“Smoke causes more loss of life than any other element. One reason is that
people become trapped when they cannot find familiar landmarks and
subsequently succumb to toxic gases, heat or flames. The size of fire that can
produce a life-threatening situation is remarkably small: the combustion of even
a single, ill-chosen seat cushion can generate enough smoke to obscure an
exit sign in the far side of a large room.”1
“Time available is about 50 seconds in severe smoke given a mean travel
speed of 0.35m/s [before people are out of action].”2
This corresponds to 17.5 meters that the average person can move in
smoke before they succumb to its toxic elements.
1 Clark, F.R.S. – Institute for Research in Construction. National Research Council of Canada
2 Jensen, G – InterConsult Group – Safety Consultants
“You're going to be on your hands and knees, and you probably won't be able to see your hand in front of your face. And if you're underneath that exit sign, just eight or 10 feet away from it, it might as well be a hundred miles away”1
Next: Visibility in Smoke
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