Evaluating new evacuation systems related to human behaviour using a situational awareness approach – A study of the implementation of evacuation elevators in an underground facility

Elevator evacuation is associated with several safety benefits and can be a cost-efficient evacuation strategy in many buildings or facilities. Despite the advantages, elevator evacuation is not yet a common strategy in the built environment. In this paper, a design strategy that allows the designer to consider information needs of evacuees when designing the information and guidance measures for evacuation elevators is presented. The strategy is based on human behaviour theories and the Theory of Affordance. The use of the design strategy is also illustrated for a case study, i.e., an underground metro station with evacuation elevators. This case study identifies several important measures, which accommodate the information needs of the evacuees, e.g., (1) voice alarm containing information that elevators can be used for evacuation, and (2) a system in the elevator lobby indicating that the elevators are operational. The paper also highlights future research areas where the current level of knowledge related to elevator evacuation needs to increase.