User Manual

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theaters can be evacuated one at a time and not all
simultaneously. Regular staff training is required to
ensure that such a system will work correctly and
efficiently under emergency conditions.
Phased evacuation (staged alarm)
In more complex education facilities a phased evacuation
may be considered appropriate. This system offers the
following advantages:
 Reduced clogging (or blocking) of the escape routes
and especially of staircases. When the whole building
is evacuated simultaneously, people tend to flock to
the staircases on all floors at the same time, which
may lead to considerable tailbacks.
 Reduced probability of any panic reaction. The
awareness of being in danger without being able to
get out quickly (blocked exits) can easily lead to panic.
The consequences of such panic reactions may be
even worse than those of the fire itself.
It is important to restrict evacuation to an absolute
minimum. The complete evacuation of an entire building
is only recommended when the fire can no longer be
controlled. It is mostly sufficient to evacuate a small
number of fire compartments.
4.4.3 Organization
A successful evacuation can only be achieved when the
appropriate infrastructure and management organization
are in place and are regularly reviewed.
Up-to-date evacuation plans
In many countries approved plans for fire alarm and
evacuation measures are required by law. These plans
must detail all necessary actions to be taken during
emergencies and designate the persons responsible for
the implementation of such actions. In countries where
no such legislation exists, the safety/security manager
should consult with local authorities and the fire service
to formulate the most effective plans for their premises.
Regular fire drills
Regular meetings and fire drills are essential in keeping
evacuation plans up to date and staff fully prepared for
any emergency.
Regular checks should also be made to ensure:
 Escape routes are always free from blockages of any
sort and that emergency fire exits remain unlocked
(although they will generally be supervised by an in-
house alarm system for security purposes)
 Emergency lighting is well-maintained and always
in perfect working order
4.4.4 Evacuation instructions
The single most important factor in a successful
evacuation is providing people with clear instructions
telling them what they have to do. In such environments
it is generally considered inadequate to rely on the
students being able to correctly interpret the meaning of
the acoustic ‘alert’ and ’evacuate’ signals from simple
sounders. In large university buildings a voice alarm
system would be recommended, which provides a
microphone input that allows the responsible fire officer
to ‘speak’ directly to people in specific areas as required.
The most appropriate means of conveying this
information to the endangered persons may vary
considerably, depending on the location:
Example 1: Lecture theaters
In lecture theaters the Staff Alarm strategy may be the
most appropriate. This relies on members of staff
providing directions to students in such a way that an
efficient, panic-free evacuation will be carried out as soon
as it is considered necessary. A good example of such an
application can be seen in lecture theater blocks, where
several large auditoriums may share the same evacuation
route. Well-drilled staff can greatly increase the efficiency
of an evacuation if each lecture theater is evacuated in
turn rather than all simultaneously.
Example 2: Event venues
In event venues, large numbers of students, loud music
and a party atmosphere may be encountered. In such
areas, some form of public address system (or voice alarm
system) will be essential in ensuring that everyone hears
and understands the instructions being given, and a
panic-free evacuation can be conducted.
Example 3: Student accommodation
Simultaneous evacuation is the most common concept for
student accommodation blocks and is generally initiated
by the sounding of a simple general alarm. In high-rise
accommodation blocks the installation of a voice alarm
system may be justified if phased evacuation is deemed to
be an appropriate solution.
Example 4: High-tech laboratories
In certain high-tech laboratories such as cleanrooms,
where fire loss could deal a devastating blow to the
revenue of the university, automated extinguishing
systems may be installed. It is therefore imperative that all
students have evacuated the laboratory before the
extinguishing agent is released. Consequently, in addition
to the standard acoustic and optical alarms, the efficiency
of an evacuation could be improved by a simple voice
alarm system with pre-programmed evacuation
instructions.
4.4.5 Escape routes
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Once the students have understood that they need to
evacuate the building, following the appropriate escape
route must be made as straightforward as possible.
Clear signage is essential as the best escape route may
not necessarily be the route that people would take under
normal circumstances. In an emergency situation the
travel distance to a place of safety must be as short as
possible. The purpose of the fire exit signs is to help
people reach the nearest exit by the most direct route.