Patricia Green | Make building accesses disaster ready

“…There were doors all round the hall, but they were all locked; and when Alice had been all the way down one side and up the other, trying every door, she walked sadly down the middle, wondering how she was ever to get out again…,” these are lines from the 1865 allegory, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Fast forward to the 21st century.

Like Alice, I sometimes find myself wondering how to get out of some public and commercial buildings, trying various doors, pushing and pulling one or the other. Some doors are locked, even shutters drawn. This happens in tax offices, supermarkets, hospitals, nursing homes, pharmacies, and even some schools and churches. I confess that I often get a little apprehensive, wondering what would happen if there was an emergency.

Generally, it seems that such buildings have placed emphasis on allowing persons to enter, meaning to gain ‘access’. However, when persons attempt to leave, exit or ‘egress’ from these buildings, it is obstructed, limited, and sometimes restricted. As an architect, I look closely at doors and notice often that they are generally installed with the door stops positioned on the door frame to swing inward for “access” instead outward for “egress”.

Do all responsible public officials know that for public safety, the legal requirements in the 2021 International Building Code chapter 10, “Means of Egress” for public rooms or spaces with an occupancy of fifty or more persons, doors must swing open for “egress”? The 2023 Jamaican Building Code (JBC), and the 2023 Jamaica Fire Code have booth incorporated this chapter on “egress” from the international code.

The JBC presents a basic approach that addresses various aspects of the egress system, such as exit access, exits and exit discharge, including design requirements. It covers – doors, gates and turnstiles; number of exits; exit access doorways; accessible means of egress; means of egress illumination; exit access travel distance; aisles including size, layout and flow; among others. Critically, it emphasises ‘accessibility,’ requirements for persons with disabilities, also providing allowances for people without disabilities. This code also deals with flood-resistant construction and tsunami-generated flood hazards. If all these are now in place, why do such guidelines appear unenforced, especially in relation to existing and new construction of public and commercial buildings?

Likewise, the Fire Code is described as a model code that regulates minimum fire safety requirements for new and existing buildings, facilities, storage and processes. Its “Means of Egress” chapter sets out some general criteria regulating the primary methods for protection of people in buildings by allowing the timely relocation or evacuation of building occupants. However, if doors are fixed only for access, versus outward movement for egress, how will the Fire Brigade perform their operations effectively? Should Fire Brigade Inspectors be closing operations at some of these public and commercial buildings until the doors are rectified for means of egress? Will the Jamaica Fire Brigade begin to monitor and bring about sanctions against such public safety violations?

RECTIFY ANOMALIES

This, therefore, is an urgent plea for the authorities immediately to rectify such anomalies, thereby ensuring public and commercial buildings have safe doors for egress during emergencies.

Let us revisit events that should have brought critical attention to this issue. There was on March 10, 2020 a gas explosion injuring many at a restaurant in New Kingston. On September 10 the University of the West Indies Earthquake Unit recorded a magnitude 3.5 earthquake. The following day, September 11, again in New Kingston, was another gas explosion at another restaurant, injuring others. Persons were fleeing for their safety from these impacted buildings. Thank God there was no loss of lives.

To date in 2024, there have been a total of 14 earthquakes: January 2; April 1; May 2; June 1; July 1; August 3, including a magnitude 5.3 on the 16; September 2. That magnitude 5.3 forced me to establish some new protocols in my home after it propelled me across the room while I was sitting in my wheeled desk chair. I panicked afterwards, trying to exit through locked doors and security grilles. My dilemma and a serious question were how quickly was I able to put into effect the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management advice that after an earthquake, I should evacuate the building as soon as the shaking stops?

Climate change has intensified the impacts of fires, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and flash floods, bringing increased frequency and greater intensities. Recognising that earthquakes are outside of climate change, when combined, these disasters are putting many buildings and persons at risk at various levels. Schools and churches are designated places of refuge. Do all these have the correct door swings for emergency egress?

The National Works Agency posted on X, formerly Twitter, November 17, 2023 “…FLOODED: Marcus Garvey Drive (MGD), near Tinson Pen is now completely flooded. PLEASE AVOID MGD AT THIS TIME! REPEAT: AVOID MGD AT THIS TIME!...”. Climate change has brought about such sudden occurrences, causing persons to have to flee quickly for safety.

ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY

The 2018 Building Act empowers the Municipal Corporations with the ultimate responsibility over any building permit they have issued. The corporations must certify all buildings with satisfactory completion for occupancy. I discussed this in my Gleaner article of June 12, 2022, ‘Liability of the house of cards: Who is taking responsibility for unplanned developments?’ Development responsibility extends to meeting all safety factors, including, I may add, public and commercial building door swings as means of egress. Municipal corporations are obliged to obtain prior certification from the various entities, including the Fire Brigade, in issuing such occupancy certificates.

Lewis Carroll continued, “…Rabbit came up to the door, and tried to open it; but, as the door opened inwards, and Alice’s elbow was pressed hard against it, that attempt proved a failure…”. In an emergency, the door swing is of major importance because if the door swings against egress when you are trying to leave, the dilemma Alice and Rabbit faced would result. The doors effectively would become ‘locked,’ trapping persons as they remain inside pressed hard against it.

Irie FM reported on September 28, Manchester Municipal Corporation announced a clamping down, commencing October 1, on delinquent business operators who flout regulations and requirements either deliberately or through ignorance. This is highly commendable. Ultimate responsibility over building approvals for renovated and new construction, including certificates of occupancy, and health and safety issues resides with these municipal corporations.

All mayors across Jamaica should assume leadership along with their municipal corporations, to enforce legal safety standards pertaining to door-swing for “egress” as safety factors during emergencies in public and commercial buildings.

Patricia Green, PhD, a registered architect and conservationist, is an independent scholar and advocate for the built and natural environment. Send feedback to patgreen2008@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com