Technical Booklet E Fire Safety·Page 14
Basic principles for design of means of escape
Sets out two fundamental principles: alternative escape routes should be available from most locations, and where direct escape is not possible, people should reach a protected stairway within reasonable distance.
The basic principles for the design of means of escape are –
(a) there should be alternative means of escape from most locations so that people can turn their back on a fire and travel away from it to a place of safety; and
(b) where direct escape to a place of safety is not possible, the aim is to reach a place of relative safety, such as a protected stairway, within a reasonable travel distance. In such cases the escape route should consist of two parts – the first part in unprotected rooms and circulation areas, and the second part in protected stairways and in some circumstances protected corridors.
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