Differences in the Evacuation Behaviour of Office and Apartment Building Occupants

Abstract

An experiment was designed to observe evacuation times and occupant movement in two office buildings during a simulated fire emergency and to compare these results with previous studies of evacuation drills in apartment buildings. The evacuation drills were recorded using videocameras located throughout the buildings. The results were analyzed with respect to occupant behaviour, occupants' time to start to evacuate, occupants' time to reach an outside exit, and the occupants' speed while travelling in the stairways. A comparison of the results from this office buildings study with previous studies involving evacuations of midrise and highrise apartment buildings reveals many interesting differences. The physical organization of the buildings, evacuation strategies, and the occupants' characteristics, behaviour and movement are discussed. The study showed that apartment building occupants delay their evacuation more than office building occupants, either by a long preparation time or because they cannot hear the alarm from their apartments. Travelling speeds are slowest in midrise apartment buildings where the population is more diverse and includes children, elderly people and occupants with limitations. The more structured evacuation plans, the presence of fire wardens and the easier access to fire safety information also contribute to the efficiency of evacuation procedures in office buildings.