Dynamic Escape Signage - Any Comments?

[Messy]

I have a building where several thousand people (mainly awake and familiar with the building)) are required to evacuate via multiple staircases. On a number of these staircases, upon arrival at the ground floor, large numbers of evacuees are required to turn towards the opposite direction than they usually would during business as usual.

Fire drills regularly show staff ignoring the exit signs and travelling in the wrong direction causing overcrowding and obstructions to disabled persons who use a different/dedicated means of places route.

As a reaction to problems at previous fire drills, the escape route at the foot of each staircase is signed using over sized fire exit signage with the wording 'Emergency Evacuation Route'  in bold letters. However, the wall space available is limited and cluttered. It is not possible to declutter the space and make the signs more visible.

I have minded to install a cleverer solution of an exit sign that illuminates during an evacuation and was going to get he site electricians to knock something up in a Blue Peter DIY style until I found this product - Evaclite

http://www.evaclite.com/pre-movement/4533468998

Their dynamic escape lighting uses LEDs within the arrow of the sign to attract attention. they make some impressive claims and hav produced impressive research to support their product. I really like the illuminated arrow, but am not so keen on the red cross (do not enter) sign.

So has anyone seen this product or used it before?

Is there any other providers of similar systems in the UK?

Any comments or opinions would be welcome

[kurnal]

I have seen  a similar but different product used in a large warehouse used by an online retail business. The intelligent signage, linked to the fire alarm and detection system was I think bespoke at the time and fabricated by the electrical contractor circa 2000. It was a compensation for considerably increased travel distances and programmed to indicate the best route taking people in long picking aisles with two way travel away from the source of the alarm......with some limitations e.g. Aspirating detection systems cover a very large area, ditto sprinkler systems. This factor was overlooked by the BCO.

The biggest issue was human behaviour. As it was a very large building there was a very long walk from some of the exits , around the perimeter, to the assembly points and despite repeated training, some staff tended to use the exit that equated to the shortest walk for them at the time of the alarm even if it meant travelling further in the building. Additional training, drills and follow up discussions led to little improvement so the only answer that was found to work was to double up on fire wardens  to shout at  ( I mean calmly advise and support) people not obeying the signage in an alarm.

I don't like the Red Cross sign in the link either- in the case I refer to the double sided exit boxes either displayed a conventional exit sign with arrow or alternativly a Red Cross on its own.

Conclusion is that signage on its own will not be enough on its own to manage the evacuation and fire wardens will be needed with a role of router to ensure people go where they should.

[Fire Monkey]

Hello Messy,

Occupants always go for the exit they came through - the most familiar. I call this the Ikea syndrome (you have of hear stories of parents traversing the whole length of the store to reach the cr?che so save their little one even though they were evacuated the moment the alarm went off).

This sounds like a training issue - just do a fire drill and simply block off the routes they should not be using - put up big signs saying 'route blocked by smoke'.

I think the main flaw of dynamic lighting is that it likely to only increase awareness of an illuminated sign rather than increase likelihood of instruction recognition - I think most people will view a flashing sign as fancy but something that could still be ignored.

Do I have any useful suggestions - sorry but no. Training and more training could be the answer. You could try illuminating the escape route using non maintained escape lighting that activated on the fire alarm.

I have seen research that leads people to turn right if they are given an option - presumably because most people are right handed. Could this knowledge be factored into your escape route planning?

[wee brian]

I think FM makes a good point. Much easier to adapt a building to the way people behave than to change their behaviour. especially when you've got a lot of them.

If you do need to get a message to people, then other people are your best bet. A security dude standing in the way saying "exit this way please" will be much more effective than clever flashing lights etc.

If you do want to try the lights, maybe give them a go and see if it makes a difference during a fire drill.

[Fishy]

Directional exit signage has been seriously considered for the last 5 years or so - notably under project 'Getaway' - see a brief description here: http://www.sfpe.org/page/Issue3Feature1

Is it more effective than the non-configurable systems that we tend to use?  Yes - it increases the probability of people moving in the direction you want them to.  It only increases the reliability, though - no sign will prevent people going in undesirable directions - it'll just make it more likely that they'll do what you want them to do.  People don't always see the signs; if they see them they don't always understand them or interpret them properly and even if they do, they don't always obey them!  One of the problems is that there are no 'system' standards for the kit itself, & as it's principally PC-based I'd not predict a particularly high level of reliability and availability (at least in the terms we would normally expect for safety kit).

The best level of control will rely upon people physically located at the critical locations saying "Go that way, please..."  That's how they manage these things in airports and railway stations.

[Davo]

Messy

Why are they required to turn in the opposite direction? How many staircases does this affect?
If only a percentage are like so then yes, routes manned by staff is the way to go

davo

[Messy]

There are 4 staircases. At the ground floor of all of them the usual circulation/exit route is via the main entrance. However to stay within the protected route and prevent overcrowding if all 4 MOEs merged, staff have to turn 90 degrees to (say) the left rather than the right as usual

The issue is that due to the layout of the premises there are very few staff located at these 4 points.

The route for disabled persons is via the main entrance ad is the fire service access and both are compromised by the overcrowding caused by many hundreds of people being in the wrong place!!