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Assessment of Emergency Evacuation Routes in Public Buildings

Abstract

Emergency evacuation routes are essential components of public building safety because they provide occupants with designated means of escape during fires, structural failures, security incidents, and other emergencies. Public buildings accommodate diverse populations, including people who may be unfamiliar with the building layout, persons with disabilities, children, older adults, and large numbers of occupants. Inadequately planned or poorly maintained evacuation routes can increase evacuation difficulties and expose occupants to unnecessary risks. Assessing the adequacy of emergency routes is therefore an important aspect of architectural planning and building safety. This study assesses emergency evacuation routes in public buildings, focusing on their accessibility, adequacy, continuity, visibility, and effectiveness in supporting safe occupant movement. It examines key elements such as exit locations, escape corridors, stairways, ramps, exit doors, emergency lighting, signage, assembly areas, and alternative escape routes. The study also considers the relationship between building occupancy, floor configuration, circulation patterns, and the location of emergency exits. Particular attention is given to the design and arrangement of evacuation routes within different types of public buildings. Clear and unobstructed escape paths, appropriately located exits, adequate corridor widths, suitable stairways, outward-opening exit doors, visible emergency signage, and sufficient emergency lighting can improve evacuation conditions. The study also considers the importance of providing alternative escape routes so that occupants are not dependent on a single means of exit when one route becomes inaccessible. The assessment further considers the needs of vulnerable occupants during emergency evacuation. Persons with disabilities, older adults, children, patients, and individuals with temporary mobility limitations may require additional provisions to evacuate safely. Features such as accessible escape routes, refuge areas where appropriate, visual and audible alarm systems, handrails, clear signage, and emergency assistance procedures can support more inclusive evacuation planning. Effective evacuation design should therefore account for different physical and sensory abilities rather than relying solely on conventional stair-based escape systems. Several challenges may affect the effectiveness of emergency evacuation routes in public buildings, including inadequate enforcement of safety requirements, unauthorized alterations, overcrowding, poor maintenance, blocked exits, insufficient signage, inadequate emergency lighting, and limited awareness among building occupants. Existing buildings may also have spatial constraints that make the introduction of improved escape routes difficult. Regular inspections, maintenance, evacuation drills, risk assessments, and appropriate building management practices are therefore important for maintaining effective emergency escape systems. The study aims to assess the adequacy of emergency evacuation routes in public buildings and identify architectural and management strategies for improving occupant safety. The findings are expected to assist architects, building managers, facility operators, safety professionals, planners, and regulatory authorities in evaluating and improving emergency escape provisions. By integrating evacuation planning into building design and ensuring that escape routes remain accessible, visible, unobstructed, and properly maintained, public buildings can provide safer and more responsive environments during emergency situations.

Keywords: Emergency evacuation, Public buildings, Evacuation routes, Fire safety, Emergency exits, Building safety, Escape routes, Occupant safety, Evacuation planning, Emergency signage, Accessible evacuation, Egress design, Safety management, Risk assessment.