Page 377 - IGC BOOK

Fire Evacuation 10.4

Means of Escape

Once a fire is detected and a warning given, everyone in the workplace should be able to
evacuate without undue risk.

Group Companies must assess the means of escape by considering whether people can
escape to a safe place, before being cut off and exposed to risk of injury.
In buildings, most deaths by fire are due to the inhalation of smoke. It is also true that
many people are unwilling to travel more than a few metres through smoke to make
their escape. Therefore, and with view to the possibilities of escape routes being blocked
by smoke, it is important to provide alternative escape routes for people to escape safely
from the building.

In small single-storey premises, where travel distances are short, the time taken to
escape once the warning has been given can often be measured in seconds rather than
minutes. In such cases, it is likely that the normal exits will be sufficient in a fire
emergency. In larger premises, where travel distances are greater and where it is
possible for a single escape route to be affected by fire, heat or smoke, then two means
of escape from each area may be necessary.

Travel Distances

One important characteristic of the means of escape is the travel distance that a person has to
take from wherever they are in a room or area to the nearest available:

• Final exit (this will take them outside the building to a place of total safety).
• Storey exit (this will take them into a protected stairway).
• Separate fire compartment (containing a final exit)

This travel distance has to be assessed during the fire risk assessment when determining the
means of escape and is subject to guidance. Generally, the higher the fire risk of the workplace,
the shorter the travel distance has to be.

Stairs and Passageways

Stairs and passageways used as escape routes usually have to be protected against fire ingress to a
higher degree than other parts of a building. This is to ensure that the stairs and corridors will be
free of smoke and flames, so that they can be used as escape routes. So, the walls, floors and
ceilings will be fire-resistant and any doors will be fire doors. It is important that these stairs and
corridors are kept free from any equipment or materials that might start, or become involved in, a
fire.

ENSIGN | Unit IG2 – Element 10 –Fire 32