Safety Precautions for High-Rise Buildings During Emergency !
Evacuation Systems for High-Rise Buildings
Back Ground
Panic of occupants of high-rise buildings during the early
stages of a fire is a danger that can contribute to high casualty losses.
Smoke, gases, and super-heated air make it imperative that an emergency
evacuation program be established for all high-rise buildings.
This article will help you in understanding the importance
of smoke evacuation system.
Efficient Evacuation
Successful and efficient evacuation depends on complete pre-
planning, organization, and supervision. Planning should include at least these
basic principles:
Building evacuation
organization;
Evacuation policy and plans;
Detection and reporting (of fire or hazard);
Evacuation program coordination (of movement and
evacuation);
Communication to direct movement and evacuation;
Inspection and evaluation.
Building evacuation organization and fire
safety program
Written plan - As soon as building occupancy begins, a
written plan of fire and other emergency procedures should be agreed upon by
building management and responsible representatives of each building tenant.
The emergency
evacuation plan should include:
An outline of the emergency evacuation organization plan and
agreed-upon priorities, including responsibilities and authorities. Building and
tenant representatives should agree upon these.
Detection, emergency warning systems, and reporting
procedures for fire and other hazards should be provided.
Coordination of central building emergency evacuation
control with assigned floor emergency evacuation teams should provide for the
orderly movement of persons. Pre-planning and “fire in progress”
chain-of-command instructions should be detailed, and each tenant should be
required to acknowledge and comply.
In addition to a suitable and effective fire-detection
system (both automatic and two way voice communications), an adequate and
effective system for two-way communications should be provided for every floor.
The communication system will be used to direct the work assigned to floor
evacuation teams and to assist in communications between buildings
communications control center and fire department personnel using the system
during fire-fighting and evacuation emergencies.
Building management and tenants should cooperate in an
education and training program for all emergency floor-evacuation teams,
employees, and building visitors. This should include a system of personal
instruction for all building inhabitants and proper posting of instructions,
placards, and evacuation diagrams at strategic locations on every floor.
Emergency fire procedure information should be prominently posted in corridors.
One individual should be designated to establish a program,
including proper documentation for regular inspections and follow-up to
maintain the detection and communication system in the best operating
condition.
An evacuation drill program should be established that will
include periodic practice of movement of occupants to refuge areas. The
frequency of these drills – monthly, quarterly, etc. – would depend upon the
employee turnover in the area. The schedule should be maintained and
documented. The drill should include the progressive movement of personnel to
areas of safety. The purpose of "progressive movement" should be
explained to the tenants at this time – to keep all tenants a safe distance
from the fire hazard without evacuating the building all at once.
Evacuation policy and
plans
Policy and plans – When leases are signed
by tenants occupying high-rise buildings, a document describing the building’s
emergency evacuation policy and plans should be provided by the building
management and agreed upon by the tenant. This document should describe fire detection
and fire reporting systems and the emergency evacuation plans and communication
system provided by the building. Tenants should agree to furnish assigned
emergency evacuation teams and a responsible representative to act for them in
all matters of fire control and personal evacuation. (In the event that two or
more residential tenants occupy a floor of a multipurpose high-rise building,
the tenants should designate a floor evacuation representative and alternate
who would report to the building coordinator.
Evacuation routes – Drawings, diagrams, evacuation routes, and
similar information should be included in the building’s emergency evacuation
plans. Furthermore, the document should include those elements of this data
sheet adopted as standard procedures. Floor numbering and direction of travel
should be indicated in stairwells.
Imminent danger – The building’s emergency evacuation plan should
define “imminent danger” situations and provide for immediate temporary action
by responsible persons assigned to emergency floor evacuation teams.
Central control – The building’s emergency evacuation plan should
indicate how central control will function in the event of fire and the need to
move and evacuate persons.
Floor evacuation
teams – The building’s emergency evacuation plan should include the duties and
responsibilities of emergency tenant floor evacuation teams.
Information to
tenants – The building’s emergency evacuation plan should describe evacuation
training to be provided and copies of written information furnished to
occupants. Fire and emergency evacuation information should be posted at
strategic locations on every floor and elevator.
Evacuation drills –
The building’s emergency evacuation plan should include a schedule of programmed
fire and evacuation drills. (Partial building skill drills and full-dress
“rehearsal for survival” should be planned.)
Detection and report
It is not the
intention of this data sheet to describe fire, smoke, and similar emergency
detection systems. Detection, automatic alarm systems, or automatic sprinkler
systems should be a part of the total fire protection preparedness program.
However, if fire is detected or the start of a fire is witnessed, it should be
reported immediately. Delays in reporting fires because of heroic but
ineffective fire-fighting can result in needless time loss and allow a simple
fire to get out of control. Fire-reporting systems must be handy, direct and
not subject to any delay. Reporting by telephone or personal contact should be
discouraged when faster means are available.
Evacuation Program
Coordination
Movements of occupants to a refuge location, as well as
total evacuation, require the utmost coordination of assigned emergency
evacuation floor teams and central evacuation control.
Decision to evacuate – Chain-of-command pre-planning should
determine those vested with authority to move persons and evacuate emergency
areas as well as under what circumstances emergency temporary authority for
immediate removal is provided to assign floor evacuation control teams. Central
building evacuation control should take over command from floor evacuation
control teams immediately. Similarly, central evacuation control should be
relinquished to the fire department officials upon their arrival.
Evacuation communication – Movement and evacuation should be
controlled through Communication. Communication between central control and
affected areas is of prime concern. In addition to two-way communication
between the emergency area and central control, all other occupants should be
instructed properly about procedures to follow for movement to refuge areas and
evacuation disciplines (or not to evacuate until further notice).
Evacuation priorities – Generally,
immediate evacuation will be from the floor where a fire or explosion emergency
occurs and the two floors immediately above, and the two floors immediately
below the emergency floor. These occupants will be directed to a refuge area
and will be given movement priority. Thereafter, movement and evacuation
priorities will be determined on the basis of particular fire and smoke
conditions reported by emergency evacuation floor control teams and fire
department personnel. These persons will direct evacuation disciplines,
assisted (as necessary) by trained building evacuation control teams.
Pre-planning and evacuation – Pre-planning,
evacuation priorities and proper skill drills help eliminate mistakes and
misunderstanding. Plans should include possible alternate routes when
particular circumstances warrant rerouting of occupants because of hazards
(such as smoke, heat, and gasses) in the evacuation route. (Note: a
blocked-open door can render an evacuation movement on a stairwell dangerous.
Alternate routes should be planned and directed to be used until the cause of
danger is removed and the stairwell is safe for use.)
Means of evacuation – Building central evacuation control should
determine the safest and most efficient means of evacuation, depending upon the
nature of the emergency and scope of damage. This decision should be made known
to floor evacuation control teams and personnel on those floors affected, based
on the order of priority.
Evacuation priorities – There should be a positive means of
selectivity notifying occupants to evacuate. Definite priority must be given to
those floors directly involved and floors immediately adjacent to the
emergency. On the emergency involved floor, evacuation should be to the nearest
available exit to a safe area three floors below or street level.
Exiting – Provisions
should be made, and direction provided by assigned floor evacuation control
teams, to make sure that traffic flows out and away from the building at all
exit terminal points.
Use of stairwells
– During fire emergencies, evacuation must be by means of fire stairwells.
Specific information of this nature should be conveyed by the building control
to individually selected floors, or to all floors, depending on the extent of
the emergency and the need for evacuation at specific areas. (Local police and
fire departments should be consulted to determine adequacy of the plan.)
Bomb-threat emergencies – Generally, a
bomb threat emergency will follow the procedures established for fire emergency
movement and evacuation, except elevator evacuation may be considered. The
decision to move occupants or to evacuate them will be determined by police,
bomb squads, or fire department authorities. This is a complex decision based
on many variables. It is a job for the experts. Again, speed in reporting and
pre-planning is absolutely necessary, especially when involving recognized
authorities and determining “chain-of-command.” Communication channels must be
established to provide accessible, direct, and no-delay reporting.
Communication for directing movement and evacuation
Proper movement of
persons to refuge areas or evacuation depends on complete and accurate
communications between central control (building and fire authorities) and all
assigned floor-evacuation control teams.
1. Full-time
communications – Communications channels must be available at all times when
the building is occupied by any tenant, security, or cleaning people. Direct
contact to the chief of each floor’s assigned evacuation control team (or
designated alternates because the floor captain may be out of the area, ill, or
on vacation) must be
available at all times. These people must have the
authority, responsibility, and training to act for the building tenant on their
assigned floors. There must always be a trained substitute to take over in the
absence of any fire warden or acting fire warden. A system of alternates should
be established so that no floor evacuation team is depleted for even as short a
time as a lunch period.
2. Off-duty-hour
communication – During periods when the building is not occupied, direct
signalling to the fire department should be established. At no time should any
one enter the building without his presence being duly noted in writing at a
security guard entry location. It will be the security guard’s duty to notify
and evacuate all “off-hour” occupants in the event a fire or other emergency
occurs.
3. Methods of
communication – Several communication systems are commercially available to
ensure full service communications at all times. Personal wireless pagers, loud
speakers, and telephones can be used to announce evacuation communication needs
and to provide initial contact between the captain (regular or acting) of the
floor evacuation control teams and central building evacuation control.
Fire-call stations located at strategic intervals on each floor will allow
confidential selective notification by two-way communications when it is not
desired to sound a “general alarm.” However, a selective system of alarm or
pager that alerts by floors should notify floor evacuation control teams to
“man their stations,” including “pulling” the floor box to receive more
detailed instructions beyond the general announcements going to the tenants on
each floor.
4. Communications
backup – Whatever system of communication used should be backed up by at least
one alternate, independent communication system to use in the event the primary
system becomes inoperative.
Inspection and Evaluation
A complete inspection of building and tenant quarters should
be made to ascertain regular and special needs of the building and its
occupants before establishing an emergency evacuation program. Fire prevention
specialists should be consulted, and the program
evaluated by means of regular inspection programming. This
is also necessary whenever changes are made to physical structures in the
building, and for remodeling or renovating of quarters.
Inspection form – It
is suggested that an emergency plan inspection form be used for regularly
scheduled inspections. A sample of such a “check-off” type form with space for
narrative comment under each separate caption follows.
Schedule of
inspection – It is suggested that inspections be performed on a regular,
scheduled basis. The frequency of inspection is determined by special needs,
construction, or occupancy. Inspection reports and the overall evaluation of
the Emergency evacuation plan should be reviewed on a regular basis with fire
authorities.
Inspection reports –
Copies of inspection reports should be distributed to:
Building management;
Captains of emergency evacuation floor teams;
Fire safety coordinator;
Tenants with fire violations or conducting hazardous
operations likely to cause a fire.
An inspection and evaluation team should be made up of a
representative of the building, an authorized representative of the tenants,
and emergency evacuation team captains of the areas being inspected. Rotating
guest inspection team members should be invited to provide education and
training.
Tenant questionnaires
– Periodically, a questionnaire should be distributed to each tenant evaluating
occupancy of the building and preparedness for emergencies. These should relate
to furnishings, fixtures, electrical changes, etc., and any changes in
originally leased disclosures such as storage and use of flammables,
explosives, or “exotic” materials that might be a fire or explosion hazard.Randomly
selected groups of employees in tenant occupancies should be
givenquestionnaires relating to their knowledge of: number and location of
exits; location offlammables; usage of stairwells instead of elevators during
emergencies; names of floorcaptains, etc. These questionnaires can be
distributed by emergency evacuation floorteams or inspection teams and
picked-up and evaluated by fire authorities, buildingmanagement, tenant
representatives, and captains of emergency evacuation floor teams. This will serve
as a continuing method of evaluating occupancy of the building and preparedness
for emergencies.
In Event of Fire
Floors to be
evacuated
Generally, evacuation
will be from the floor on which the emergency has occurred and the two floors
immediately below and above the “emergency floor” to a safe point below or
above the critical area. (The construction of the building will be an important
factor when considering the direction of the evacuation and also to determine
the number of floors to be evacuated from the involved area.)Evacuation should
be accomplished by way of fire stairwells. If smoke or fire has penetrated a
stairwell, alternate stairwells should be used. In the event of “bomb-threat”
emergencies, the evacuation order will be controlled by joint decision of the
police and fire department in consultation with building management and
tenants’ representatives. Elevators can be used for “bomb-threat” emergencies,
but never for fire emergencies.
Building management
and maintenance personnel should proceed immediately to fire stairwells and
assist in the evacuation of occupants of the involved floor or floors.
Elevator control
Immediately upon
recognition of fire emergency, all elevators should be returned to the lobby
floor .
Automatic devices
should be installed to allow elevator cars to bypass all fire-involved floors.
Under no circumstances should elevators be stopped at the fire-involved floors.
All occupants of the building, including visitors, must be informed that there
will be no elevator service to or from emergency floors, and that they must
evacuate by way of fire stairwells to refuge areas or beyond.
Physically
handicapped occupants should be moved down the fire stairwell to the uppermost
floor served by an un-involved elevator bank, and then be moved by elevator
under the direction of fire officials. Seriously handicapped persons should be
assisted by assigned floor evacuation team members. Locating the desks of
handicapped persons in a work area near an exit will make their evacuation
easier. Control of elevators from the lobby level will be under the command and
direction of a fire official. Elevators should be programmed to return non-stop
to the lobby level during fire emergency.
Evacuation control
The direction of traffic should be related to the number of
persons on each floor, the number of emergency stairwells available, and the
number of floors directly exposed to the fire or emergency.
Evacuation priority –
There should be a positive means of directly notifying occupants to Evacuate.
Definite priority must be given to those floors directly involved and floor
Immediately adjacent to the emergency.
Method of evacuation – Building control
will determine the safest and most efficient means of evacuation, depending on
the nature of the emergency and scope of damage.This decision should be made
known to floor control personnel and those floors affected.Floor control
personnel on the endangered floors should be notified first. To regulate flow,
and to control the number of building occupants moving down single stairwells,
alternate floors may be assigned different stairwells, thus providing an
interval of two full flights between evacuating floors. On the
emergency-involved floor, evacuation should be to the nearest available exit
that can be reached safely.Provisions should be made, and directions provided,
to ensure that occupants move awayfrom the building at all exit terminal points
to a pre-determined location to facilitate a“head count” inventory of
evacuation.
Conclusion - In the way of growth, we can
not stop making Tall buildings but can definitely avoid any type of accident by
proper design, execution and operation of each services. The article may can
guide you but alertness and timely function can only save us from any such
accident. - By Clancy Bytes
Comments
Post a Comment