Qualitative overview of some important factors affecting the egress of people in hotel fires

Abstract

Serious fires involving fatalities as well as injuries, frequently arise in buildings where many people are gathered, and whenever they have occurred in hotels and other hospitality environments, such as the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas (1980), or the Cocoanut Grove Dance Hall in Boston (1942), they have, understandably, received much attention. It is often considered the responsibility of industry to prevent, or deal effectively with fire problems, and given the saturation of tourism and hotels in many towns and cities worldwide, it would seem apposite for hoteliers to take regard of the fire intelligence available. Undoubtedly there exists a need to raise the awareness of potential fire hazards and the results of fire occurrences amongst tourists and business travellers, whilst simultaneously persuading hospitality managers and investors that attention to fire prevention and protection will not only assist in deflecting bad publicity resulting from fire-related incidents, but may also serve as a valuable marketing tool as hotel guests develop their appreciation of health and safety issues and make choices on the basis of where they believe themselves to be most secure. This paper briefly reviews some of the important aspects of fire in buildings inhabited by diverse populations, and comments on those factors to be appreciated by management, especially in hotels.