Interactions and connections of safe egress factors in hospital designs

What is it about?

This research examines fire safety design in hospitals, aiming to identify and understand the factors that influence its effectiveness through control and evacuation while addressing challenges related to patient mobility. The study employs a qualitative narrative approach, systematically reviewing 130 relevant articles and research papers. This process identified a total of 12 key factors in the early design stage that affect patient evacuation, confirmed by 25 field experts. Research found patient mobility rate and conditions as the most crucial key factor influencing safe egress apart from the other 12 factors which are occupant types, occupant behaviour, exit characteristics, interior layout, fire spread and fire cells, building fire-rated materials, RSET/ASET, fire detection and suppression systems, signs and evacuation elevators, building model simulation, and staff training. This study assists field professionals such as architects, fire engineers, consultants, medical staff and firefighters, as well as the general public by providing critical design information for the safe evacuation of all hospital occupants, especially patients with mobility issues, thus participating in achieving the UN's goals of safe environments and sustainable, resilient infrastructure and ensuring the safety of people of all ages. The new factor of patient mobility conditions is an addition to the body of knowledge that would interest academics. The research novelty identified patient mobility conditions as the key influencer for safe fire egress at hospitals while discussing the interrelations between the 12 critical factors.

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