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Chapter - 6

The document provides guidelines on fire evacuation needs for persons with disabilities in buildings. It discusses the following: 1) Alarm panels and alerting systems should be installed at accessible heights and provide both audible and visual alarms so that persons with disabilities can be quickly alerted in emergencies. 2) Evacuation plans showing designated accessible routes and refuge areas should be prominently displayed using contrasting colors, raised letters, Braille and tactile elements. 3) Emergency evacuation routes should be at least 1500mm wide, free of obstacles, and have orientation signs. Areas of refuge should also be provided where exits are not accessible.

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6 views5 pages

Chapter - 6

The document provides guidelines on fire evacuation needs for persons with disabilities in buildings. It discusses the following: 1) Alarm panels and alerting systems should be installed at accessible heights and provide both audible and visual alarms so that persons with disabilities can be quickly alerted in emergencies. 2) Evacuation plans showing designated accessible routes and refuge areas should be prominently displayed using contrasting colors, raised letters, Braille and tactile elements. 3) Emergency evacuation routes should be at least 1500mm wide, free of obstacles, and have orientation signs. Areas of refuge should also be provided where exits are not accessible.

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Rgirish 1
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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FEBRUARY, 2016

Government of India
MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT
FEBRUARY, 2016

Government of India
MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Harmonised Guidelines and Space standards for Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities

9 FIRE EVACUATION NEEDS

Emergency Egress
Provision of accessible means of egress from all public use areas and facilities is as
vital a component as accessible ingress.

9.1 Alarm Panels


§ Placement (accessibility) and visibility of alerting devices is very important.
§ Fire alarm boxes, emergency call buttons and lighted panels should be installed
between heights of 800mm and 1000 mm from the finished floor surface.
§ These should be adequately contrasted in colour and tone from the background
wall and should be labelled with raised letters and also in Braille.

9.2 Alerting Systems


§ In emergency situations, it is critical that people are quickly alerted to the
situation at hand, for persons with disability the following needs to be considered:
§ Audible alarms with ‘Voice Instructions’ should be installed that can help guide
them to the nearest emergency exit. As an alternative to the pre-recorded
messages, these alarms may be connected to central control room for on-the-
spot broadcasts.
§ Non – auditory alarms (visual or sensory) to alert persons with hearing
impairments should be installed at visible locations in all areas that the building
users may visit (including toilet areas, storerooms etc.). Non-auditory alarms
include flashing beacons.

9.3 Evacuation Plans


§ Evacuation plans that clearly indicate the designated emergency evacuation
routes (Section 9.5.1) as well as location of refuge areas (Section 9.5) should be
displayed at all public areas of the building.
§ These should contrast strongly against the background. Where possible, these
should incorporate raised letters and tactile routes, and Braille for benefit of
persons with visual impairments.

9.4 Emergency Evacuation Routes


In buildings or facilities, or portions of buildings or facilities, required to be
accessible, accessible means of egress shall be provided in the same number as
required for exits by local building/fire safety regulations (National Disability
Authority, 1998).
§ Designating evacuation routes shall be at least 1500 mm wide, to ensure a
wheelchair user and an able bodied person are able to pass each other along
the route. The route should be free of any steps or sudden changes in level
and should be kept free from obstacles such as bins and flower pots etc.
§ An exit stairway to be considered part of an accessible means of egress shall
have a minimum clear width of 1500 mm between handrails and shall either

Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Page 74


Harmonised Guidelines and Space standards for Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities

incorporate an area of refuge complying with Section 9.5 within an enlarged


floor-level landing or a horizontal exit.
§ Orientation and direction signs should be installed frequently along the
evacuation route and these should preferably be internally illuminated.
§ Whilst the emergency lighting provided by traditional overhead emergency
lighting luminaries, conforming to the Indian Standard IS: 9583-1981:
Emergency Lighting Units, is acceptable for people who are visually impaired.
§ Exit signs shall be in accordance with IS: 4878-1968. Exit signage should also
be available in tactile format in the evacuation route.
§ Along the emergency route, tactile floor guidance for persons with visual
impairments (section 5.1.3) should be provided.

Note: Fireproof doors along circulation paths that are not exclusively egress routes
generally require a force greater than 25 N to operate, rendering several disabled
people dependent on others to negotiate these doors. While it is essential to cater
safety measures for unpredictable emergencies, it is also important to provide an
accessible environment to disabled persons. Consider holding the doors open with
magnetic catches or ‘floor springs’ that are connected with the fire alarm system

9.5 Provision of Refuge Areas


§ A refuge area, also known as an area of rescue assistance, is a place of
relative safety where persons who may not be able to negotiate inaccessible
egress routes may await rescue assistance.
§ Where a required exit from an occupiable level above or below a level of
accessible exit discharge is not accessible, refuge areas shall be provided on
each such level (in a number equal to that of inaccessible required exits).
§ Every required area of refuge is to be accessible from the space it serves by
an accessible egress route.
§ Every area of refuge shall have direct access to an exit stairway.
§ Each area of refuge must be separated from the remainder of the story by a
smoke barrier having minimally one hour fire resistance rating. Each area of
refuge is to be designed to minimize the intrusion of smoke.
§ The size of the refuge to provide at least two accessible areas each being not
less 750 mm by 1200 mm. The area of rescue assistance shall not encroach
on any required exit width. The total number of such areas per story shall be
not less than one for every 200 persons of calculated occupant load served by
the area of rescue assistance.
§ All stairs next to the refuge should have a clear width of 1500mm between the
handrails.
§ A method of two-way communication, with both visible and audible signals,
shall be provided between each area of rescue assistance and the primary
entry.

Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Page 75


Harmonised Guidelines and Space standards for Barrier Free Environment for Persons with Disabilities

9.5.1 Signage
§ Each area of rescue assistance shall be identified by a sign, which states
"REFUGE AREA" and displays the international symbol of accessibility.
§ The sign should be illuminated when exit sign illumination is required.
§ Signage should also be installed at all inaccessible exits and where otherwise
necessary to clearly indicate the direction to areas of rescue assistance.
§ In each area of rescue assistance, instructions on the use of the area under
emergency conditions shall be posted adjoining the two-way communication.

Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Page 76

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