The general public has a keen eye for many things; big-screen TVs, diamonds, and expensive cars. One thing that doesn't cross the average Joe's mind during the course of a typical day is safety. How often do you ask yourself, "How safe am I right now?" We all know how to pay attention, but do we pay attention to the things that really matter?
Think for a moment; you're driving on the freeway, when you catch a glimpse of a jet black, low profile car in the opposite lane. As the car nears, you realize that it has a really low profile compared to the rest of the vehicles on the road, and it's going really fast. You continue to watch as the car approaches close enough for you to make out the logo on the front vanity plate; it's a Ferrari! You can't wait to get home and tell your buddies you saw a Ferrari on the freeway today.
The lengths we will go through to see something spectacular, or somewhat rare, are amazing. We will put ourselves in harm's way to come face-to-face with a celebrity in public. We will put our lives on the line for an entertaining night out; remember the Station Night Club Fire? For those who don't, let me bring you up to speed.
The Rhode Island Fire
"The Station" nightclub in West Warwick, RI, is a small town club in a community of only 29 thousand people. On February 20, 2003, "The Station" was hosting 80s hair band "Great White" as their premier attraction.
At 11:05PM "Great White" took the stage and started the show with the song "Desert Moon". As the song progressed, Dan Biechele, "Great White's" tour manager, set off pyrotechnics to really get the show moving. The pyrotechnics used by the band are known as "15 by 15s"; they shoot sparks 15 feet into the air for 15 seconds and are not made for indoor use. Biechele didn't account for the very flammable sound proofing foam that was attached to the walls and ceiling near the stage (you know, the stuff that looks like an egg carton). Seconds after the pyro was lit the sound proofing caught on fire and began to burn, and spread.
From this point in the fire, the patrons have 101 seconds to get out of the facility before the exit door becomes clogged with people, and the fire reaches flashover; meaning everyone left inside is not going to make it out. Of the 404 patrons at "The Station" that night, 100 took too long to get out once they realized the building was on fire; this was partially caused by the belief that the fire was part of the show (even the band let the fire burn for 30 seconds before leaving the stage).
There are three causal reasons people didn't make it out of the fire that night; the club was filled to max capacity, the patrons did not have knowledge of all four exits from the facility, and the owners, Mike and Jeff Derderian, illegally neglected to retrofit their club with an automatic fire suppression system. Max capacity is determined by your occupancy type, as well as how much square footage you have; the number of mandatory egress doors is then calculated using the maximum capacity. Each exit door in a facility is meant to handle a certain percentage of people in an emergency situation; however, at "The Station", nearly all 404 patrons decided to try to leave the same way they entered, out the front door.
There is not doubt, if "The Station" had been retrofitted with an automatic fire suppression system, most, if not all, patrons would have walked out of the nightclub without even a minor burn. Suppression systems are so effective because they use water to suppress the fire; and we all know that water evaporates at 212oF. If water evaporates at 212oF and there is a steady supply then the room cannot ever go beyond 212oF; the temperature of a hot sauna, and very survivable conditions.
Attention Can Save
Knowledge of your surroundings and a little common sense can go a long way in preventing a deadly situation; but there is a saying "common sense isn't so common". Keeping in mind the "Station" club fire, we can discuss some general observations that may be made in any setting and keep you out of harm's way.
- You walk into a restaurant to eat with loved ones, you are seated at a table in the back corner of the establishment; do you order a beer and wait for your food, or do you look around for the exit nearest your table?
- You pull up to the fuel pump at your local gas station to fill-up your vehicle. You begin to pump and realize that it's extremely cold so you decide to re-enter your car while the fuel is pumping; do you sit there and listen to music, or do you observe your surroundings in an effort to find the emergency shut-off switch?
- You take the elevator to the 18th floor of a high-rise hotel where you will be spending the night. You get your bags to your room and realize it is 11:00PM, and you need to be up at 5:00AM; do you get some shut-eye for a long day tomorrow, or do you look around on your floor for a moment to ensure you can find the stairs quickly in an emergency?
These are all situations that a normal person will be in at least once during their lifetime and awareness can play a key role in accident prevention even in these day-to-day scenarios. There is nothing overly complicated about knowing your surroundings; however, you may rest assured, you will not find one person in typical restaurant that can locate a secondary exit in a respectable amount of time. Understanding how to employ common sense in our daily lives is essential; we become so relaxed in our comfort zone and once we leave it we need to re-learn how to bring our awareness and attention to detail up a notch.
When in Doubt, Stop and Think
Safety issues are all around us; we have unsafe homes, workplaces, and entertainment establishments. The only reason we have remained unharmed is because we're the lucky ones. Unless you live, work, and play inside OSHA Offices all day, odds are you are exposed to numerous safety issues on a daily basis. The only way to effectively combat an unsafe situation is by maintaining excellent situational awareness and ensuring outstanding attention to detail.
It's your call.
