Ensuring Fire Safety in Cultural and Entertainment Facilities: Risk Assessment, Organizational and Technical Measures and Improving the Effectiveness of the Protection System

Goal. To substantiate a set of organizational and technical measures that increase the effectiveness of fire safety in cultural and entertainment facilities (CEF) based on an analysis of the risks and vulnerabilities of the facility and the impact of measures on critical time parameters of evacuation.

Methods. An analytical review and a systematic analysis of scientific and regulatory sources, as well as a qualitative risk-based model of prioritization of activities are applied. The model took into account: the probabilities of typical fire scenarios by functional zones (stage, auditorium, foyer, technical rooms, warehouses), the rate of development of dangerous factors, as well as the contribution of measures to reducing the time of detection and notification, the time of the beginning of movement of people, the likelihood of congestion and deterioration of conditions on the escape routes. The reliability of the conclusions is ensured by comparing the proposals with the practice of operating mass housing facilities and fire data for 2017–2024.

Results. The key risk factors for CEFs have been identified: high and heterogeneous fire load in stage and warehouse areas, layout variability due to temporary structures, increased electrical loads and “temporary” connections, complicated perception of alarms (noise, darkening, special effects), as well as behavioral delays and panic. It is shown that the greatest risk reduction effect is provided by: reduction of detection/notification time; ensuring trouble-free operation of AFAS (automatic fire alarm system), FAEMS (fire alarm and evacuation management system), AFES (automatic fire extinguishing system) and smoke protection; maintenance of free and readable evacuation routes; regulation of temporary work and changes in scenic design/arrangement; scenario training of personnel (roles, flow management, interaction of services). A model of efficiency improvement has been formed, including scenario identification, vulnerability assessment, selection of a “portfolio” of measures, performance monitoring, and adjustments based on the results of inspections and training sessions with parameter fixation.

Conclusion. Effective fire safety is achieved during the transition from formal compliance to continuous risk-based management based on functional testing of systems, monitoring of operational changes and personnel training, which increases the manageability of evacuation and reduces the severity of fire consequences.

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