Emergency Evacuation: Interior Design/Improved Passenger Flow

Result of a BriteEuram project Emergency Evacuation: Interior Design/Improved Passenger Flow Rolf Skjong & Louis C. Boer

BriteEuram project“Mustering & Evacuation of Passengers” Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Scope of MEPdesign • Human factor research at TNO • New design features and signposting at DMI • Scaled test of lifeboats and liferafts in wave tank at KTH • Software - including HF data at QUASAR • Prediction and Exercise - QUASAR/Scandlines • Guidance & Evaluation of pragmatic value DNV/IFN • This presentation: • Mainly the HF research relevant to interior design • Full presentation: TIEMS - International Conference on Emergency Management, OSLO, June 19-22 Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Ready to embark? (Rutgersson & Tsychkova, Stockholm) Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

All passengers to their Assembly Stations! • A measure of precaution • passenger flow should be smooth and orderly • which is a function of • passengers aims & goals • … walking speed • … and guidance provided Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Walking speed …while the platform moves • List/trim • Pitching & Rolling • Floor/Stair • Age slows down • 33% extra time due to ship motion • 33 % extra time due to list (15-20O) • Circ.909 optimistic Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Way-finding guidance • Posting crewmembers at strategic locations • ... not always an option • real incident = chaos • evacuation time for exercises = 10.5 minutes • evacuation time for real incidents = 20 minutes (data of ICCL) Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Way-finding on signs alone • TNO, 1993, 100% more time required (intern’l ferry) • TNO, 1998, studies (mock-ups of ship interior) Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Way-finding on board ship • Deck horizontal -- listed 15o • normal lighting -- dark • alone -- in groups • … behaviour recorded on camera Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Too many way-finding errors • Passage doors are psychological barriers Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Improve for human visual perception • Avoid visual “noise” of layout, advertisements • Use “lean” symbols • Avoid symbol conflict • ... Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Improve for human visual perception • Use “lean” symbols • Avoid symbol conflict • Avoid poor placement Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Improve for human visual perception • Avoid poor placement (ambiguous guidance) Should passengers go up or down? Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Improve for human visual perception • Avoid poor placement (misleading guidance) The arrow suggests to turn right to the “Salon”, but turning left is intended. Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Experimental guidance systems • arrowheads on the skirting board (very helpful) • walking light (needs improvement) • special markings Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Experimental guidance systems • arrowheads on the skirting board • walking light • special markings (very helpful) • suitable measures prevent 90% of way-finding errors Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Improve guidance • Clear & authoritative PA • Clear & authoritative assistance of crew • Symbols and signs improved for human perception • Remove visual “noise” • Ensure correct interpretation (no poor and ambiguous placement--guidelines required) • Limit choice points in assembly route to minimum • If passage door necessary, remove “fear of doors” • Make fire-doors recognisable for the public • Assembly routes NOT through areas normally forbidden • In brief: Use Human Factor knowledge Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Gap List • We have focused on improvement • Should look into probabilities of each scenario • Should look into cost • In brief: Should carry out a formal safety assessment • Software implementation would be nice to have, but is not crucial for improvements. • Current software short of HE knowledge - optimistic Emergency Evacuation: Improve Passenger Flow

Emergency Evacuation: Interior Design/Improved Passenger Flow