Refuge area in buildings - significance and regulations

In this blog by Piramal Realty, we take a look at the significance, specifications, and dos and don'ts of refuge areas to understand why sky-touching towers by reputed construction houses in Mumbai strictly abide by the refuge area provisions.

Significance of refuge area

Essential for a secured wait until rescue arrives
Chaos and congestion in floor passages, elevators, and staircases could lead to stampede, injuries, dyspnea (difficult breathing), further exacerbating the situation. Refuge area allows residents to gather in a safe, open, and airy space until it is safe to carry out evacuation or fire-dowsing operations. Panic and commotion can, thus, be avoided, and easier rescue can be facilitated.

Important for persons with limited mobility
When disaster strikes, everyone is in a hurry to reach safety, and often persons with disabilities and the lonely elderly are left behind, making their situation worse. An easily accessible refuge area with a broad pathway and wheelchair/ stretcher ramp is essential in every highrise to assure individuals with locomotion difficulties and those needing excess time to reach safety that their needs too have been taken into consideration.

Vital for convenience of the rescue teams
Personnel such as firefighters or disaster management teams must be able to co-ordinate with the occupants quickly at testing times. An efficient refuge area acts as an easy access point for the rescue teams, enabling them to locate the occupants faster, and streamline their operations, facilitating quicker evacuation.

Essential features of a refuge area

The NBC and the Mumbai building regulation body have laid down certain requirements of refuge areas to maintain their effectiveness and functionality. They are as follows:

Clear signage
All refuge areas in buildings must have boards / indicators reading "REFUGE AREA" in a clearly visible, readable, bold, and luminous font for enabling occupants to quickly locate the refuge spaces in times of emergencies.

Convenient access
For easy access to refuge areas, they must have broad pathways, ramps for wheelchair or stretcher passage, unobstructed entry, and no tall walls or fencing around them. These conditions are necessary for occupants to reach the areas quickly, and for rescue personnel to help them efficiently.

Regular checks and maintenance
It is the responsibility of the building management to ensure that refuge areas are accessible and available for use at all times. Any unauthorised use or occupation of the refuge spaces must be dealt with strictly, in order to maintain the sanctity and effectiveness of these vital pro-safety arrangements.

Regular drills
Mock drills / fire safety drills must be conducted regularly in association with / with the permission of the local authorities, so that building occupants are thoroughly prepared for difficult situations, and chaos and confusion can be avoided if an emergency strikes.

Sufficient ventilation
It is ideal to design a refuge area in an open, well-ventilated space so that the already stressed residents do not feel claustrophobic or breathless while they await rescue.

Enough lighting
A refuge space must be well-lit for facilitating orderly movements. It must be essentially equipped with an independent emergency lighting system to maintain high visibility during power outages.

Fire resistant build
Refuge areas must essentially be constructed using fire-resistant materials so that they are effective in offering maximum protection against smoke and flames.

Fire extinguisher
All refuge areas must have fire extinguishers in place, as occupants gathered there might require them to address minor fires or flames.

First-aid kid
A well equipped first-aid kit should be kept ready at all times in a refuge area so that occupants having suffered injuries or burns while moving there can be provided immediate medical care.

Potable water
Even though it is not clearly specified if storage of clean drinking water in refuge spaces is mandatory, it is best to keep some quantity available as a measure for disaster preparedness.

Emergency communication system
A system for emergency communication should be available in all refuge areas to establish contacts with the building management, security personnel, and fire brigade or any other disaster management body.

The NBC has laid down certain prohibitions which are essential to maintain the effectiveness of refuge areas. They are as under.

Prohibitions pertaining to refuge areas

No hazardous storage
Any materials or substances, including those that are combustible in nature, should not be taken to or stored in refuge spaces.

No electrical appliances
It is best to avoid storing or operating any electrical appliance in a refuge area, unless it is a life-saving or life-supporting equipment.

No unauthorised storage
Refuge areas cannot be used for storage of personal belongings or society’s common property, as these zones are designated spaces for safety during emergencies.

No unauthorised occupation
A refuge area cannot be converted into house helps’ quarters or kitchen or society office, since misusing them as habitable spaces can hinder their accessibility during emergencies, and obstruct easy and orderly movements, hampering rescue efforts.

Cannot be sold
A developer cannot sell a refuge area. It is completely excluded from the floor space index (FSI), if built within the prescribed size limits.

No use for recreation
Refuge areas cannot be treated as spaces for social gatherings, events, or leisure activities. They must be kept empty and easily available at all times.

No locking
Building management must ensure that a refuge area is always open and conveniently reachable to all the occupants. It can, therefore, never be locked using a key (key could get misplaced or stolen).

No direct access from elevators and stairwells
Direct access to refuge spaces from elevators or stairwells could result in overcrowding and stampede during disasters, making rescue operations complicated.

No tall walls or fencing
As we discussed earlier, tall walls or fences can obstruct easy movements and rescue efforts. Refuge areas must therefore be clear of such complications. Short walls or safety grills are however allowed to prevent any accident during movements in these spaces.

Rules have been laid down by the NBC pertaining to size specifications of refuge areas. These rules must be followed while designing refuge areas to maintain their functionality.

Size specifications for refuge spaces

NBC states that a refuge space must not exceed 4% of the habitable floor area it serves. If the size is beyond this limit, the additional area is deducted from the FSI.

In buildings that exceed 70 meters, that is 24 storeys, an alternative space (cantilever projection made up of RCC- reinforced cement concrete) can be provided instead of a traditional refuge area. Such projections are located at every alternate mid-landing level of the staircase. They must be minimum 3 meters in width; spread over total 10 square meters or 0.3 square meters per person, whichever is greater, for residential buildings and 15 square meters for commercial buildings.

If a building has mixed establishments, that is both residential and commercial floors, refuge area requirements would be determined based on the use of each floor.

Strict implementation of and adherence to refuge area regulations are essential for the safety and well-being of building occupants during emergencies. Violation of these norms in highrise towers in Mumbai could invite actions under:

These actions include:

• Building demolition orders
• Compounding fees for the builder
• Legal / criminal proceedings for serious violations
• Non-issuance of occupancy certificate
• Penalties under state building bye-laws

If you wish to see how perfectly refuge area norms and guidelines are abided / followed by trusted real estate developers in Mumbai, you should visit properties by Piramal Realty. All of their state-of-the-art highrise projects, whether at South Mumbai,Byculla, Mulund, or Thane, give utmost priority to safety and security of the occupants. Their adherence to the rules set by building structure governing bodies and their discipline in obtaining all the essential certificates from concerned authorities prove their sincerity towards ensuring resident well-being above anything else.

Disclaimer- This article is based on the information publicly available for general use as well as reference links mentioned herein. The views expressed above are for informational purposes only based on industry reports and related news stories. Piramal Realty does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information and shall not be held responsible for any action taken based on the published information. Piramal Realty expressly disclaims/disowns any liability, which may arise due to any decision taken by any person/s basis the article hereof. Readers should obtain separate advice with respect to any particular information provided herein.