- Author
- Stahl, F. I. | Archea, J.
- Title
- Assessment of the Technical Literature on Emergency Egress from Buildings. Final Report.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBSIR 77-1313, October 1977, 62 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- architecture | building codes | building design | building fires | emergency plans | egress | fire safety | human performance | occupational safety | occupants
- Abstract
- An assessment was made of the literature on research related to current emergency egress regulations promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The purposes of this assessment were to ascertain the extent to which these regulations were based upon empirical research, and to determine the adequacy of available research findings from which OSHA emergency egress regulations may be developed. Three areas of research on emergency egress were identified: research on (1) the carrying capacity of exitways, (2) signage, lighting, and visibility through smoke, and (3) occupant responses to, and experiences in building fires. Only research on the carrying capacity of exitways appears to have had direct impact on current OSHA regulations, which are based largely on empirical findings reported in 1935. Much of the available data on egress signage, lighting, visibility through smoke, and occupants' responses in real fire situations have appeared since the adoption of standards by OSHA. Consequently, these areas have had minimal impact on OSHA egress regulations. This study provides specific recommendations concerning the technical adequacy and range of applicability of the available empirical literature on emergency egress from buildings. In addition, it provides specific recommendations concerning directions and methodological requirements for future research.