A Step Towards Including Children's Evacuation Parameters and Behavior in Fire Safe Building Design

Abstract

An important part the world's population is neglected in today's fire safety design -children. The vast amounts of data as well as the empirical models applied describe adults. This paper embraces the fact that there is a difference between children and adults, regarding evacuation and that children's movement parameters are age dependent. On the basis of 16 full-scale evacuation experiments made in 10 Danish daycare centers the present paper gives input data applicable in fire safety design on flow through doors, walking speed in horizontal plane and spiral stairs. Parameters distinguish small children in the age of 0-2 years from older ones in the age 3-6 years. An empirical model of children´s flow through doors is introduced. The effect of using alarm/warning system on pre-evacuation time is briefly discussed. Behavioral aspects are also considered where possible. It is found that there is a higher need of physical assistance during evacuation for children in the age of 0-2 years, than for children aged 3-6. Children aged 3-6 years are keen to run during evacuations. Furthermore it was observed that children are used to following rules and routines which they continue doing during the evacuation. At last the effect of affiliation during the evacuation was seen among the children.