Escape routes from fire

Hydrocarbon leak, fire - Escape routes from areas... 

Fire escape routes from rooms in which hfl is manufactured, used or manipulated must be well identified and kept clear. 

Shortly after the A pump was started, condensate leaked from the loose relief valve flanges. The condensate found a source of ignition that led to an explosion that caused extensive damage and that probably led to the deaths of seven men adjacent to the condensate pumps. The explosion was followed by an oil pool fire and a blowdown of gas inventories to flare. The oil fire created a massive smoke plume that made the escape routes from the living quarters (where most of the personnel were located) impassable. 

Escape routes from work areas must be constructed to provide protection from the fire - both smoke and flames - and arranged so tiiat smoke seepage is kept to a minimum. All doors on escape routes should open in the direction of travel and be self-closing. They should be provided with a... 

Final exit is the termination of an escape route from a building that gives direct access to a place of safety. The final exit must be sited to ensure the rapid dispersal of persons from the vicinity of a building so that they are no longer in danger from smoke or fire. 

Any part of the building (including any doors) within 3m of the escape route from the stair to a place of safety should be provided with fire resisting construction... 

Depending on the requirements of local fire officers, statutory regulations and insurance bodies (or any other documents or bodies having jurisdiction), there may well be a need to address the clearance of smoke from escape routes, the control of smoke spread generally and the removal of smoke during and after firefighting activities. 

The smoke chamber (Figure 17.5) is a well-established piece of equipment, designed to monitor only the smoke evolution from burning materials, to minimize visible obscuration of escape routes during a fire. Its widespread acceptance has led to its use in a number of industry-specific toxicity... 

The fire protection system consists not only of a deluge system activated by the ultraviolet sensors, but also of fusible link type fire systems. The deluge system has a trip mechanism from mercury checks activated by heat-activated-devices, a manual release on the deluge valve, a pneumatic remote trip station, and an electrical push button along with the electrical trip mechanism from the U/V detectors. The remote trip stations are located by escape routes so it is possible for the operator to trip the systems as he exits the building without exposing himself to further danger. 

Consumer units - Recent fire statistics have shown that a large number of domestic fires involved plastic consumer units as a source of the fire. Consumer units are often located at the entrance or exit door or under stairs, raising the possibility that a fire starting as a result of faulty wiring could spread to coats or other household items and block the emergency escape routes. Regulation 421.1.200 now requires that consumer units be manufactured from non-combustible material, for example metal, or be enclosed in a non-combustible enclosure. Consumer units and switchgear must comply with BS EN 61439-3. 

Investigators believe the firefighters became cut off from their escape route. The winds moved the fire in their direction at 10-12 mph. Within a couple of minutes the route was in flames. The rapid expansion of the fire, problems with some communication equipment and other factors may have led to the tragic loss of Iife. ... 

Smoke seems to be the biggest killer of people who die in fire, not flames. Smoke produced during the combustion of polymers is a suspension of solid (carbon) particles in a mixture of gaseous combustion products and ambient atmosphere. Depending on the type of polymer and conditions of combustion, such a suspension can consist either of liquid droplets or solid particles, possible with additional condensation of products from the gas phase flame reaction on the surface of these solid particles. The principal hazard of smoke is that it hinders the escape route of occupants and the entry of fire fighters. Smoke can contribute to panic conditions because of its blinding and irritating effects, furthermore, in many cases, smoke reached untenable levels in exit ways before temperature reached untenable values. 

The two key features in planning a means of escape are, firstly, the travel distance which is the distance a person must travel from any point within a floor area to the nearest exit to a protected stairway, escape route or to a place of safety. In general 18 m is considered to be the maximum travel distance if there is only one exit and 45 m if there is more than one. Secondly, except in special circumstances, at least two escape routes in substantially opposite directions should be provided for every storey or level of a building. The width of the exit and the escape route is governed by the number of people who may be present on the storey or level but the minimum permitted width is 826 mm. Where a corridor forms part of the travel distance it should be enclosed to restrict the spread of smoke. If the corridor is a dead end then it must have at least half-hour fire resistance walls and ceilings so that people can safely pass by a room if it is on fire. If the corridor connects alternative exits it should be fitted with smoke stop doors mid-way between the exits. 

Under normal conditions fire wardens should check that good standards of housekeeping exist in their areas, that exits and escape routes are kept free from obstruction, that all fire fighting appliances are available for use and fire points are not obstructed, that smoking is rigidly controlled, and that all employees and sub-contractors under their control are familiar with the emergency procedure and know how to use the fire alarm and fire fighting equipment. 

The construction site may contain features that could promote the rapid spread of fire, heat or smoke and affect escape routes. These features may include ducts or flues, openings in floors or walls, or combustible wall or ceiling linings. Where people are put at risk from these features, appropriate steps should be taken to reduce the potential for rapid fire spread by, for example, fitting non-combustible temporary partitions and/or providing an early warning of fire so that people can leave the workplace before their escape routes become unusable. 

It is essential to ensure that everyone can escape quickly from the site if there is a fire. On open-air sites and unenclosed single-storey structures, escape routes may be obvious and plentiful. In more complex structures which have workplaces above and/or below ground, more detailed provisions will have to be made. 

Make sure that there are no obstructions on escape routes, especially on corridors, scaffolds and stairways where people who are escaping could dislodge stored items or be caused to trip. Any fire hazards must be removed from exit routes as a fire on an exit route could have very serious consequences. 

All fire exit doors should be identified as such by a standard sign and additional signs, that can be seen from all parts of the occupied area, should be posted to identify emergency escape routes and doors. Directional signs should be used over the full length of the escape route. The final door to the place of safety should be identified on both sides and the area beyond it kept clear of all obstructions to allow a free and rapid egress. 

IP 13/92 False alarms from automatic fire alarm detection systems IP17/89 Photo iUuminescent markings for escape routes Digest 288 Dust explosions... 

Escape Evacuation and Rescue Analysis lEERA) is used in particular for oil platforms to review whether Escape, Evacuation and Rescue are adversely affected by the Major Accident Hazards, e.g., two Independent escape routes should normally be available from all areas of the platform. (This can Include quantitativeassessments for, e.g., smoke fire and explosion.)... 

When mechanical smoke extraction systems are utilised within a building the effect of fire growth is notably less. The smoke laden air containing particles of fuel and substantial quantities of heat is removed from the atmosphere by the extraction system reducing the speed at which a fire grows, while assisting smoke ventilation and allowing persons clear, smoke-free, escape routes. 

Areas where people circulate such as lobbies and corridors and all routes used to escape from fire must be to the highest standard, i.e. have the slowest surface spread of fire rating. Large rooms may be to the... 

The advantage of Stage 3 travel is that those escaping should by this stage have reached a position where they are protected from fire for a period of 30 minutes or more. They should not encounter further fire hazards en route to ultimate safety. 

Any wall. Including a door or a window in the wall, within 3 m of the escape route has at least 30 minutes fire resistance for integrity from the inside - and there is no unprotected area below a height of 1.1 m measured from the level of the escape route Any roof hatch or roof light forming part of the roof within 3 m of the escape route has at least 30 minutes fire resistance for integrity from the underside The route is adequately defined and guarded by walls and/or protective barriers The route across the roof leads to a storey exit or an external escape route. 

Where large undivided floor areas necessitate positioning appliances away from exits or outer walls, they should be installed on escape routes. They should be positioned so that it is not necessary to travel more than 30 m from a fire to an extinguisher. 

The recommended actions should not only identify short-term fixes, e.g. removal of obstructions from a fire escape route but also medium- to long-term issues that may need to be addressed to prevent a recurrence. 

Are all fire exits and escape routes marked, kept free from obstruction and operational ... 

The principles of passive and active fire safety apply just as strongly to the ancillary and workplace activities of the museum as to those of the public areas. Laboratories and workshops may be located in basement or other areas remote from the public galleries, and it may be necessary to consider additional escape routes and exits to avoid dead end situations. There may be also certain structural requirements associated with workplace activities involving highly flammable or otherwise hazardous substances. 

Sufficient escape routes and exits should be provided to enable the building to be cleared in 2Vi minutes. This should be the target aimed at in practice drills because smoke can spread extremely quickly throughout a building once the fire has spread beyond the room of origin. About 40 per cent of fire casualties arise directly from the inhalation of smoke-borne carbon monoxide or other highly toxic combustion products, and concentrations of 1 per cent of carbon monoxide are likely to result in loss of consciousness in under 5 minutes. 

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