A Study on Walking Characteristics of Novices at Onboard Environments under Blackout Conditions in a Training Ship

Abstract

Because most of the passengers are not accustomed with onboard environments, it is very important to analyze and predict the behaviors` characteristics of passengers under disasters` conditions, and apply those results for making countermeasures. On this view point, this study focused on the walking characteristics of onboard-novices are tested and analyzed under blackout condition that has high possibility to happen. As a result, comparing to under normal lighting conditions, the waking times under blackout conditions are 155.8~247.1 % longer on full path, 56.9~331.7 % on corridors, 75.3~152.9 % on stairs, respectively. And under the same blackout conditions, walking times in cases of the exit guidance marks being attached on top side of walls saved times, like 21.6~24.0 % on full path, 37.7~58.9 % on corridors, 18.7~19.2 % on stairs, comparing to the cases of exit guidance marks being not attached. On the other hand, after tests under without exit guidance marks, 60.7% among respondents answered that internal structures like wall/stair (35.7 %) and handrail (25 %) are very helpful to decide way findings, and 28.6 % selected personal instincts is important. But 50 % responded that exit guide marks are effective to find ways, after the tests under with exit guidance marks.