PD 7974-6:2004

PD 7974-6:2004 is intended to provide guidance to designers, regulators and fire safety professionals on the engineering methods available for the evaluation of life safety aspects of a fire safety engineering design in relation to evacuation strategies. Should a fire occur in which occupants might be exposed to fire effluent and/or heat, the objective of the fire safety engineering strategy is to ensure that such exposure does not significantly impede or prevent the safe escape (if required) of essentially all occupants, without their experiencing or developing serious health effects. Advice is presented on the evaluation and management of occupant behaviour, particularly escape behaviour, during a fire emergency and for the evaluation of occupant condition, particularly in relation to exposure to fire effluent and heat. This Published Document addresses the parameters that underlie the basic principles of designing for life safety and provides guidance on the processes, assessments and calculations necessary to determine the location and condition of the occupants of the building, with respect to time. This Published Document also provides a framework for reviewing the suitability of an engineering method for assessing the life safety potential of a building for its occupants.