Safety of People in the Event of a Fire

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Introduction
Fire service operations do
not contribute to the
evacuation of occupants.

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 Electrical safety 
Housekeeping  
Waste management  
Smoking controls  

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Arson prevention 
Naked flames?  
Hot work permits
Cooking controls 
Flammable liquids?  
Storage management
Use of  cylinder s  
Mechanical sparks
Other risks of fire!!!
FRA Considerations

Ignition
Fire development

Fire & smoke spread

Detection 
Time from ignition

Pre‐alarm investigation

Alarm

Recognition time
Automatic or manual intervention?

Response time
Evacuation strategy
Safety margin

Flashover 
Management from prevention measures through to protection measures
Safe 

Decay/intervention
Unsafe 
Principal Factors Affecting Means of Escape

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People & Fire – Research

Perceive cue(s) Response?

Interpret situation
& risk

Make decision  Perform 
action
about action

Professor David Canter ‘Fires and Human

Recognition? Behaviour’, and... Kuligowski, Tong, Fahy,
Donald, Bruck, Bryan, Lerup, Proulx, Sime,
Brennan, Pezolt, & more

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People & Fire – Recognition (Cues)

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Recognition of Fire Alarms

Awake & familiar Asleep & familiar Asleep & unfamiliar

<1/3/>4 <2/4/>5 <2/4/>6

Live voice/
recorded/
bells & sirens
/minutes/
Awake & unfamiliar High degree of
<2/3/>6 assistance <3/5/>8

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Recognition – Case Study

Just another illusion?

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People & Fire – Response (Behaviours)

Role

Affiliation

Avoidance

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Response – Case Studies

Kings Cross 1987

Summerland 1973

Woolworths 1979

Dusseldorf Airport 1996 WTC 2001

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Response Variations

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Thresher Off-Licence Fire

Note: Links to external content – not copyright of The Fire Service College Limited

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Conclusion
• It is not possible to take all the possible modes of
behaviour into account when undertaking a simple fire
risk assessment.
• Appreciating that this type of behaviour exists, means
that the person carrying out the risk assessment will not
fall into the trap of thinking that once a fire is discovered,
a building can be evacuated in the time it takes to play
the national anthem.

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 Any
Questions?

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Presentation History
Safety of People in the Event of a Fire
Date created: 23rd March 2016 Author: Unknown Approver: S Skarratt

Superseded presentation:

Videos / linked objects:

Version control info: FSFRA3D_SafetyofPeopleinFire_v1_20160323_SS

Amendments
Date Summary of Change Requester Approver

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