Evacuation Procedures Research Articles

Computer modeling analysis of METRO ticket gates impact to evacuation procedures

Subway rail system is considered the best choice for big cities to solve surface transportation problems in terms of congestion, efficiency, and speed. The increasing use of these facilities by more and more passengers has made vital the need to ensure high safety standards. The effective structure of the evacuation plan in an emergency event is essential. A critical factor for a successful evacuation is the proper functioning of the egress paths that must be clear of any obstacles.To ensure the passengers’ proof-of-fare (POF) public transport organizations have installed ticket validation machines proportionally in the facilities. In Athens METRO system, ticket gates providing automatic fare collection have replaced these ticket validation machines. Both POF systems may be considered as egress path obstructions that need to be taken into account in the initial evacuation plan design, since these POF installations provide different available width on the evacuation paths.The paper investigates the impact of prior ticket validator and modern automatic fare collector machines on evacuation procedures in Athens METRO stations. The impact evaluation is based on three factors: i) total evacuation time, ii) time spent in queues (overcrowding effect) and iii) egress path flow rate, evacuation obstruction, human behavior.

Passengers’ safety awareness and perception of wayfinding tools in a Ro-Ro passenger ship during an emergency evacuation

Wayfinding tools are important parts of the emergency evacuation identification system, which can improve passengers’ understanding of the evacuation process, and guide people to evacuate quickly. However, there are few systematic studies on passengers' safety awareness and perception of wayfinding tools and evacuation procedures in case of passenger ship emergencies. This paper aims to demonstrate the current levels and status of ship passenger’s safety awareness, the perception of emergency wayfinding tools and the demographic differences regarding safety awareness and perception. These objectives are achieved by examining the characteristics of passengers of a vessel transport route between Yantai and Dalian through the application of questionnaires and statistical analysis techniques. Questionnaire responses of 1,373 passengers indicated that a number of passengers had seen the ship emergency evacuation plan (56.8%), exit signs (56%), and emergency public address (PA) (53.5%). However, 32.2% did not fully understand or comprehend the content and availability of the vessel’s emergency evacuation plan, 31.5% did not understand the exit signs and 32.9% did not understand the emergency PA. The obtained ordered logistic regression results show that there are demographic differences in safety awareness, perception of wayfinding tools among passengers.

A GIS-Based System for Spatial-Temporal Availability Evaluation of the Open Spaces Used as Emergency Shelters: The Case of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Canadian emergency management planners have historically ignored the self-motivated evacuation procedures of people who cannot initially choose the safest evacuation areas. In densely developed urban areas, open spaces can be seen as ideal evacuation areas and should thus be included in shelter planning. In this study, the public open spaces in Great Victoria were selected as the study area and evaluated using GIS technologies. A multi-criteria TOPSIS evaluation model was used to conduct comprehensive quantitative evaluations of the open spaces’ safety, accessibility, and availability. Through hybrid process, service area, and POI aggregation coupling analyses, a model is created that provides an overall evaluation at the district level. In addition to providing a model for evaluating open spaces as emergency shelters, applicable to most Canadian cities, this study emphasizes the importance and disadvantages of open space emergency shelters in Canada, which have heretofore been ignored by decision makers. In Great Victoria, we found that the distribution of open spaces does not match the dynamics of the population distribution, meaning that through inadequate preparation some districts lack a safe evacuation place—this in an area where people are at high risk of earthquake disasters and their subsequent effects.

Amniotic fluid embolism- implementation of international diagnosis criteria and subsequent pregnancy recurrence risk.

An international diagnostic criterion for amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) diagnosis has recently been published. Data regarding subsequent pregnancies is scarce. We sought to implement recent diagnostic criteria and detail subsequent pregnancies in survivors. A case series of all suspected AFE cases at a tertiary medical center between 2003 and 2018 is presented. Cases meeting the diagnostic criteria for AFE were included. Clinical presentation, treatment, and outcomes described. Pregnancy outcomes in subsequent pregnancies in AFE survivors detailed. Between 2003 and 2018 14 women were clinically suspected with AFE and 12 of them (85.71%) met the diagnostic criteria for AFE. Three cases occurred during midtrimester dilation and evacuation procedures, and the remaining occurred in the antepartum period. Of the antepartum cases, mode of delivery was cesarean delivery or vacuum extraction for expedited delivery due to presentation of AFE in 8/9 cases (88.88%). Clinical presentation included cardiovascular collapse, respiratory distress and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC). Heart failure of varying severity was diagnosed in 75% (9/12) cases. Composite maternal morbidity was 5/12 (41.66%), without cases of maternal mortality. 11 subsequent pregnancies occurred in four AFE survivors. Pregnant women were followed by a high-risk pregnancy specialist and multidisciplinary team if pregnancy continued beyond the early second trimester. Six pregnancies resulted in a term delivery. No recurrences of AFE were documented. Use of a diagnostic criterion for diagnosis of AFE results in a more precise diagnosis of AFE. Nevertheless, the accuracy of clinical diagnosis is still high. Subsequent pregnancies were not associated with AFE recurrence.

Разработка эффективного планировочного решения офисного пространства путем прогнозируемой организации социального пространства

This study aims to develop an efficient planning concept for office space by a projected organisation of social space. The article shows a principle of developing the functional design of an architectural structure and methods of its subsequent assessment. The study was carried out using the example of a section under reconstruction in an industrial building for the functions of a co-working centre. The methods included analysis and acquisition of data on the design of co-working centres with the subse-quent topological analysis of references. This allowed the structure of connections between the ele-ments allocated in space and the functional content of the room to be determined. Based on the ob-tained data, the options for design solutions targeting an office building were formed. For their analy-sis, the tools of space syntax were applied. To visualise the efficiency of the "work" and "rest" pro-cesses, comparative graphs of their behaviour were built, as well as a scheme for evacuation proce-dures. These graphs were used to compile the most effective design concepts. Tracing user routes through human flow simulations revealed vulnerabilities in supply chains and the structure of the ongo-ing social process. The graphs exhibited multiple peak values, meaning that necessary functional zones are missing. After eliminating these vulnerabilities, the built graphs of the key process show an increase of 17% in the level of social efficiency. The evacuation procedures also showed the efficien-cy of the developed layout concepts in reducing the total time for evacuating users. The most effective solution was to locate recreation areas with high attendance in the most accessible places in the framework of an architectural structure.

Second-Trimester Abortion Dangertalk

Abortion rights are more vulnerable now than they have been in decades. This Article focuses specifically on the most assailable subset of those rights: the right to a pre-viability, second-trimester abortion. Building on Carhart v. Gonzales, in which the Supreme Court upheld a federal ban on a safe and effective second-trimester abortion procedure, states have passed new second-trimester abortion restrictions that rely heavily on the woman-protective rationale—the idea that the restrictions will benefit women. These newer second-trimester abortion restrictions include bans on the Dilation & Evacuation procedure, bans on disability-selective abortions, and mandatory perinatal hospice and palliative care counseling in cases of life-limiting fetal conditions. This Article discusses the paternalism and traditional gender stereotypes underlying these newer abortion restrictions and uses empirical studies to discredit the woman-protective rationale justifying them. The Article also suggests a radical, new response to claims that women need protection from second-trimester abortion: the embrace of second-trimester abortion “dangertalk.” First introduced in medical literature by abortion providers, dangertalk refers to the uncomfortable truths about abortion that supporters often avoid. These topics include the nature of second-trimester abortion procedures and the emotional complexity that can especially accompany second-trimester abortion. This Article advocates for greater openness about these topics, arguing that silence only capitulates the narrative of second-trimester abortion to those opposing abortion rights. The Article envisions second-trimester abortion care that more openly recognizes these realities and provides women with more choices that might make second-trimester abortion easier, including alternative procedures and the option of memory-making to process difficult emotions, like grief. Finally, this Article argues that more transparency about these difficult subjects will help rebut the woman-protective rationale used to justify second-trimester abortion restrictions.

Leukocytosis during cervical preparation with osmotic dilators for dilation and evacuation.

Objectives:To describe leukocytosis trends during cervical preparation with osmotic dilators for second-trimester dilation and evacuation procedures, and to determine whether there is a difference in leukocytosis seen with laminaria versus Dilapan-S.Methods:We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 986 women presenting for dilation and evacuation from April 2008 through March 2009 at an outpatient clinic network. We included all procedures at ⩾14 weeks’ gestation where laminaria or Dilapan-S dilators were used for overnight dilation. All women had routine white blood cell testing during the study period.Results:There was a median increase of 2.4 × 103/μL white blood cell count (95% confidence interval 2.2–2.7 × 103/μL) from beginning of cervical preparation to the day of procedure (95% confidence interval and p value). Women receiving laminaria (n = 805) versus Dilapan-S (n = 181) had a greater increase in white blood cell count from baseline (median increase 2.7 versus 1.2 × 103/μL, p < 0.001), including when adjusting for age, gestational age, parity, baseline white blood cell count, and number of dilators placed.Conclusion:There is increased leukocytosis during the course of cervical preparation with osmotic dilators, and this is increased with use of laminaria versus Dilapan-S. Rates of clinically recognized infection in second-trimester abortion are low regardless of dilator type used.

Thrombolysis for Evacuation of Intracerebral and Intraventricular Hemorrhage: A Guide to Surgical Protocols With Practical Lessons Learned From the MISTIE and CLEAR Trials.

Minimally Invasive Surgery Plus Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator for Intracerebral Hemorrhage Evacuation (MISTIE) procedure was recently tested in a large phase III randomized trial showing a significant probability of functional benefit in those cases that reached the goal hematoma evacuation of ≤15 mL residual (or ≥70% removal). Benefit of thrombolysis was also identified in cases with large intraventricular hemorrhage, and achieving at least 85% volume reduction in the Evaluating Accelerated Resolution of Intraventricular Hemorrhage (CLEAR) III trial. To protocolize steps in the MISTIE and CLEAR procedures in order to maximize hematoma evacuation and minimize complications. We articulate data-driven lessons and expert opinions surrounding the factors of patient selection, catheter placement, and dosing, which impacted safety and surgical performance in the MISTIE and CLEAR trials. Modifiable factors to maximize evacuation efficiency include optimizing catheter placement and pursuing aggressive dosing to achieve treatment goals, while strictly adhering to the safety steps as articulated in the respective trials. Prognostic factors that are viewed as nonmodifiable include greater initial intracerebral hemorrhage volume with irregular shape, smaller intraventricular bleeds, and the uncommon but consequential development of new bleeding during the dosing period despite strict protocol adherence. Surgeon education in this tutorial is aimed at maximizing the benefit of the MISTIE and CLEAR procedures by reviewing case selection, safety steps, treatment objectives, and technical nuances. Key lessons include stability imaging, etiology screening, and technical adherence to the protocol in order to achieve defined thresholds of evacuation.

Bezbednost u stambenim zgradama - evakuacija stambene zgrade bez požarnih stepenica

Introduction/purpose: Safety in high residential buildings presents a very important and always actual task. In case of some unforeseen and dangerous occurrences, their residents must be evacuated. Fire, earthquakes, and terrorism are only some of such situations. The speed of evacuation from high residential buildings depends on many different factors. A particularly difficult and complex evacuation task concerns buildings without fire escape stairs. Methods: The modeling method was used in this paper. Based on a real object - a residential building, an appropriate simulation model was realized in appropriate simulation software. Results: The results of this paper have shown that, out of four scenarios, the fastest evacuation was for the evacuation speed of 1.75 m/s. The first two scenarios did not report any jams, unlike the third and fourth scenario; in the third scenario, the occupants' speeds were 0.75 m/s and 1.25 m/s while in the fourth scenario, the simulated occupants' speeds were from 0.75 m/s to 1.75 m/s. Conclusion:The usage of appropriate simulation software enables fast, precise, safe and cheap calculation of evacuation times and it can significantly improve evacuation procedures and evacuation strategies.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Irma.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Emergency Managers looked at the challenges faced during the storm and found areas for improvement. Some of those challenges included evacuation procedures, staffing at the Emergency Operations Centers, slow debris removal times, and prolonged power outages. This research considers various counties impacted directly and indirectly by Hurricane Irma. The After-Action Reports of several counties have been summarized, including not only the problems, but recommendations for improving or preventing those problems from occurring again. The lessons learned from Hurricane Irma could lessen the impact of future storms, not only for those who dealt with Irma, but for all communities that can face high impact natural disasters.

POSSIBLE MEANS OF ESCAPE FOR EVACUATION FROM DANGEROUS LOCATIONS VS. THE SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS OF THESE PLACES. SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS ON THE EXAMPLE STUDENT SURVEY AT THE RZESZÓW UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

The aim of this paper is to analyse Rzeszow University of Technology students’ familiarity with the emergency exits in the buildings where they attend classes and their knowledge of the evacuation routes from these buildings in the event of a construction disaster, fire, terrorist attack, or other possibly dangerous phenomenon. The analyses described are based on scientific research carried out on a population of 249 university students, to whom a survey regarding this subject was administered. Study findings indicated that respondents' familiarity with emergency exit locations in buildings and knowledge of emergency evacuation procedures for public utility buildings were at a very low level. It is therefore recommended that efforts aimed at ensuring student preparedness should evacuation from university buildings be necessary be increased and that university threat alert systems be improved.

A case report on succinylcholine hypersensitivity presenting as severe bronchospasm

Succinylcholine is a depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent, useful as an adjunct to general anaesthesia. Hypersensitivity to succinylcholine might lead to flushing, skin rash, bronchospasm, and shock. However, incidence of bronchospasm is less common in man. A 26 years old female patient at our setup, while undergoing dilatation and evacuation procedure, was administered with Injection Scoline (Succinylcholine) 50 milligrams intravenous. Within a minute, patient was gasping and underwent severe bronchospasms. Her SpO2 was 94% along with development of crepitation with tachypnoea and spasms (>30 respirations/minute). She was immediately resuscitated and intubated by the attending anaesthetist, treated for bronchospasm as well as shifted on ventilator. Within few hours, she was taken off the ventilator and extubated. She was stable then and discharged after two days. Hypersensitivity to NMBAs low incidence of 1 in 6000 - 20,000. NMBAs have a direct effect on mast cells thereby causing hypersensitivity reactions. Succinylcholine is considered to have 1% histamine releasing activity of tubocurarine, producing serious hypersensitivity reactions. This histamine released acts on the effector end-receptors in bronchial wall, leading to bronchoconstriction and sometimes a full-blown spasm. If timely management failed, it can result into an anaesthetic disaster. Rechallenge with succinylcholine was avoided due to possibility of fatal consequences. According to WHO UMC criteria & Naranjo Scale for causality assessment, causality was termed as “Probable”. Keywords: Bronchospasm, Hypersensitivity, Life-threatening, Neuromuscular Blocking Agent (NMBA), Suspected adverse drug reaction.

Where drills differ from evacuations: A case study on Canadian buildings

Planned egress drills are required by building codes around the world, and are commonly used to both train occupants and assess evacuation procedures. However, capturing the idea of a “successful” drill is often difficult. Data from both drills and unplanned evacuations are often incomplete and unreliable, which raises a key question: How well-matched are planned egress drills and unplanned evacuations in terms of their properties and outcomes? That is, are drills a good model of evacuation? In this paper, we compare 93 planned egress drills and 23 unplanned evacuations, which occurred in Canadian office buildings over a span of four years. Our two main findings are that (1) planned egress drills differ from unplanned evacuations in terms of frequency, timing, and outcome (e.g., reported total evacuation time), and (2) the reported number of occupants correlates with total evacuation time. These findings motivate a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the current approach to data reporting, and we highlight potential implications for (and limitations of) the current drill model.

Relevance of disaster awareness factors and evacuation experiment without emergency alarm: fire case study

PurposeThe lack of studies about the relevance of disaster awareness factors and disaster evacuation as a part of disaster responses especially for fire cases in an academic environment in Indonesia has triggered this study to explore the disaster awareness factors and evacuation experiment without emergency alarm for case study students in the classroom. The relevance of disaster awareness factors in transforming into practical action and decision in a disaster evacuation need to be examined to study the relevance of both phases in disaster.Design/methodology/approachThis research conducted a quantitative approach by studying questionnaires from 162 respondents collectively divided into five groups to examine the student disaster awareness factors randomly from those groups. The qualitative approach was implemented through the evacuation experiments that were conducted twice to analyze the disaster evacuation performance. The analysis for the relevance is conducted by comparing the result of the questionnaire study and the evacuation experiment.FindingsAccording to the questionnaire study, generally, the students are highly confident with their hazard knowledge in disaster awareness except that half of them are doubtful about appropriate steps in a disaster. The experiment without explosive sound showed that they have slower responses in the critical moment of evacuation. The response in the experiments showed relevance with several disaster awareness factorsResearch limitations/implicationsThis study has explored the relevance of disaster awareness factors with disaster response in a campus building. In the part of reducing risk during fire disaster, this research shows the importance of social interaction and hazard knowledge during the disaster.Practical implicationsThe improvement of disaster evacuation procedures and training in a campus building is mandatory to reduce disaster risk based on the relevance of disaster awareness factors and disaster response in this study.Originality/valueThis study measures the relevance of disaster awareness factors performance of the students by comparing it to their actions and decisions in an experimental setting of fire building. The disaster awareness factor performance was measured by a questionnaire survey while the experiments were deployed to observe the performance of their actions and decisions during evacuation as part of the disaster response phase.

Agent-based model for simulating households’ self-evacuation decision in high-rise buildings under critical infrastructure failures induced by a slow-onset flood conditions – A case study in Paris

Generating well-informed and reliable predictions for disaster evacuation is a large challenge. Crisis and disaster management policymakers have to deal with poor data quality, a limited understanding of households’ behaviour dynamics, and uncertainty regarding the effects of the various actions/measures in place. Agent-based simulation models are frequently used to support decisions when planning disaster evacuation procedures. However, one of the most important aspects of this issue, which is social influence, is not often considered. Most of existing evacuation models largely overlook the importance of the households’ behaviours and social influences, which leads to oversimplified models. Moreover, it is almost impossible to find models in the literature that focus on the extrinsic decision-making factors of some evacuees, such as compromised lifelines, in the case of catastrophic events. In contrast to the existing evacuation models, this paper suggests a probabilistic agent-based model that relies on theloss of different lifelines as factors affecting evacuees’ decision-making in addition to some intrinsic factors that are used to characterise the propensity of households to evacuate and explicitly allow for social contagion as well as uncertainties to be considered. This model, in which all the variables are considered uncertain and Monte Carlo Simulations are run to estimate the confidence range of the predictions, is tailored to estimate the potential number of inhabitants that have not been evacuated in high-rise buildings in the face of critical infrastructure failures induced by a slow-onset flood and/or the actions taken during the related crisis, considering different uncertainties that may affect the reliability of the prediction. The model has been specifically designed to predict the dynamics of households’ self-evacuations in fourteen residential high-rise buildings located in a flood-prone area in Paris. This paper describes the suggested model and also reports the results of an illustrative case study in which three scenarios are simulated to demonstrate the applicability of the model, to test its effectiveness and to explore the uncertainty regarding some modelling assumptions using sensitivity analysis.

Feasibility of intraoperative computed tomography for endoscopic-assisted intraparenchymal hemorrhage evacuation

BackgroundMinimally-invasive intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH) evacuation may provide a functional and mortality benefit, especially if there is minimal residual hematoma. Several methods have been used to confirm extent of IPH evacuation, including intraoperative computed tomography (CT). We sought to evaluate the feasibility of intraoperative CT in endoscopic-assisted IPH evacuation, with a focus on the operative workflow and imaging quality. MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed all endoscopic-assisted IPH evacuation procedures utilizing intraoperative CT performed at our institution over a 9-month period. We describe the operative room setup and workflow for using intraoperative CT and compare the intra- and postoperative imaging findings. ResultsEight consecutive procedures were included in this study. Intraoperative CT provided useful information that informed intraoperative decision-making in each case. There were no clinically significant differences in residual hematoma volume or midline shift between intra- and postoperative CT scans. Streak artifact was present in all cases due to the head holder, but did not significantly inhibit image evaluation. ConclusionIntraoperative CT is an effective method of evaluating the extent of IPH evacuation in endoscopic-assisted procedures.

Opioid prescription for pain after osmotic dilator placement in abortion care: A randomized controlled trial

ObjectiveTo compare the overnight maximum pain scores after osmotic dilator placement prior to a dilation and evacuation (D&E) procedure in participants assigned to a prescription for ibuprofen alone or to ibuprofen plus oxycodone. Study designWe conducted a nonblinded pragmatic, randomized controlled trial to evaluate pain management among women undergoing osmotic dilator placement prior to D&E. We randomly assigned 70 participants at 12 weeks 6 days to 23 weeks 6 days gestation to receive a prescription for ibuprofen alone, or ibuprofen plus oxycodone. We assessed pain using a numeric rating scale (NRS; scale 0–10) at the following time points: Baseline, dilator placement, 2 and 6 hours, and preoperatively, where we also asked participants their maximum pain score. The primary outcome was mean individual NRS pain score change from baseline to maximum pain score. ResultsMaximum mean pain score (change from baseline) was 4.7 ± 2.9 in the ibuprofen group, and 6.5 ± 2.5 in the ibuprofen plus oxycodone group (p < 0.01). Participants in both groups reported highest NRS pain scores 2 hours after dilator placement, 3.9 ± 2.5 and 5.3 ± 2.6 respectively (p = 0.02). Average ibuprofen use in both arms was similar, and 81% of participants used at least 1 dose of ibuprofen after dilator placement. Of those randomized to prescription to ibuprofen plus oxycodone, only 51% used a dose of oxycodone. ConclusionsCompared to participants randomized to receive a prescription for ibuprofen, those randomized to receive a prescription for ibuprofen plus oxycodone reported higher maximum overnight pain scores. ImplicationsParticipants receiving a prescription for ibuprofen alone had lower maximum overnight pain scores following osmotic dilator placement. Given that opioid prescriptions did not appear to reduce overnight pain, minimizing these prescriptions would avoid opioid exposure for patients undergoing D&E.

Guideline No. 401: Sonographic Cervical Length in Singleton Pregnancies: Techniques and Clinical Applications.

• To assess the association between sonography-derived cervical length measurement and preterm birth. • To describe the various techniques to measure cervical length using sonography. • To review the natural history of the short cervix. • To review the clinical uses, predictive ability, and utility of sonography-measured short cervix. Reduction in rates of prematurity and/or better identification of those at risk, as well as possible prevention of unnecessary interventions. Clinicians involved in the obstetrical management or cervical imaging of patients at increased risk of a short cervix. Women at increased risk of a short cervix or at risk of preterm birth. Literature published up to June 2019 was retrieved through searches of PubMed and the Cochrane Library using appropriate controlled vocabulary and key words (preterm labour, ultrasound, cervix, cervical insufficiency, transvaginal, transperineal, cervical length, fibronectin). Results were restricted to general and systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, and observational studies. There were no date or language restrictions. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of health technology assessment agencies, clinical practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies. The evidence and this guideline were reviewed by the Diagnostic Imaging Committee of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, and the recommendations were made and graded according to the rankings of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Online Appendix Table A1). Preterm birth is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Use of the sonographic technique reviewed in this guideline may help identify women at risk of preterm birth and, in some circumstances, lead to interventions that may reduce the rate of preterm birth. SUMMARY STATEMENTS (CANADIAN TASK FORCE ON PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE GRADING IN PARENTHESES): RECOMMENDATIONS (CANADIAN TASK FORCE ON PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE GRADING IN PARENTHESES).

Gender Dimensions in Disaster and Safety Management

Research shows that disasters affect women more adversely than men especially in developing countries due to differences in socio-cultural customs or physical condition. However, in developed countries, not much difference was found in the percentage of male and female victims of disaster. In South Korea, disasters cause severe damage almost every year, thus the public interest in disaster and safety management is increasing. However, due to insufficient data, it is difficult to analyze whether women suffer more severely than men or not. Therefore, in this study, we reviewed Korea’s disaster management laws and guidelines. In addition, a questionnaire survey was implemented to analyze the level of the public awareness related to disasters and safety management. A total of 489 adults participated in the survey. As a result, it was found that both men and women were not well aware of the possibility of a disaster, and needed to be educated about the locations of shelters and evacuation procedures. Gender analysis showed significant differences in male and female responses concerning some questions. For example, women found it difficult to access disaster and safety management education. Nevertheless, men and women showed similar willingness to participate in disaster and safety management education and training. Therefore, disaster and safety management education programs should be developed and implemented more actively. In addition, it was suggested that sex and age of the victims should be reported and female investigators should be included in the disaster damage investigation team.

Cooperative and competitive behaviour among passengers during the costa concordia disaster

Despite the increase in regulation and codes, there is a relatively small body of scientific literature on maritime disasters management, especially in terms of human factors that affect the success of the evacuation and safety procedures. This paper provides an analysis of passengers’ behaviour during the Costa Concordia disaster of 2012, in which 32 people died. We use 49 passengers’ witness statement made available by the court of Grosseto to understand how the evacuation occurred. We examine whether the main factor in reducing the effectiveness of the evacuation procedure was the lack of effective management or the behaviours among evacuees, or a combination of the two.Results of the analysis suggest that passengers reacted with solidarity, helped each other and that such spontaneous and pro-social behaviour possibly contributed to reduce the number of casualties. By contrast, competitive behaviours happened only in relation to specific environmental constraints and were limited to the proximity of safety boats.The deficiencies in command in the Costa Concordia evacuation highlights the need to increase the skills of personnel called to manage an emergency at sea and the need to create ad hoc training programs that consider also unexpected scenarios.Understanding how people (both staff and public) deal with an emergency and the factors that affect their decision is pivotal to help planners to review their strategy, anticipate similar events, and consider all the factors in future plans and regulations. While human error is always a big factor in maritime disaster, its impact can be considered and mitigated with specific procedures and adaptable plans.