What is an example of an item that would be located in a refuge area

To ensure that all buildings follow a uniform safety code, the government has made it mandatory for all developers to follow building bye-laws. As per these bye-laws, every high-rise building must have a demarcated space, where people can take shelter in case of an emergency. This space is known as a ‘refuge area’.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

Importance of refuge area
Rules for refuge area
FSI and refuge area
Alternate refuge areas
Safety rules regarding refuge area
Beneficiaries
Technical requirements
Typical areas of refuge
Other uses of refuge areas
Bibliography
External links

Importance of refuge area

The refuge area is an important space in tall buildings, in which potential risks to life might emerge, in case of any mishap. Building norms were tightened after it came to the notice of the authorities that builders were selling this area to residents for personal use, after getting an on-paper approval for constructing such facility. It is the responsibility of the civic bodies, to check whether the provisions for the refuge area have been kept as shown in the approved map, before they issue completion certificates to high-rise buildings.

See also: Fire safety precautions that developers and home buyers can take

Rules for refuge area

According to the National Building Code, the builder should provide a dedicated refuge area at every seventh floor or after the first 24 metres in a high-rise. After the first refuge area, every seventh floor should have an area of refuge in the building.

Source: Cornell.com

FSI and refuge area

There have been cases where builders have sold the refuge space for lucrative rates. Therefore, to prevent such misuse of the demarcated space, building codes provide clear guidelines about the floor area calculation for refuge areas. According to the law, the refuge area must be limited to a maximum of 4% of the liveable floor area it serves. Also, the calculation of the refuge area is excluded from the Floor Space Index (FSI is the ratio of permissible built up area). However, if the refuge area is more than the 4% limit, the space will be calculated under FSI norms.

Alternate refuge areas

If the high-rise has a height of more than 70 metres or have more than 24 storeys, there is a provision for alternate refuge area. According to the law, the alternate refuge area can be specified as reinforced concrete cantilever projections at the alternate mid-landing level of staircase. However, the minimum width for such area should be three metres and area should be 10 sq metres for residential buildings and 15 sq metres for commercial high-rises.

Apart from this, the builder should construct a clear passage to the refuge area, with signs mentioned everywhere, painted in luminous paint. No lift or staircase should open in such areas, as it shall be kept reserved for occupants as temporary shelter, in case of an emergency.

See also: How can home owners ensure earthquake-resistant homes?

Safety rules regarding refuge area

The door to the refuge area should never be locked, as the space must be easily accessible in an emergency.
The refuge area cannot be used for any other permanent or temporary purpose, such as community cooking or as storage or recreation area.
A ‘fire check’ floor in a building with a height of more than 70 metres is compulsory. It should cover an entire floor at every 70-metre level.

FAQs

Refuge area is a separate space in high-rise buildings, where residents can take shelter in case of fire or other emergencies.

Refuge area means the space where residents can take refuge in case of accidents and emergencies.

It is mandatory for all high rise buildings to put up signs painted in luminous paint, indicating the direction to the refuge area.

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Location in a building designed to hold occupants during a fire or other emergency

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Control room cabinets at a coal power plant, opened up, revealing missing firestops

An area of refuge or safe room[1] is a place in a building designed to hold occupants during a fire or other emergency when evacuation may not be safe or possible. Occupants can wait there until rescued or relieved by firefighters.[1]

In some instances, an area of refuge or refuge area may refer to a designated space in a multi-unit residential building that can provide relief from unsafe or uncomfortable conditions in individual units.

Beneficiaries

People who use refuge areas may include:

Those who cannot reach a safe escape route
Those assisting people who are prevented from escaping
Hospital patients
Sick people[citation needed]
People with disabilities[1][2]
Elderly people
Very young children and infants
Medical personnel who may be operating on a patient at the time of the emergency
Operators in a critical facility whose function must not be interrupted, such as nuclear power stations, key military fortifications, and high security prisons

Technical requirements

An area of refuge is typically supplied with a steady supply of fresh or filtered outside air. The ducting that must supply such fresh air is referred to as pressurisation ductwork. Such ductwork are items of passive fire protection, subject to fire testing, product certification, and listing and approval use and compliance. The idea is that the ductwork must remain operable even while exposed to fire for a duration stipulated for each occupancy by the local building code. The electrical equipment supplying power to such systems must also be equipped with approved circuit integrity measures. Both ventilation and power systems must have a demonstrable fire-resistance rating that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction.

Similar requirements apply to emergency lighting in areas of refuge. A two way communication system is required on each floor above or below the main floor in newly constructed facilities. A call box is required in each area of refuge, which can call into a central location called a base station. If the station is not attended 24 hours a day, the call must automatically call to an outside location and have two-way voice person to person communication capabilities.

Typical areas of refuge

Stairwells (also to allow egress unimpeded by smoke)
Control rooms in nuclear power stations, chemical plants, and high security prisons
Operating theaters

Such locations are usually required to be bounded by fire-resistant walls and floors.

Other uses of refuge areas

In the context of climate change, where older buildings may not be designed for changing climate conditions, refuge spaces are sometimes discussed in terms of providing communal areas in multi-unit buildings for when temperature and air quality is not safe or comfortable in individual units.[3][4]

References

^ a b c Roberts (2005, p. 155)
^ Roberts (2005, p. 159)
^ Schünemann, Christoph; Olfert, Alfred; Schiela, David; Gruhler, Karin; Ortlepp, Regine (2020). "Mitigation and adaptation in multifamily housing: overheating and climate justice". Buildings & Cities. 1 (1): 36–55. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
^ "The Design Guide Supplement on Overheating and Air Quality" (PDF). BC Housing. p. 35. Retrieved 13 July 2021.

Bibliography

Roberts, Jessica L (2005). "An area of refuge: due process analysis and emergency evacuation for people with disabilities". Virginia Journal of Social Policy & the Law. 13 (127).