PROBLEM ISSUES OF EVACUATION TIME CALCULATION DURING FIRES IN PRESCHOOL AND SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WITH INCLUSIVE GROUPS

Abstract

Introduction. In 2015-2020, the number of inclusive groups in preschools and classes in secondary schools of Ukraine increased almost 7 times. For our country, inclusive education is an innovative phenomenon, so its implementation raises many problems. One of the most significant problems is low level of fire safety measures. Сhild death from fires in Ukraine exceeds the European Union numbers by more than 4 times. As children with special needs are more vulnerable during fires, research on fire safety in inclusive groups is an urgent task.The purpose of the article is to identify problematic issues of calculating the time of evacuation in case of fires in educational institutions with inclusive groups based on statistical data, regulatory framework, and modern scientific developments analysis.The current regulations governing the organization of inclusive education in preschool and secondary school have been analyzed. Building codes that set the requirements for inclusive buildings and structures have been analyzed. Standards and methods for calculating the evacuation time from buildings have been also considered. The comparative analysis of the possibilities of the modern application software intended for evacuation time calculation has been carried out. According to the analysis, the main problematic issues have been identified.Conclusion. Currently, some necessary data about children with special needs are not available. That fact doesn't allow calculating with exact accuracy the evacuation time in case of fire in educational institutions with inclusive groups. A comparative analysis of the calculations made with the help of applied computer programs shows that in most of them there is no possibility to take into account the presence of children with special needs on the premises. In some software products, where such a possibility is provided, the movement parameters of children with special needs do not differ from the movement parameters of adults with disabilities. Therefore, determining the values of the horizontal projection area of children with different special needs, as well as the study of their speeds and the influence of their presence on the intensity of the general movements is an urgent technical and scientific task that requires further experimental and theoretical research.