4. Typical safety risk scenarios in high-rise residential buildings
Your building safety risk assessment should consider all potential scenarios for your building. The following list is not exhaustive, and some scenarios aren't relevant in every case.
Fire-risk scenarios
- single-floor scenario - a fire spreading across multiple compartments on a single floor
- between-floors scenario - a fire spreading from a single floor to another floor
- multiple-floor or whole-building scenario - where more than two floors are affected by the fire. This could be single-floor or between-floor scenarios spreading through the building, or an external fire spread affecting multiple floors
- evacuation scenario - a failure of evacuation routes turning a fire into a more serious incident
- emergency-response scenarios - issues with an emergency response turning a fire into a more serious incident. Possible factors include failure in early detection leading to delays in emergency response. Or access issues making it harder for emergency services to tackle the fire effectively
- safety-system scenarios - where a failure of one or more components of the safety systems could allow a fire event to escalate
Structural-risk scenarios
- structural collapse of a residential unit or common areas
- multiple-floor collapse
- whole-building collapse
- balconies or suspended walkways
- attached or supported components
- undermining or compromise of foundations
- aggressive conditions due to chemical or biological processes
- specific incidents such as gas explosion or impact damage