Enhancing Egress Drills: Preparation and Assessment of Evacuee Performance

K E Boyce, Steve Gwynne, Erica Kuligowski, Daniel Nilsson, Amanda Robbins, Ruggiero Lovreglio, J R Thomas, A Roy-Poirier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)
206 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This article explores how egress drills—specifically those related to fire incidents—are currently used, their impact on safety levels, and the insights gained from them. It is suggested that neither the merits of egress drills are well understood, nor the impact on egress performance well characterized. In addition, the manner in which they are conducted varies both between and within regulatory jurisdictions. By investigating their strengths and limitations, this article suggests opportunities for their enhancement possibly through the use of other egress models to support and expand upon the benefits provided. It is by no means suggested that drills are not important to evacuation safety—only that their inconsistent use and the interpretation of the results produced may mean we (as researchers, practitioners, regulators, and stakeholders) are not getting the maximum benefit out of this important tool.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages25
JournalFire and Materials
Early online date7 Jul 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished online - 7 Jul 2017

Keywords

  • evacuation,
  • egress
  • drill

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