In this mini-series of the Uncovered Witness - Fire Science Revelations, we cover the subject of the means of escape - the technical solutions in our buildings meant to allow for human evacuation in case of a fire.

In the third and final episode of the mini-series, we discuss what makes or breaks the design of an evacuation sign. While it may seem like a simple design choice (make it green and make the arrow point in the correct direction?), there are, in fact, many elements that influence the human perception of the sign. We tap into the tragic fire in Daegu Metro, which illustrates what happens when the signs are present but inaccessible.

We connect the design of evacuation signage to the theory of affordances, presenting a framework for evaluating its design. We give examples of good and poor affordances and explain the consequences of non-fire engineers' actions, who may unwillingly alter the sign's readability.

Guests featured in this podcast episode:

• Prof. Daniel Nilsson, University of Canterbury, Halliwell Fire Research
• Luke de Schot, Halliwell Fire Research
• Josh Gibbons, Halliwell Fire Research

Relevant Fire Science Show episodes:

• Human behaviour misconceptions that lead to (mis)modelling with Enrico Ronchi
• Modelling human behaviour in wildfire evacuation with Erica Kuligowski

This show is produced by the Fire Science Media for Halliwell Fire Research. Executive producer - Monika Węgrzyńska, scripting and production - Monika and Wojciech Węgrzyńscy, sound engineer - Mikołaj Jarząbek. All rights reserved. 2024.

In this mini-series of the Uncovered Witness - Fire Science Revelations, we cover the subject of the means of escape - the technical solutions in our buildings meant to allow for human evacuation in case of a fire.

In the second episode of this mini-series, we cover the fire engineering solutions for building automation that influence the evacuation processes in the buildings. Reflecting on the Beverly Hills Supper Club tragedy, where the systems were not present, we try to evaluate what tools the engineers have in their toolbox.

In this episode, we cover some fundamental approaches to fire safety engineering, such as evaluating Available and Required Safe Egress Time, calculating tenability and using computer modelling. We briefly discuss detection, suppression and smoke control. More information is provided on evacuation elevators and the challenges related to two-way communication that may be necessary to get the most out of them. Finally, we end the episode by discussing how sometimes legislation leaves too much space for free interpretation by the engineers and cases in which this may backfire.

Guests featured in this podcast episode:

• Prof. Daniel Nilsson, University of Canterbury, Halliwell Fire Research
• Dr Coleen Wade, Halliwell Fire Research
• Josh Gibbons, Halliwell Fire Research

Relevant Fire Science Show episodes:

• Fire Fundamentals on Building Automation
• Fire Safety Engineering with Dr Ricky Carvel
• Smoke toxicity Part 1 and Part 2 with prof. David Purser

This show is produced by the Fire Science Media for Halliwell Fire Research. Executive producer - Monika Węgrzyńska, scripting and production - Monika and Wojciech Węgrzyńscy, sound engineer - Mikołaj Jarząbek. All rights reserved. 2024.

In this mini-series of the Uncovered Witness - Fire Science Revelations, we cover the subject of the means of escape - the technical solutions in our buildings meant to allow for human evacuation in case of a fire.

In the first episode of the series, we discuss exit capacities and flow rates. How do we know how many people can fit in the building? What do the models look like, and where did they come from? What data do we have at our disposal, and how relevant is it?

We also refer to the tragic fires in Beverly Hills Supper Club and Gothenburg discothèque fire. What lessons are in those tragedies, and how insufficient exit capacity was one of the critical components of the disaster.

We also cover modern technologies such as VR and automated systems to count people, and we look forward to their future use in building fire safety.

Guests featured in this podcast episode:

• Prof. Daniel Nilsson, University of Canterbury, Halliwell Fire Research
• Luke de Schot, Halliwell Fire Research
• Josh Gibbons, Halliwell Fire Research

Relevant Fire Science Show episodes:

• Human walking speed and factors that influence it with John Gales
• The future of evacuation modelling with Enrico Ronchi and Ruggiero Lovreglio

This show is produced by the Fire Science Media for Halliwell Fire Research. Executive producer - Monika Węgrzyńska, scripting and production - Monika and Wojciech Węgrzyńscy, sound engineer - Mikołaj Jarząbek. All rights reserved. 2024.