By Viktor Chong

The audience is shown a video of a fire occurring in a high rise building.

PETALING JAYA: Fire safety is an integral safety issue that shouldn’t be undermined, according to IFEM vice president Tay Hao Giang, architects should consider the element of human psychology as well as physical and mental disability when designing their buildings.

Tay stated the understanding is important because humans will behave differently in a time of crisis, especially a fire. “In the event of an evacuation, it is part of human nature for us to use the route that we are most familiar with,” said Tay. People in general often ignore fire exit signs and attempt to backtrack their way out to escape the building.

He also stated that adults and children also react differently in the event of a fire as he shared an incident involving a childcare centre inside a shopping mall. “The group of children refused to evacuate the building after the fire broke out, saying that their parents told them not to follow strangers,” said Tay, adding that the teachers and children perished in the flames.

Fire fatality among people with physical disability is the highest as according to information shared by Tay.

According to Tay smoke particles that are greyish in colour are toxic as they are formed from synthetic materials. He further added that the inhalation of the smoke would increase the likelihood of the victim contracting cancer. Smoke behaviour should also be understood as over 90% of victims die from suffocation and toxic fumes.

“When the fire starts, anything that is not burned entirely will have a buoyancy effect due to the heat inside the particle which is over 250 degrees.

“The particles will float upwards, losing temperature until it equals the ambient temperature, where it then comes down,” said Tay, adding that these particles impede escape as it burns the victim’s lungs, eyes and hair.

Warning signs should also be revisited, he said as he added that building regulations in Malaysia state that the “exit” sign must be placed on top the door but the placement will not be useful in the event of a fire as smoke particles will inhibit the victim’s vision.

He stated that most international airports such as Japan, China and Korea now place the exit signs on the floor to facilitate the evacuation process.

The temperature of the flame, Tay said can also be gauged through its colour such as orange, red, yellow and white - he added that a white flame approaches a temperature of around 1,000 degrees Celsius, pointing out that the steel structure of a building can only withstand a temperature of 600 degrees Celsius before it fails.

“Compared to 30 years ago, we now use more synthetic materials which generate a higher smoke index and heat output,” he said.

Tay states that this shortens pyrolysis, a condition where the air in the room is heated up. “Eventually all the surface of the room will be hot enough to cause a flashover which will then develop into a full-scale fire.

“When this happens, visibility is reduced, and it will increase evacuation time,” he said, adding that these conditions make it harder for the firefighters to put out the blaze.

Tay also pointed out some dangers inherent in tall buildings. “Fire spreads quickly in high rise properties because the design of the building usually does not take into consideration wind shear factors,” said Tay, adding that the fire is brought up by the wind that hits the surface of the building.

Other factors include combustibles embedded within the cladding system. He said Singaporean authorities had acted quickly on this hazard, identifying over 48 structures and issuing orders to eradicate the contents.

“If you are buying a house at the top level of a high-rise condominium, then you should consider if you and your family are capable of walking all the way down the building in the event of a fire evacuation,” Tay advised.

The presentation is part of a collaboration between Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) and Institution of Fire Engineers (UK) Malaysia Branch (IFEM), the seminar aims to create awareness on the special needs of people with disabilities, pregnant ladies, senior citizens, injured people, and many more. It also aims to encourage the incorporation of fire safety designs as part of the “Universal Design” of buildings for a safer environment.