
Floors 1-90
72 dead
The evacuation of the WTC was a success in that virtually everyone that could have got out, did get out.
Floors 86-110 477 dead Impact floors 78-84 Floors 76-85 118 dead
Floors 1-85
4 dead
Why is it important to consider human behaviour? WTC survivor from the 77th floor of North Tower who evacuated on 9/11 said: “Let me add too that, at the 44th floor there was what they call an interzone elevator bank, we were led off the stairwell at the 44th floor and shown to that elevator where there are hundreds of people milling and I looked at that and I turned around to my team and I said ‘no, I am not waiting for an elevator in a building on fire. Let’s go 'and I walked back to the stairwell and they did too and then we proceeded down”
Why is it important to consider human behaviour? WTC1/025/0002: P “honestly I didn’t know where the evacuation stairwells where….. they say, …look for the exit signs when you go in a place, they really mean that because, you know unless something’s happened before, you’re not go to be able to find it.” WTC1/057/0002: P “…we couldn’t at that point find the exit. Our stairwell had ended and there were no guide posts to go anywhere….so a number of people started searching for some place to go for another stairwell to go down from the 44th floor. Eventually someone found it so we continued down.”
People With Reduced Mobility WTC1/020/0001:Female, located on 20th floor: Had knee surgery and severe arthritis, could only walk short distance and used a scooter for longer distances. 3 helpers to assist her down the stairs. P “(We) took up the whole stairway” I “How fast were you going down the stairs” P “…..I (was) doing step-step-step” I “Did you stop to take a rest” P “Well yeah. …we would go over to the corner on the landing ….. So people could then go around us.”
People With Reduced Mobility WTC1/054/0001, Male, WTC1, 54thfloor: He had an air cast on his ankle, used crutches. I “So how many stops would you say roughly you had on the way down” P “…it was like move a few steps, half a flight, and then stop….” I “so the length of the stops …” P “minutes, sometimes minutes. • PRM was unaided and so did not block the stairs, but stopped many times during the descent, delaying his evacuation. • In general PRM were: Assisted down the stairs – Progressing quite slowly – Could occupy entire width of the stairs (with helpers) making it difficult for others to pass.
People With Reduced Mobility
Assist devices for disabled
Royal Marsden Hospital fire Jan 2008 Required full evacuation of hospital
Assist devices for non-ambulant Stretcher
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Carry Chair
Drag Mattress
Evac+Chair
How long does it take to evacuate non-ambulant person using these devices? How many people are required to use the device? What impact do these devices have on the flow of other people down the stairs?
Results from PRM Trials Predicted ward evacuation time for male and female handling teams 32 PRM 7 day staf 4 night staf
Results from PRM Trials
Conclusion – 10 No Nonsense Pointers 1. Be Aware of your Obligations
Join the EEA/FPA! Changes in legislation Does not always cost money: ECI Evacuation Audit, www.hse.gov.uk, Keeping up with the Jones - Google Alerts Corporate Manslaughter The act, which came info force on 6 April 2008, clarifies the criminal liabilities of companies including large organisation where serious failures in the management of health and safety result in a fatality BS 9999:2008 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings. What refuges are and the use of refuges. Fire Regulation Regulatory Reform Equality Act 2010
Conclusion – 10 No Nonsense Pointers 2. Makes somebody Responsible
Responsible Person, even in small business. Access is an integral part of most businesses, safe emergency egress for all is a legal requirement and should receive the same attention.
3. Risk Assessment Think specifically for your industry Identify the hazards Decide who might be harmed and how Evaluate the risks and decide on precaution Record your findings and implement them Review your assessment and update if necessary
Conclusion – 10 No Nonsense Pointers 4. Evacuation Strategy
Part of overall disaster recovery plan. Being aware of what and where a refuge area is? Involve your ‘Competent Person’ for Fire Safety and your Access consultant from the outset. Well devised strategies and arrangements will: • Ensure legal compliance. • Satisfy the duty of care. • Reduce managerial burden. • Paint a positive picture of the organisation.
5. Practice
Survey, Evacuation Audit. BS9999 – law recommends Evacuations Drill (at least once a year). Only practice a fire drill every 6 month.
Conclusion – 10 No Nonsense Pointers 6. Be Prepared
Imperative to ensure people are trained. 14% of companies have lost a member of staff that has been trained.
7. Be aware of mobility impaired people Who can be mobility impaired? PEEP, GEEP Management should be aware that to comply in part with the Equality Act, they have to identify any additional escape needs of a person in your building. This also includes those who are temporary disabled through injury. Where this has been identified, then arrangements should be made, in consultation with the employee or pupil (and his/her parents or guardians), to make adequate arrangements for their evacuation in the event of fire by completing a PEEP.
Conclusion – 10 No Nonsense Pointers 8. Get tooled up.
Evac+Chair - Evacuation Chair Passive Fire Protection People
9. Communication
Designated Zones. Integrate Design, Build, Maintenance. Fire safety systems must be incorporated into your plan. Fire Service? Work with them. Training and Drills are an essential part of being able to deal with an incident!
10.Service Your Equipment
50% of Business have not serviced their emergency equipment or replenished their first aid kit.
Evacuation - a no nonsense approach
Mark Roberts Evac+Chair International