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Research and regulatory reform
Author(s) -
Colgate James P.,
Lee John Hans
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
fire and materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.482
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1099-1018
pISSN - 0308-0501
DOI - 10.1002/fam.2130
Subject(s) - signage , preparedness , environmental health , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , suicide prevention , business , public health , engineering , environmental planning , transport engineering , political science , public relations , medicine , geography , advertising , nursing , law
On 11 September 2001, one of the largest workplace evacuations in US history took place at the World Trade Center in New York City. To better understand the complex array of factors that potentially influenced evacuation time, an interdisciplinary research study was conducted by public health scientists to determine the individual, organizational, and structural (environmental) factors that served as potential facilitators or barriers to length of evacuation time. Analyses of evacuee survey data collected provide evidence that a combination of factors at the individual and organizational levels were apparently influential in affecting emergency evacuations in addition to structural risk factors such as egress route barriers, poor signage, congestion, and communication systems failures. These factors are identified in the study to inform high‐rise emergency preparedness and response policies and procedures. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.