Emergency icons applied to full scale fire emergency evacuation simulation featuring various scenarios

Current exit signs placed high above fire exits will be sheltered soon and lose its function as indicators for emergency evacuation routes due to the smoke produced during a fire. This study was conducted by configuring a supplementary evacuation sign appliance in a full scale space. A series of evacuation simulations with different scenarios (no smoke visible, smoke visible) was performed based on findings in earlier studies in order to examine the effectiveness of the supplementary sign in a full scale space, and further compare the different effects of supplementary signs between full scale and virtual reality experiments. Experiment results suggest that the supplementary sign may still provide a satisfactory emergency evacuation route in smoke, even if it is obscured by the smoke. Furthermore, a virtual reality experiment may be substituted for a full scale experiment if the sample consists of the general public and is in a normal distribution.