10 Nov 2008

Quick Escape

Emergency situations can pop up at any time, but new exit devices, along with increased knowledge and communication is saving lives.

Essentially emergency exit devices are designed for buildings where people know their way around, while panic exits are designed for places like airports or cinemas, where the public has to find the door first before opening it. While the former are locks with an override which can be operated by one hand, the latter are specially designed for situations where people are not expected to have time to think.

It used to be thought that while individuals were rational, they lost their ability to make reasonable decisions when they got together in a crowd. So they would all rush for the same door, trampling over each other and blocking the exits in their attempt to escape, instead of departing efficiently in an orderly fashion.

More recent research, which has been given increased urgency by such disasters as the 9/11 bombings of the World Trade Center and the suicide bombings of the London Underground in 2005, have called the traditional view into question.

Improved communication and technical solutions are being developed accordingly.

Read the entire article at ASSA ABLOY Future Lab