Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

In the recent decade, ultra high-rise buildings have been erected throughout Hong Kong. The safety of the occupants in these buildings under emergency situations is of prime importance. An evacuation system is not the first step of fire safety design in buildings, yet it cannot be eliminated as a hazard free environment cannot be provided. An effective evacuation system should be the major concern of the Government, the building designers as well as the people using the building. The Building Authority of the Hong Kong Government has issued fire codes to facilitate building design. However, of these codes, the Code of Practice on Means of Escape has not been fundamentally reviewed since its first publication in 1960. In 1991, the Government of Hong Kong established a working party to review the Code of Practice on Means of Escape in Hong Kong. In relation to the escape from ultra high rise buildings, the introduction of designated refuge floors has been proposed. This paper describes the background of the idea and provides a brief discussion in this aspect.