Methods for estimating human movement speed in evacuation models with particular emphasis on the specifics of evacuation from passenger ships

The article addresses the problems of human movement along evacuation routes depending on various factors, with particular emphasis on evacuation from passenger ships. A review of methods for estimating human speed in computer evacuation modeling programs is conducted. Guidelines regarding movement speed calculations in IMO normative documents are discussed, and example formulas for calculating these speeds are cited.Analyses of human evacuation from passenger ships can be a quite serious and complicated task. The problem lies in the very large number of factors affecting the course of evacuation and the specific conditions associated with the maritime environment in which the evacuation takes place. A reliable analysis of the evacuation process requires the development of a complex computer model. It is essential that the model takes into account as many factors affecting the evacuation process as possible, which will allow for results close to reality.
Evacuation models developed by research institutions in cooperation with maritime administration, industry, and transport differ depending on how human movement is represented. (…)

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