NBC of India 2016 volume-1

GUIDELINES FOR FIRE DRILL AND EVACUATION PROCEDURES FOR HIGH RISE BUILDINGS 

D-1 INTRODUCTION 

In case of fire in a high rise building, safe evacuation of its occupants may present serious problems unless a plan for orderly and systematic evacuation is prepared in advance and all occupants are well drilled in the operation of such plan. These guidelines are intended to assist them in this task. 

D-2 ALARMS 

Any person discovering fire, heat, or smoke shall immediately report such condition to the fire brigade unless he has personal knowledge that such a report has been made. No person shall make, issue, post or maintain any regulation or order, written or verbal, that would require any person to take any unnecessary delaying action prior to reporting such condition to the fire brigade. 

D-3 DRILLS 

D-3.1 Fire drills shall be conducted, in accordance with the Fire Safety Plan, at least once every three months for buildings during the first two years. Thereafter, fire drills shall be conducted at least once every six months. 

D-3.2 All occupants of the building shall participate in the fire drill. However, occupants of the building, other than building service employees, are not required to leave the floor or use the exits during the drill. 

D-3.3 A written record of such drills shall be kept on the premises for a three years period and shall be readily available for fire brigade inspection. 

D-4 SIGNS AND PLANS 

D-4.1 Signs at Lift Landings 

A sign shall be posted and maintained in a conspicuous place on every floor at or near the lift landing in accordance with the requirements, indicating that in case of fire, occupants shall use the stairs unless instructed otherwise. The sign shall contain a diagram showing the location of the stairways except that such diagram may be omitted, provided signs containing such diagram are posted in conspicuous places on the respective floor. 

A sign shall read 'IN CASE OF FIRE, USE STAIRS UNLESS INSTRUCTED OTHERWISE'. The lettering shall be at least 12.5 mm block letters in red and white background. Such lettering shall be properly spaced to provide good legibility. The sign shall be at least 250 mm × 300 mm, where the diagram is also incorporated in it, and 62.5 mm × 250 mm where the diagram is omitted. In the latter case, the diagram sign shall be at least 200 mm × 300 mm. The sign shall be located directly above the call button and squarely attached to the wall or partition. The top of the sign shall not be above 2 m from the floor level. 

D-4.2 Floor Numbering Signs 

A sign shall be posted and maintained within each stair enclosure on every floor, indicating the number of the floor, in accordance with the requirements given below. The numerals shall be of bold type and at least 75 mm high. The numerals and background shall be in contrasting colours. The sign shall be securely attached to the stair side of the door. 

D-4.3 Stair and Lifts Identification

 Signs Each stairway and each lift bank shall be identified by an alphabetical letter. A sign indicating the letter of identification shall be posted and maintained at each lift landing and on the side of the stairway door from which egress is to be made, in accordance with the requirements given in 4.4.2.4.3.2(h)(9). 

D-4.4 Stair Re-entry Signs

 A sign shall be posted and maintained on each floor within each stairway and on the occupancy side of the stairway where required, indicating whether re-entry is provided into the building and the floor where such re-entry is provided, in accordance with the requirements given below. The lettering and numerals of the signs shall be at least 12.5 mm high of bold type. The lettering and background shall be of contrasting colours and the signs shall be securely attached approximately 1.5 m above the floor level. 

D-5 FIRE SAFETY PLAN 

D-5.1 A format for the Fire Safety Plan shall be as given in D-9.10. 

D-5.2 The applicable parts of the approved Fire Safety Plan shall be distributed to all tenants of the building by the building management when the Fire Safety Plan has been approved by the Fire Authority 

the wheelchair user to see if anyone is behind them and also to see the floor indicator panel. The mirror should not extend below 900 mm from the lift floor to avoid confusing people with impaired sight. 

d)  Internal car lighting should provide minimum level of illumination of 100 lux at floor level, uniformly distributed, and avoiding the spotlights. 

e)  Emergency warning The car shall have an alarm device (two-way communication system) permanently connected to a manned security point according to the following: 

1) The device shall ensure voice communication in both directions with an organization in charge of passenger rescue or with the person in charge of the safety of the building. 

2) The operating force for alarm button shall be minimum 2.5 N and maximum 5 N. 

3) The device shall provide visual and audible information feedback for passengers confirming that the alarm has been sent, using a yellow enlightened bell-shaped symbol; and the alarm has been received, voice communication established, using the green enlightened symbol consisting of two heads. 

For other requirements, reference shall be made to good practice [3(8)]. 

B-6.4.9 Use of Lifts for Fire Evacuation 

A fundamental objective of fire engineering design for egress is that there shall be alternative, safe, and intuitive means of egress from the scene of a fire; these routes shall be available to all building users. 

Evacuation of occupants through assisted evacuation by use of fireman's lift should be planned while evacuation through designated lifts suitably planned and installed for use of occupants for safe evacuation are desirous to be provided. 

Such lifts used for evacuation should be easily accessible, clearly identifiable and be suitably protected from the increase of smoke, heat and flame. The controls for the lift shall be located in the areas where users must wait and this area shall be designed to ensure a tenable environment provided during the entire time that the evacuation is taking place. 

Such lifts should not be used for evacuation unless built for this purpose and suitably protected by the building design. 

The fire evacuation shall comply with the requirements given in Part 4 'Fire and Life Safety' of the Code and lifts for evacuation including fireman's lift shall comply with the requirements given in Part 8 'Building Services, Section 5 Lifts, Escalators, and Moving Walks: 5A Lifts' of the Code. 

B-6.5 Escalators and Moving Walks 

Escalators and moving walks are very common in public buildings. They can greatly facilitate circulation for all building users in large, extensive, and complex modern building types. 

However, the location of escalators and moving walks should always be considered in relation to the position of adjacent fire-protected lift shafts and lobbies, staircases, and their associated areas of rescue assistance. 

During normal periods of maintenance and servicing, escalators and moving walks will not be operational. 

In the event of a fire emergency, building users attempting to evacuate usually tend to re-trace their routes of entry, whatever the nature of the hazard and wherever it is located. It should be assumed that the electrical supply to escalators and moving walks is terminated or turned off during such emergencies. 

For important reasons of safety, therefore, inclined moving walks should comply with the requirements for ramps in buildings with respect to slope and length. 

For important reasons of safety, special warning notices and indicators shall be provided at the top and bottom of escalators where step rises reduce suddenly and dramatically when not operational. 

Some individuals, in particular older people, might have more than one impairment. Some individuals are not able to use an escalator or moving walk independently and rely on assistance/support being provided by a companion. 

Safety shall be the prime consideration when choosing or installing escalators and moving walks. 

Lifts are the preferred method of vertical travel for most people with disabilities and in particular wheelchair users. 

NATIONAL BUILDING CODE OF INDIA 

FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY 

1 SCOPE 

1.1 This Code (Part 4) covers the requirements for fire prevention, life safety in relation to fire and fire protection of buildings. This Code (Part 4) specifies occupancy-wise classification, constructional aspects, egress requirements, and protection features that are necessary to minimize danger to life and property from fire. 

1.2 The provisions of this Part are applicable to, 

a) all high-rise buildings; and 

b) special buildings, those are, 

1) hotel, educational, institutional, business, mercantile, industrial, storage, hazardous, and mixed occupancies, where any of these buildings have floor area more than 500 m2 on any one or more floors; 

2) educational buildings having height 9 m and above; 

3) institutional buildings having height 9 m and above;

4) all assembly buildings; 

5) buildings, having area more than 300 m2 of incidental assembly occupancy on any floor; and 

6) buildings with two basements or more, or with one basement of area more than 500 m2. 

unless otherwise mentioned specifically in the provisions. 

2 TERMINOLOGY 

For the purpose of this Part, the following definitions shall apply. 

2.1 Assisted Evacuation --- Strategy that exists during which a designated person or persons provide assistance, during an emergency, to another person(s) to leave a building or a specific part of the built environment and to reach a final place of safety. 

2.2 Atrium --- A large-volume space created by a floor opening or series of floor openings connecting two or more stories that is covered at the top of the series of openings and is used for purposes other than an enclosed stairway; lifts hoist-way; an escalator opening; or as a utility shaft used for plumbing, electrical, air conditioning, or communications facilities. 

2.3 Authorities Concerned --- An organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving or accepting equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure. 

2.4 Automatic Fire Detection and Alarm System --- A system comprising components and sub-systems required for automatically detecting smoke, heat, or fire initiating an alarm, and other actions as appropriate. This system also includes manually operated electronic fire alarm (MOEFA) system. 

2.5 Building --- Any structure for whatsoever purpose and of whatsoever materials constructed and every part thereof whether used as human habitation or not and includes foundation, plinth, walls, floors, roofs, chimneys, plumbing and building services, fixed platforms, Veranda, balcony, cornice or projection, part of a building or anything affixed thereto or any wall enclosing or intended to enclose any land or space and signs and outdoor display structures. Tents, Shamianahs, tarpaulin shelters, etc, erected for temporary and ceremonial occasions with the permission of the Authority shall not be considered as buildings. 

2.6 Building, Height of --- The vertical distance measured in the case of flat roofs, from the average level of the ground around and contiguous to the building or as decided by the Authority to the terrace of the last livable floor of the building adjacent to the external wall; and in the case of pitched roofs, up to the point where the external surface of the outer wall intersects the finished surface of the sloping roof; and in the case of gables facing the road, the mid-point between the eaves level and the ridge. Where the building is located in a sloped terrain, height shall be determined from the lowest level (that is approachable by the fire service vehicles) to the terrace level. Architectural features serving no other function except that of decoration shall be excluded for the purpose of measuring heights. 

source: www.bis.gov.in