Analysis of Hazard Sources in External Escape Stairs within the Context o f International Principles

Abstract

The external escape stairs with limited and risky usage conditions, designed outside of the buildings cause life-safety dangers. It is well-known that the safety hazards of these stairs lead to loss of lives in the past. In this context, within the scope of the study, physical conditions of external escape stairs of existing buildings were examined in terms of providing an easy and fast escape from the buildings during a fire, and reducing the risk on someone's life safety. Based on the results, suggestions for solutions were made to eliminate or reduce the potential risks of external escape stairs. It is assumed that these suggestions will be beneficial for preventing possible health problems and loss of lives occurred at the external escape stairs and minimizing the potential damages faced by the users. In this study, automated building code compliance checking system is used. First of all, the potential sources of hazard in the external escape stairs are identified. It is thought that identifying the sources that could pose a hazard for people during the evacuation from the building in case of a fire can be beneficial to ensure taking necessary fire safety measures. Within the scope of the study, safety hazards related to different sources that could affect the life safety of users were also determined These sources were subsumed under two categories: access and usage. Besides, the physical conditions of external escape stairs were analyzed in the context of fire-related codes, standards and regulations valid in Turkey, United States of America, England and Russia.