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Human Behaviour in Fire
Stephen Mackenzie BSc (hons) FHEA FIPHE MSFPE MIFireE MIFSM BIFM SIIRSM ASMS AEPS
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Human Behavior in Fire – Some of the Innocent Never Wake-up.
Silhouette of a Child Fatality (Source – Unknown Circa 1970 USA)
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Review to Five London Hospital Fires & Their Management 2008-2009
Hospitals and other healthcare faculties are traditionally seen as places of sanctuary and safety by the public. However, these sanctuaries are not immune from disruptive challenges and disaster This presents unique challenges when responding to incidents, including increased and continuing needs of their occupants during time of crisis.
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Strategic Approach to Fire Safety
There are inherent limitations with the traditional prescriptive approach to fire safety: conceived for ‘typical’ buildings elemental analysis/requirements to achieve safety goals apply parallel/redundant specifications based primarily on ‘inbuilt’ protection systems specific requirements are a compromise incorporating an unspecified safety factor incorporating management systems is problematic
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Gaps in the Strategic Approach to Fire Safety
Current approach (policy documents, mandatory and statutory requirements) focuses on a combination of ‘inbuilt’ protection, - more recently coupled with risk assessment and risk management. Challenges in reflecting the benefits of strategic and explicit consideration of human behavior in prescriptive approaches. Challenges incorporating Human Behavior – assessments of individual capacity and capability during fire or emergency incidence within prescriptive standards. Opportunity for fire engineering design, routine and dynamic fire risk assessment, and fire risk management provisions.
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Design Buildings As Life Support Systems?
Kilpatrick et al 2002
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Fire Safety - The Problem
Building Fire People Kilpatrick et al 2002
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General Principles of Fire Safety
fire safety is a holistic problem five tactics prevention communication containment extinguishment escape Fundamental principals are relatively well understood? What about the contribution of one fire safety feature, against another to the overall level of safety. Or is there still scope for refinement (or development) of robust and dynamic life support systems?
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Understanding of Major Ignition Sources
Hot Surface Lightning stroke Flames and Hot gases Electromagnetic waves (high frequency or optical range) Mechanical Sparks Ionizing radiation Electrical Equipment Failure Ultrasonic Cathodic protection, corrosion, transient current Adiabatic compression Static electricity Arson Chemical Reaction Other Malicious action
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Kilpatrick et al 2002
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Kilpatrick et al 2002
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Kilpatrick et al 2002
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Kilpatrick et al 2002
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Agent Based Modeling 2016
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https://www.fseg.gre.ac.uk 2016
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Intervention Strategies
ignition prevent fire growth/flashover prevent/control rate of growth smoke spread prevent/control life safety available safe egress time (ASET) required safe egress time (RSET) property & business continuity protection environmental protection
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Uncertainty in Scenario Analysis
Building predictable? ignition source/probability growth probability fire load spatial organisation ventilation static and dynamic protection ASET Fire
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Main Factors Affecting ASET
fuel type & distribution enclosure area ceiling height ventilation linked to required safe egress time (RSET)
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Fire Safety Analysis and Design Methods
increasing uncertainty regarding: explanatory theory data collection and measurement individual/sample/population relationships physical biology behavioural science science
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Key problem areas We still don’t fully understand - why did one twin survive the fire incident and why did the other twin die. They were identical in all ways. Once we have ignition I can model what will happen next……………….but give someone a box of matches and I have no idea what comes next. Yes we know the physiological impact of fire on the fragility of the human being – but how fire or smoke affects one individual versus another, which are the conditions of survivability versus fatality are still some of the unsolved mysteries of our time. If we had the budget of NASA we could model all fire scenarios but possibly not all human decisions and behaviors. Fire is a statistically rare phenomenon – perhaps it simply complex and all that we can aspire is our best efforts to mitigate. I didn’t know, I didn’t think, I didn’t realise, - unsuccessful defenses in criminal proceedings following fire fatalities. A CAUTION: ……some traditional assumptions about peoples behavior in fires have shown to be erroneous by research – especially that during the last three decades using fluid movement?
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Technology Vs Behavioural Science – USS MIAMI
At 5:41 p.m. EDT on 23 May 2012 report of a fire on Miami 12 hours to extinguish the fire Total repair cost of $450 rose to $700 million First submarine and nuclear-powered ship to be lost in a U.S. naval shipyard Loss of 5 strategic platform deployments & Scrapped 2014 Civilian Painter - started the fire to get out of work early!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 17 years in federal prison & ordered to pay $400 million in restitution True replacement $900 million [1990 prices] US$1,647.55M (2016) with inflation estimation. (Navaltoday.com 2016)
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Only Human Furness &Muckett 2007
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Fire Effects Fire People predictable? radiant heat (fire and smoke)
smoke (irritant) smoke (toxicity) time from ignition (ASET) Fire People
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Physiological Factors - Tenability Criteria
thermal effects irritants smoke toxicity interaction of all three / impact on behaviour
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The Concept of Panic and other misnomer
People Panic Would they or is it non-adaptive behavior, unless death in imminent & with no prospect of escape People wont move through smoke yes they will up to a point of visibility and uncertainty. People always act they way the building was designed and managed no they wont they will walk past unfamiliar exits for the familiar. People if trained will be able to respond impact of false fire alarms! I have a risk assessment - im compliant no the assessment needs to be suitable and sufficient and actioned and maintained
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Stressors In the stress of a fire, people often act inappropriately but rarely panic or behave irrationally. Such behavior, to a large extent, is due to the fact that information initially available to people regarding the possible existence of a fire and its size and location if often ambiguous or inadequate A fear-induced flight behavior which is nonrationality, nonadaptive, and nonsocial may be replaced with adaptive behavior when the individual reaches a position of perceived safety. If not then non-adaptive behavior serves to reduce the escape possibilities of the group as a whole
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The Impact of the Human Factor on Predictability
predictable? fire load ignition sources protection systems maintenance and operation (doors/sprinklers…) Fire People
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Uncertainty in Scenario Analysis
Building predictable? emotional response buildings as information system spatial organisation fire load protection systems escape routes maintenance People
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Main Factors Affecting RSET
occupants number characteristics behavioural factors physiological factors building detection & alarm system distribution and width of exits travel distance storey height
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Factors Influencing Evacuation Behaviour
type of warning system building layout way finding visual access familiarity alertness mobility social affiliation role and responsibility position commitment focal point Training Frequency of unwanted fire calls Mode of Evacuation
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Fire Cue Response Smelled Smoke Notified by Others Noise Fire Alarm Indicator Shouting Saw Smoke Saw Fire Explosion Felt Heat Saw Heard Fire Department Electricity went off Pet Other noise
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Fire Cue Detractors False fire alarms Authority assignment Empowerment Training Cognitive Ability Mental Health Fire Alarm System status Medication Under the influence Sleeping “The response to fire alarm sounders is less than optimum – usually skepticism as to drill or false fire alarm” Bryan SFPE handbook 2008
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The Decision Process of the individual in fire
Recognition Validation Definition Evaluation Commitment Reassessment
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Adaptive Vs Non-Adaptive Behavior
Risk Apatite Risk Adverse Risk Natural Risk Taker Adaptive Vs Non-Adaptive Behavior
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Adaptive Vs Non-Adaptive Behavior
Response to Fire or Emergency Fight Flight Freeze Adaptive Vs Non-Adaptive Behavior Stressors
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Evacuation time recognition time response time travel time
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Potential Solutions From 5 London Hospital Fires
Planning Command and Control Communication Staff Training Comprehensive fire plans Command and Control Structures Resilience of Comms Patient Shelter Evacuation Staff Familiarity Site floor plans for emergency responders Visible Incident Commanders Comms with external organisations and NHS Critical Care Patients Post Incident Command Familiarity Insurance cover Amounts Command Compatibility Comms with staff, patients and relatives Mental Health Patient Debriefing Equipment Recovery Plan Decision Making Patient Notes Immuno Suppressed Patients Media Evac Routes Documentation Pharmaceuticals Media Strategy Stress Test Control Resilience Evac Equipment Onward inter-patient beds Managing the Media Recovery Patient Tracking Spokesperson Event Report Clinical Triage Ambulance Transport
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Summary Building Fire People
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Thank You Stephen Mackenzie BSc (hons) FHEA FIPHE MSFPE MIFireE MIFSM MBIFM SIIRSM ASMS AEPS
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