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● Havemajorconcernsabouthowtoidentifythenearest,safestand quickest egress route, especially in an unfamiliar place or complex environment such as a shopping mall.
● Mayneedassistancetoevacuateinanemergency(althoughmany participants expressed a desire to be as self-reliant as possible).
● Unlikelytouseelevatorsforegress(buttherewereconcernsabout the lack of alternative means of escape from upper levels).
● Relyontheguidanceofa rewarden,emergencysta orsomeone with a level of authority.
● Wait in the refuge area for further assistance, for example, from firefighters. Others nearby are also likely to offer assis- tance. (However, there were misperceptions about what is an area of refuge and uncertainty about where they are located in buildings.)
Some physically impaired participants said that they would get out of the way and wait for everyone else to leave rst, as they would not want to slow others down.
Some participants said that they would wait for assistance while others would actively seek assistance – especially if they were more severely impaired.
Some pointed out the need for training and practical experience for both operators and themselves in using an evacuation chair on stairs. Ideas for changes
Suggestions were also made:
● Thereneedstobemulti-sensoryandmoreinformativealarmand noti cation systems for people with disabilities.
● Stairlandingareasshouldbedesignedforpeoplewithdisabilities to wait for assistance.
● There should be protocols for the provision, operation, training and practice of evacuation chairs or other equipment used to assist evacuation.
● Awareness needs to be raised and training provided for fire wardens and other safety personnel and central and local govern- ment about the needs of people with disabilities in emergency egress.
Complex issue that needs more work
Providing accessible means of egress for people with disabilities – the hard factor approach – is a complex problem and di cult to solve. Factors such as human rights, societal values and potentially high costs are all inter-related with it.
While comprehensive re safety design solutions can be developed, there is currently no agreed protocol established or detailed guidance material available. More research would be useful.
Note This article draws on research by Dr Amanda Robbins of Jensen Hughes Consulting Canada Ltd and Julie Warren of Julie Warren and Associates in a project funded by the Building Research Levy.
More details are available in BRANZ Study Report SR338 Accessible egress pilot workshops summary available from www.branz.co.nz/shop.
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