2.1 In considering the design of stairway widths for each
individual case which allow for the timely flow of persons evacuating to the muster
stations from adjacent decks above and below, the following calculation method should
be used (see figures 1 and 2):
when joining two decks: W = ( N
1 +
N
2 ) X 10 mm;
when joining three decks: W = (
N
1 + N
2 + 0. 5N
3 ) X10 mm;
when
joining four decks: W = ( N
1 + N
2 + 0. 5N
3 + 0.
25N
4 ) X 10 mm;
when joining five or more decks the
width of the stairways should be determined by applying the above formula for four
decks to the deck under consideration and to the consecutive deck, where:
W = the required tread width between handrails of the stairway.
The calculated value of "W" may be reduced where
available landing area S is provided in stairways at the deck level defined by
subtracting P from Z, such that:
P = S X 3.0 persons/m
2;
P
max = 0.25 Z where:
Z = the total number of persons
expected to be evacuated on the deck being considered;
P = the
number of persons taking temporary refuge on the stairway landing, which may be
subtracted from Z to a maximum value of P = 0.25 Z (to be rounded down to the nearest
whole number);
S = the surface area (m
2) of the landing,
minus the surface area necessary for the opening of doors and minus the surface area
necessary for accessing the flow on stairs (see figure 1);
N= the
total number of persons expected to use the stairway from each consecutive deck under
consideration; N
1 is for the deck with the largest number of persons using
that stairway; N
2 is taken for the deck with the next highest number of
persons directly entering the stairway flow such that when sizing the stairway width
at each deck level, N
1 > N
2 > N
3
>N
4 (see figure 2). These decks are assumed to be on or upstream (i.e.
away from the embarkation deck) of the deck being considered.
2.2 The stairway should not decrease in width in the direction
of evacuation to the muster station, except in the case of several muster stations in
one main vertical zone the stairway width should not decrease in the direction of the
evacuation to the most distant muster station.
2.3 Where the passengers and crew are held at a muster station which is not
at the survival craft embarkation position the dimensions of stairway width and doors
from the muster station to this position should be based on the number of persons in
the controlled groups. The width of these stairways and doors need not exceed 1,500 mm
unless larger dimensions are required for evacuation of these spaces under normal
conditions.
