- Author
- Pezoldt, V. J.
- Title
- Emergency Egress from Mobile Homes: Anthropometric and Ergonomic Considerations.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Sponsor
- Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC
- Report
- NBSIR 80-2049, May 1980, 45 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- anthropometry | emergency egress | escape behavior | HUD | mobile home | safety | standard | window
- Abstract
- This report summarizes a two task effort which is part of the National Bureau of Standards evaluation of the Federal Mobile Home Construction and Safety Standard. The first task consists of a review of relevant anthropometric data from which egress requirements might be drawn. The second task is an empirical study of egress designed to generate data which can assist HUD in evaluating the existing size requirements for egress devices. The degree to which the requirements in the current standard for location and operating characteristics of egress device latches and other operating mechanisms are acceptable varies for different segments of the population at risk. The limited applicable anthropometric data suggests that the requirements are sufficient for the most part, for average, healthy, normally ambulatory adults. The minimum opening size requirements were also shown to be extremely difficult to negotiate or unusable by a significant portionof the experimental test subjects. Implications of the present egress requirements for escape by handicapped or otherwise impaired individuals are discussed.