voice evacuation

[dumbed down]

Has anyone got any views regarding when a voice evacuation alarm system would be required over a normal sounder in terms of numbers of people in a public assembly building. A general view from the old PEL licensing departments in my area is when the numbers reach 300 then voice evac should be installed. However this is very prescriptive in todays thinking. Does anyone know of any research or guidance docs where it talks about these issues?

[colin todd]

See BS 5588-6.

[jayjay]

For further research on voice alarm systems  you could try the BFPSA Code of Practice for the Design, Installation & Servicing of Voice Alarm Systems.
or  Psychological Aspects of Informative Fire Warning Systems published by the BRE,
or  Human Behaviour in Fires a Summary Report by Jonathan Simes,
or BS5839 Part 8. Code of practice for the design, installation and servicing of voice alarm
systems.

There was a considerable amount of research carried out some years ago and much of the reported research was very interesting and appeared to strongly favour its use, although it does not seem to have been taken up by occupiers or installers as expected. I have seen it in operation recently within a school and it was reported to be very effect by all participants, sadly there seems to be a cost implication restricting its installation and it was subsequently replaced by electronic sounders.