Construction site evacuation safety: Evacuation strategies for tall construction sites: Research summary

Abstract

What’s the problem? The soaring scale of high-rise building construction – the number of projects and the size of the buildings – is reflected in the number of workers exposed to these demanding construction environments and the need for large-scale evacuation. In London alone, an estimated 541 high-rise building projects were planned as of the end of 2018. While fire is not a major cause of death or injury on UK construction sites, given the high frequency of fires and the number of workers involved, there is nevertheless a significant risk to the health and safety of workers if an emergency evacuation caused by fire or other on-site emergency is required. It is therefore essential that large-scale construction sites have robust plans for safe and timely emergency evacuation. The overall aim of the project is to improve the safety of construction site workers during on-site emergency evacuation, through the development of a unique evidence base characterising, for the first time, the actual performance and behaviour of construction workers during emergency evacuation. Combining this information with computer simulation will inform the development of more reliable evacuation procedures, improving the work environment through better preparation for, and management of, on-site emergency evacuation, and advancing the safety of construction workers