An offshore oil and gas platform has equipment and piping associated with an oil and gas installation. A method for optimising fire protection for the platform includes arranging the platform to have an evacuation time of at most 15 minutes or less using one or more evacuation route(s) via a gangway or bridge allowing personnel to escape to a vessel or to another platform, determining a maximum evacuation time for the platform, assessing the risk to personnel using the evacuation route(s) in accordance with the determined maximum evacuation time in the event of a fire, and providing passive fire protection to equipment and/or piping on the platform in order to prevent escalation of the fire that would create a risk to personnel on the evacuation route(s) during the determined evacuation time.

A control system for optimising emergency multi-storey building stairwell evacuation, the system includes an occupant tracking subsystem configured to monitor the locations of building occupants within a building as the occupants move between floors of the building so as to be able to continuously calculate the number of occupants on each floor of the building at any time, such that, during an emergency. The control system is configured and able to, using an access door controller subsystem: control the closing of a plurality of access doors of a stairwell; and control the successive opening of certain access doors of certain floors of the stairwell in accordance with an evacuation plan. Wherein the evacuation plan is dynamically configured in accordance with the calculated number of occupants on each floor of the building.

A control system for optimising emergency multi-storey building stairwell evacuation, the system includes an occupant tracking subsystem configured to monitor the locations of building occupants within a building as the occupants move between floors of the building so as to be able to continuously calculate the number of occupants on each floor of the building at any time, such that, during an emergency. The control system is configured and able to, using an access door controller subsystem: control the closing of a plurality of access doors of a stairwell; and control the successive opening of certain access doors of certain floors of the stairwell in accordance with an evacuation plan. Wherein the evacuation plan is dynamically configured in accordance with the calculated number of occupants on each floor of the building.

The object of the invention is an emergency escape tunnel in a multi-storey building, especially in a building with a centrally situated staircase and useable rooms surrounding it, used to evacuate people in case of a fire hazard. The emergency escape tunnel according to the invention is equipped with a load-bearing skeleton (6) with an outline similar in shape to an upturned letter U, its surface wall (7) and side walls (8) being covered with layers of a fire-resistant material. The tunnel has a self-activating drive system (13, 32, 36) and is horizontally shiftable in the space (14) between the staircase (1) and the external wall (2) of the building. In the resting position, the tunnel is situated within the staircase and in the operating position the outlet section (15) of the tunnel is situated within the exit door (16) of the building whereas its exit opening (17)| is situated beyond the building. To make it possible to use the tunnel in relatively vast spaces of the building, it consists of two or three telescopically overlapping segments (3, 3a, 4), the ends of which are mutually interlocked with their cover flanges (5).

An escape system, including escape panels, locking components, and support assemblies disposed around a building exterior wall on several or all of the building floors. The escape panels surround the building exterior wall to form a closed passage. First ends of the escape panels are rotatably attached to the building exterior wall, and second ends are detachably attached to the building exterior wall by means of the locking components. One end of each support assembly is attached to an escape panel and the other end is movably attached to the building exterior wall, for example in a rotatable or slidable attachment.

A computer-implemented method includes: determining, by a computing device, a location of an individual in a building relative to the location of an exit of the building; determining, by the computing device, the location of obstacles or hazards within the building; determining, by the computing device, a path from the individual to the exit based on determining the location of the individual relative to the exit and the location of the obstacles or hazards; generating, by the computing device, signaling instructions based on the path; and outputting, by the computing device, the signaling instructions to one or more signaling devices, wherein the outputting the signaling instructions control operations of the one or more signaling devices to guide the individual to the exit based on the path.

A computer-implemented method includes: determining, by a computing device, a location of an individual in a building relative to the location of an exit of the building; determining, by the computing device, the location of obstacles or hazards within the building; determining, by the computing device, a path from the individual to the exit based on determining the location of the individual relative to the exit and the location of the obstacles or hazards; generating, by the computing device, signaling instructions based on the path; and outputting, by the computing device, the signaling instructions to one or more signaling devices, wherein the outputting the signaling instructions control operations of the one or more signaling devices to guide the individual to the exit based on the path.

An escape pod includes a spherical survival chamber, a gimbal mechanism, and a spherical outer case body. The survival chamber is mounted on an inner side of the gimbal mechanism, and an outer side of the gimbal mechanism is mounted within the outer case body. Top and bottom ends of the outer case body are provided symmetrically with upper and lower connecting terminals. The outer case body includes a plurality of arc-shaped plates. Two ends of each arc-shaped plate are fixedly connected to the upper and lower connecting terminals respectively. An inner side of the arc-shaped plate is provided with a reinforcing framework. The reinforcing framework is formed of a plurality of arc-shaped steel pipes. Top and bottom ends of each arc-shaped steel pipe are connected to the upper and lower connecting terminals. One of the arc-shaped plates is provided with a pod door.

An escape pod includes a spherical survival chamber, a gimbal mechanism, and a spherical outer case body. The survival chamber is mounted on an inner side of the gimbal mechanism, and an outer side of the gimbal mechanism is mounted within the outer case body. Top and bottom ends of the outer case body are provided symmetrically with upper and lower connecting terminals. The outer case body includes a plurality of arc-shaped plates. Two ends of each arc-shaped plate are fixedly connected to the upper and lower connecting terminals respectively. An inner side of the arc-shaped plate is provided with a reinforcing framework. The reinforcing framework is formed of a plurality of arc-shaped steel pipes. Top and bottom ends of each arc-shaped steel pipe are connected to the upper and lower connecting terminals. One of the arc-shaped plates is provided with a pod door.

An emergency rescue stretcher for removing a victim from a confined space and methods of using the same are provided.