User Manual

33
Siemens Switzerland Ltd
Building Technologies Division
Conducted evacuation
(staff alarm)
In buildings where a large number of visitors may be present, who are not
familiar with the building layout, it is important to avoid any panic that might
occur in a simultaneous evacuation. Conducted evacuation is a strategy that
relies on well-trained staff and carefully planned evacuation procedures:
· Members of staff are warned as soon as an initial fire alarm has been
triggered.
· Designated staff members investigate the cause of the alarm.
· If the incident requires the evacuation of the building all members of
staff are alerted.
· The evacuation is conducted by the members of staff in an orderly
manner in accordance with pre-planned (and regularly practiced)
procedures.
Phased evacuation
(staged alarm)
In large museums or more complex historical buildings a phased evacuation may
be considered appropriate. This results in 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) easily leads
to panic reactions. This may be accentuated by the presence of
particularly narrow passageways or staircases in some types of
historical building. The consequences of such panic reactions may be
even worse than those of the fire itself.
Restriction of evacuation to the minimum is absolutely necessary. The complete
evacuation of an entire building is only recommended when the fire can no
longer be controlled. It is mostly sufficient to evacuate one or several 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 building owner or
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 the 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.