The historical 2½-minute evacuation guideline has become an essential benchmark in fire safety practices. However, this time frame is not universally achievable, especially in healthcare settings where the physical and cognitive conditions of occupants significantly influence evacuation procedures.
This article explores why healthcare facilities require a fundamentally different approach to evacuation, the role of fire-resistant compartmentation, and how Irish regulations accommodate the unique challenges of protecting vulnerable residents.
The Origin of the 2½-Minute Guideline
The 2½-minute evacuation benchmark derives from the Empire Palace Theatre Fire in Edinburgh. During a performance by the illusionist The Great Lafayette, a stage lamp ignited the set. While 9 people died backstage (including Lafayette himself), all 3,000 audience members evacuated safely in approximately 2½ minutes.
This successful evacuation was attributed to several factors: a fire safety curtain that contained the fire to the stage area, monthly fire drills conducted by the stage manager and staff, and the orchestra playing God Save the King to signal evacuation. The 1946 Post-War Building Studies cited this incident, recommending that buildings be designed to allow evacuation within 2½ minutes.
Source: RICS Built Environment Journal, Edinburgh Festival Theatre History
Why This Benchmark Does Not Apply to Healthcare
The RICS Journal notes that the adoption of the 2½-minute evacuation time has overlooked the specific context that enabled the Empire Palace Theatre evacuation. Without the fire safety curtain, monthly fire drills, and trained theatre staff, the outcome would likely have been very different.
More critically, a theatre audience consists of ambulant individuals who can self-evacuate. Healthcare facilities house patients and residents who may be bedbound, sedated, wheelchair-dependent, connected to medical equipment, or cognitively impaired. The comparison is fundamentally inappropriate.
Theatre vs Healthcare: A Fundamental Difference
Theatre Audience (1911)
3,000 ambulant individuals who could self-evacuate through multiple exits with trained staff guidance
Healthcare Facility (Today)
Dependent occupants requiring staff assistance, evacuation equipment, and progressive horizontal evacuation to places of temporary safety
Why Fixed Evacuation Times Cannot Work
Consider the impossibility of applying a universal evacuation timeframe:
Office Worker
Can walk to the nearest fire exit immediately upon hearing the alarm. Evacuation time: seconds to minutes.
Patient in Surgery
A person undergoing open-heart surgery cannot be moved in the same timeframe or manner. Evacuation requires careful clinical consideration.
Nursing Home Resident
A resident with dementia and limited mobility requires staff assistance, appropriate equipment, and a dignified evacuation process.
Progressive Horizontal Evacuation: The Healthcare Solution
How Healthcare Evacuation Actually Works
Progressive Horizontal Evacuation (PHE) is the principle of moving patients and staff from the area of fire origin through a fire-resistant barrier to a safe area on the same level. This approach recognises that vertical evacuation of non-ambulant patients carries significant risks.
Fire Detected
Fire detection system activates in the affected compartment or bedroom
Horizontal Movement
Staff move occupants through fire-resistant doors to adjacent compartment
Refuge Area
Occupants remain in protected refuge offering minimum 30 minutes fire resistance
Further Evacuation
If required, onwards evacuation to additional compartments or vertical escape
Fire Compartment Protection Time
Fire-resistant compartments in healthcare settings typically provide a minimum of 30 minutes protection (often 60 minutes). This is sufficient time for fire services to attend and extinguish most fires, or for staff to conduct further progressive evacuation if necessary.
The Importance of Fire-Resistant Bedrooms
Modern fire safety regulations have led to significant advancements in building design. In healthcare settings, fire-resistant bedrooms provide a temporary haven for occupants during a fire, slowing the spread of flames and smoke.
Fire-Resistant Construction
Walls, ceilings and floors constructed to resist fire spread for the specified period (typically 30 or 60 minutes)
Fire Doors
FD30 or FD60 rated doors with self-closing mechanisms and smoke seals to prevent fire and smoke ingress
Service Penetrations
All openings for cables, pipes and ducts properly fire-stopped to maintain compartment integrity
Protected Escape Routes
Corridors and escape routes designed to remain tenable during progressive evacuation
Individual Bedroom Evacuation Timing
While no legislation mandates a specific evacuation timeframe, fire safety guidance for care homes suggests that staff should be able to evacuate any individual bedroom compartment within 2½ minutes during normal operating hours. This is a starting point against which facilities should assess their capabilities, particularly during periods with minimal staffing levels.
Increased evacuation times need to be justified through risk assessment, taking account of resident dependencies, staffing levels, building layout, and available evacuation equipment.
Staff Safety: A Critical Consideration
The safety of staff during an evacuation is paramount. Staff who are injured during an evacuation become part of the incident rather than part of the solution. Fire safety training must include techniques that protect staff wellbeing while assisting residents.
Proper Moving Techniques
Training in safe manual handling to prevent musculoskeletal injuries during resident evacuation
Evacuation Equipment
Competence in using ski sheets, evacuation chairs, and other aids designed for safe horizontal and vertical movement
Complex Evacuation Scenarios
Training for challenging situations including bariatric residents, residents with dementia, and night-time evacuations
Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans
Understanding individual PEEPs for residents with specific needs and how to implement them under pressure
Fire safety protocols in healthcare facilities must be regularly reviewed and adjusted based on the specific needs of residents and the layout of the premises. Fire drills and risk assessments should be conducted periodically to ensure that all safety measures are effective and that staff are prepared to act efficiently and safely.
HIQA Fire Safety Handbook: A Guide for Providers and Staff of Designated Centres
Irish Regulatory Framework
No Prescribed Evacuation Timeframe in Law
It is important to note that no specific Irish legislation mandates that evacuations must be completed within a prescribed time frame such as the often-cited 2½ minutes. Instead, regulatory terms like “suitable time” or “timely manner” are used.
This language is intentionally broad to account for the vast array of variables that affect evacuation times: building type, layout, occupant conditions, staffing levels, and the nature of the emergency itself.
Key Irish Legislation and Guidance
Fire Services Act 1981 (as amended 2003)
Places a duty on persons having control over premises to take all reasonable measures to guard against fire outbreak and ensure occupant safety
HIQA Regulation 28: Fire Precautions
Requires designated centres to maintain adequate means of escape, fire detection systems, staff training, and documented fire safety policies
Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
Requires employers to have adequate emergency plans and procedures, providing all necessary measures for firefighting and safe evacuation
HIQA Fire Safety Handbook (2025)
Provides detailed guidance on fire safety governance, evacuation procedures, training requirements, and equipment standards for designated centres
The Flexibility Enables Better Safety
The deliberate flexibility in Irish fire safety legislation allows for a more nuanced approach to fire safety planning. Evacuation strategies can be tailored to the specific characteristics and needs of each facility and its residents, rather than attempting to meet an arbitrary timeframe derived from a 1911 theatre fire.
This approach, combined with robust compartmentation, progressive horizontal evacuation, and well-trained staff, provides better protection for vulnerable occupants than a rigid time-based standard ever could.
Key Takeaways
- The 2½-minute guideline originated from the 1911 Empire Palace Theatre Fire where 3,000 ambulant theatre-goers self-evacuated with trained staff assistance
- Healthcare facilities require Progressive Horizontal Evacuation (PHE): moving occupants to adjacent fire compartments that provide minimum 30 minutes protection
- Fire-resistant compartmentation is critical: bedrooms, corridors, and escape routes must maintain integrity to enable safe progressive evacuation
- No Irish legislation mandates a specific evacuation timeframe: terms like “suitable time” allow for risk-based approaches appropriate to each facility
- Staff safety is paramount: injured staff become part of the incident, not the solution. Training in safe techniques and equipment use is essential
- Individual bedroom evacuation within 2½ minutes is a starting point, not a legal requirement. Longer times must be justified through risk assessment
- Regular fire drills, risk assessments, and protocol reviews are essential to ensure evacuation strategies remain effective and appropriate
Phoenix STS: Healthcare Fire Safety Services
Phoenix STS provides comprehensive fire safety training and consultancy specifically designed for Irish healthcare facilities, ensuring compliance with HIQA Regulation 28 and best practice standards.
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Phoenix STS specialises in healthcare fire safety training and consultancy. Our CPD-accredited courses and expert assessments help nursing homes and healthcare facilities meet HIQA requirements while protecting residents and staff.
References
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, this content does not constitute legal or fire safety advice. Healthcare providers should consult with qualified fire safety professionals to develop evacuation strategies appropriate to their specific premises and resident needs. Phoenix STS accepts no liability for actions taken or not taken based on this article.
