Means of Escape & Egress Planning
Escape route design that works for everyone — assessed against realistic occupancy scenarios, not just minimum code compliance.
What’s included
- Escape route design and travel distance assessment.
- Stair and corridor width and egress capacity analysis.
- Emergency and escape lighting design.
- Exit signage specification.
- Refuge area design for occupants requiring assistance.
- Egress capacity verification against realistic occupancy scenarios.
However good a building's detection and suppression systems are, occupant safety ultimately depends on people being able to leave the building safely and quickly when a fire occurs. Means of escape and egress planning addresses this directly — the design and assessment of escape routes, travel distances, stair and corridor widths, emergency and escape lighting, exit signage, and refuge areas for occupants who may need assistance evacuating.
This work sits at the intersection of fire engineering and architectural planning, because escape route design is fundamentally shaped by a building's layout, occupancy density, and use pattern. We assess egress capacity against realistic occupancy scenarios, review escape route design for genuine usability under emergency conditions — not just theoretical code compliance — and pay particular attention to the needs of occupants who may face additional challenges evacuating, ensuring escape strategies genuinely work for everyone who might need to use them.
Other parts of Fire Protection
