Study highlights importance of dedicated exits for vulnerable populations in building evacuations

A research team highlights the critical role of dedicated exits in improving emergency evacuation efficiency for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and disabled. Using simulation models, researchers explored how dedicated exits in public buildings can significantly reduce evacuation times for these groups, ultimately enhancing overall safety during emergencies.

With an aging global population and increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities, emergency evacuation strategies need to be reevaluated to ensure safety for all. Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, disabled, and other individuals with limited mobility, face significant challenges during evacuations. Past fire accidents, such as the April 2023 Changfeng Hospital fire in Beijing, which claimed 29 lives, mostly vulnerable individuals, underscore the urgent need to understand and address these challenges. This study aims to provide insights into the behavioral patterns of vulnerable populations during emergencies and offer practical evacuation strategies that can save lives.

A study (DOI: 10.48130/emst-0024-0013) published in Emergency Management Science and Technology on 26 June 2024, highlights the importance of strategically placed dedicated exits to improve evacuation efficiency for vulnerable populations.

The research employed simulation methods using AnyLogic to investigate the impact of dedicated exits on evacuation efficiency in a room with three exits under varying conditions of crowd density and vulnerable population percentages. Pedestrians were randomly distributed in the room and divided into normal and vulnerable groups, with evacuation times analyzed under three scenarios: no dedicated exit (Option 1), a middle exit as the dedicated exit (Option 2), and a side exit as the dedicated exit (Option 3). Data from ten simulations were collected for each scenario to evaluate the average and maximum evacuation times. The results showed that maximum evacuation time increased with a higher number of evacuees and a greater proportion of vulnerable individuals. Setting the side exit as a dedicated exit (Option 3) consistently resulted in the longest evacuation times due to low utilization, while designating the middle exit (Option 2) generally improved evacuation efficiency by balancing exit use, particularly when the percentage of vulnerable individuals was above 20% for 200 evacuees, 10% for 400 evacuees, and 50% for 600 evacuees. At lower crowd densities (200 and 400 evacuees), dedicated exits reduced average evacuation times for vulnerable groups but increased them for normal groups, highlighting a trade-off in evacuation speeds. However, at higher crowd densities (600 evacuees), dedicated exits only benefited vulnerable populations when their proportion was significant (50%), otherwise leading to increased congestion. The study concluded that the effectiveness of dedicated exits depends on crowd density and the proportion of vulnerable individuals, suggesting that dedicated exits are most beneficial in low to moderate crowd densities and should be carefully considered in high-density scenarios to avoid adverse effects on overall evacuation efficiency.

According to the study's lead researcher, Dr. Liu Zhang, “The increasing presence of vulnerable populations in public spaces necessitates the redesign of evacuation strategies to ensure their safety, Our findings demonstrate that dedicated exits, particularly those located centrally, can significantly improve evacuation outcomes for vulnerable groups, offering critical guidance for future building designs.”

This study demonstrates that dedicated exits, particularly centrally located ones, play a vital role in enhancing evacuation efficiency for vulnerable populations. The findings provide critical insights into the design and management of public spaces to improve safety during emergencies, emphasizing the need for dedicated exits as a key component of modern evacuation strategies.    Enhanced building designs, informed by this research, can better protect vulnerable individuals, ultimately reducing casualties and improving public safety in crisis situations.

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References

DOI

10.48130/emst-0024-0013

Original Source URL

https://doi.org/10.48130/emst-0024-0013

Funding Information

the National Natural Science Foundations of China (No. 52374208) ;

the Major Natural Science Research Projects in Colleges and Universities of Jiangsu Province (No. 23KJA620002);

the Qinglan Project of Jiangsu Province ;

a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.

About Emergency Management Science and Technology

Emergency Management Science and Technology (e-ISSN 2832-448X) is an open access journal of Nanjing Tech University and published by Maximum Academic Press. It is a medium for research in the science and technology of emergency management. Emergency Management Science and Technology publishes high-quality original research articles, reviews, case studies, short communications, editorials, letters, and perspectives from a wide variety of sources dealing with all aspects of the science and technology of emergency.