Questionnare about Emergency Lighting

[Simi]

I am a Product Design student needing a bit of feedback on a very basic questionnaire about Exit Emergency Lighting. The last question is really for the Emergency Services but please fill in what you can and post it back. I really appreciate any feedback. Also your answers dont have to be long!

Many Thanks!

Miss Marway



EXIT EMERGENCY LIGHTING QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Do you know what TYPE of emergency lighting is used in your building that you work?

2. How is the emergency lighting powered?

3. Do you think that current emergency exit signs are sufficient, particularly in an environment that is unfamiliar?

4. Do you think that emergency exit signs can be seen clearly in all emergency situations? E.g. Fires, Blackouts.

5. What do you think of an emergency wayfinder? (Wayfinder – more obvious means of lighted exit signage with directions to show way of evacuation)

6. Do you think that a wayfinder would make a difference in terms of evacuating a building? E.g. It would speed up evacuation, Save lives?

7. From your personal experience are there any problems or issues that arise when evacuating a building?

8. Do you agree that speeding up the time to evacuate a building is valuable?

9. From your personal experience or knowledge, have particular buildings been evacuated quicker than others? (The reason for asking is because I want to know if this can be affected by the size of the building or by the type of public building etc.)

 

[Menticol]

Product Design student? That's great! I'm one too!

1. Do you know what TYPE of emergency lighting is used in your building that you work?

Fixed units in the wall, or generator, according to the building

2. How is the emergency lighting powered?

I guess 12 Volt lead acid battery, or internal-combustion generator

3. Do you think that current emergency exit signs are sufficient, particularly in an environment that is unfamiliar?

Only on the new buildings of the complex, older ones are poorly designed

4. Do you think that emergency exit signs can be seen clearly in all emergency situations? E.g. Fires, Blackouts.

4. No, they are not self iluminated

5. What do you think of an emergency wayfinder? (Wayfinder – more obvious means of lighted exit signage with directions to show way of evacuation)

5. I guess poeple is too scared to follow them into the smoke

6. Do you think that a wayfinder would make a difference in terms of evacuating a building? E.g. It would speed up evacuation, Save lives?

They are used on arirplanes during emergencies, but as I said on 5...

7. From your personal experience are there any problems or issues that arise when evacuating a building?

On earthquaques at higher floors I would rather prefer not to evacuate. The stairs may collapse and there are poles and other falling objects outside the building

8. Do you agree that speeding up the time to evacuate a building is valuable?

sure

9. From your personal experience or knowledge, have particular buildings been evacuated quicker than others? (The reason for asking is because I want to know if this can be affected by the size of the building or by the type of public building etc.)

The size of the building is important, but I suggest you to think about the age and cost of the building (hence how well is designed)... and the most critical factor: Who is around you at the moment of the emergency? kids, pregnant womans, bussiness men, a rastafari congress? etc.

 

[rjvh]

EXIT EMERGENCY LIGHTING QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Do you know what TYPE of emergency lighting is used in your building that you work?

Where I work there's none and the local laws don't demand one

2. How is the emergency lighting powered?

normaly with constand monitored (conected to the net) SLA batteries if used in a building I specify up to 2 hours and prefer 50 watt halogen lights

3. Do you think that current emergency exit signs are sufficient, particularly in an environment that is unfamiliar?
It'always better than nothing but the cheap china ones with the small batteries that last 10 minutes and 15 watt lamps are defenetly not up for the task if you are seriously about safety.

4. Do you think that emergency exit signs can be seen clearly in all emergency situations? E.g. Fires, Blackouts.

No depnds what is burning and what kind of smokes it give.
in case of a blast the whole unit could be destroid.

5. What do you think of an emergency wayfinder? (Wayfinder – more obvious means of lighted exit signage with directions to show way of evacuation)

Good but it's extra costs and quite some architects see it as a limit on their creative art master piece if the law requires it they will be quite.

6. Do you think that a wayfinder would make a difference in terms of evacuating a building? E.g. It would speed up evacuation, Save lives?

Yes but equip these also with sound beacons.

7. From your personal experience are there any problems or issues that arise when evacuating a building?

People have the tendency to panic (it's an inpulsive action from humans on danger to escape the place of danger ) but if people aren't trained they act only inpulsive and not rational so that means chaos.

8. Do you agree that speeding up the time to evacuate a building is valuable?

Yes (bit of a stupid question)

9. From your personal experience or knowledge, have particular buildings been evacuated quicker than others? (The reason for asking is because I want to know if this can be affected by the size of the building or by the type of public building etc.)

Of course if the building is not designed with a emergancy flow of people and if all systems are not adapt to each other than you can have very dangarous "death traps' buildings

in case of fire a emergancy smoke extraction fan can do miricals also overpressure the stairways will help people escape quicker central door locking system that reacts on a alarm system is also a good point (yes it sounds obvious but in many cases it is not the case)

most of all train people what to do in an emergency (that will probably saves the most lifes)

I dealt quite often with these iseus in my previous job M&E consultant

now it's more focused on the fire fighting instalations if it comes on my desk

Robert-Jan

 

[OutToLunch]

different countries - and even different regions within those countries - will have different requirements. you may want to ask what country one is from when they answer

 

[shokjok]

Do your fire code regulations state when you should test your equipment? You don't want to learn too late that the exit lighting, backup battery charger or alarm failed in an emergency. You may consider adding a secondary UPS to power the escape lights when the mains fails.

 

[ScareCrow]

I am a Product Design student needing a bit of feedback on a very basic questionnaire about Exit Emergency Lighting. The last question is really for the Emergency Services but please fill in what you can and post it back. I really appreciate any feedback. Also your answers dont have to be long!

Many Thanks!

Miss Marway



EXIT EMERGENCY LIGHTING QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Do you know what TYPE of emergency lighting is used in your building that you work?

Battery backed up halogen and incandescents

2. How is the emergency lighting powered?

AC with powerfail relay / lead acid backup battery

3. Do you think that current emergency exit signs are sufficient, particularly in an environment that is unfamiliar?

They suck.

4. Do you think that emergency exit signs can be seen clearly in all emergency situations? E.g. Fires, Blackouts.

Can only be seen clearly for about the first ten minutes of operation then they start to dim out.

5. What do you think of an emergency wayfinder? (Wayfinder – more obvious means of lighted exit signage with directions to show way of evacuation)

If you included a laser pointing beam that indicated the direction needed to travel that would help.

6. Do you think that a wayfinder would make a difference in terms of evacuating a building? E.g. It would speed up evacuation, Save lives?

Yes.

7. From your personal experience are there any problems or issues that arise when evacuating a building?

New hires and visitors to the facility, during evac drills tend to go the wrong way to often.

8. Do you agree that speeding up the time to evacuate a building is valuable?

Yes, especially if hazardous materials are on site.

9. From your personal experience or knowledge, have particular buildings been evacuated quicker than others? (The reason for asking is because I want to know if this can be affected by the size of the building or by the type of public building etc.)

Warehouse type structures are easy to evacuate, but the office areas are often add ons with limited escape routes.