ISO TR 16738-2009 PDF

Full title and description

Fire-safety engineering — Technical information on methods for evaluating behaviour and movement of people. This technical report provides guidance and technical information to support the evaluation and quantification of occupant behaviour, movement and evacuation strategies for life-safety assessments in fire‑safety engineering designs.

Abstract

ISO/TR 16738:2009 presents engineering methods for assessing human behaviour and movement during fire emergencies, with emphasis on escape behaviour, pre-movement times, movement rates and occupant location over time. It is intended to support designers, regulators and fire‑safety professionals performing life‑safety evaluations and to be used alongside related ISO guidance documents (for example parts of the ISO/TR 13387 series). The report does not address the use of lifts (elevators) in emergency evacuation.

General information

• Status: Published; technically confirmed (last review noted in 2019).
• Publication date: 24 July 2009 (Edition 1 — ISO edition recorded as 2009-08).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 13.220.01 — Protection against fire in general.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2009).
• Number of pages: 61 pages (official ISO record).

Scope

Provides technical information on methods for evaluating the behaviour and movement of people for the purposes of fire‑safety engineering life‑safety assessments. Topics include parameters and methods for quantifying evacuation behaviour, processes for determining occupant location and condition over time, and the use of those results within a broader fire‑safety engineering design. The document is intended to be used in conjunction with related ISO technical reports and standards; it explicitly excludes guidance on use of lifts in emergency evacuations.

Key topics and requirements

• Methods for quantifying occupant behaviour (pre‑movement and response times) and movement rates during evacuation.
• Parameters and assumptions for evacuation modelling and life‑safety calculations.
• Evaluation of occupant location and condition as a function of time for life‑safety assessment.
• Guidance on integrating behavioural and movement data into performance‑based fire‑safety designs and assessments.
• Limitations and exclusions (notably: exclusion of lift/elevator use in evacuation scenarios).

Typical use and users

Used by fire‑safety engineers, building designers, consultants, regulatory authorities, code officials, risk assessors and researchers involved in performance‑based fire safety and evacuation analysis. The report supports design of evacuation strategies, peer review of life‑safety assessments, and inputs to computational evacuation and human‑behaviour models.

Related standards

Intended to be used together with parts of the ISO/TR 13387 series and other fire‑safety engineering guidance. Closely related documents include ISO/TR 13387 (series on methods in fire‑safety engineering), ISO 23932 (general principles for fire‑safety engineering; see its later revisions), and ISO 13943 (fire‑safety vocabulary) which provide complementary principles, terminology and process guidance.

Keywords

fire‑safety engineering, evacuation, occupant behaviour, movement, egress modelling, life safety, pre‑movement time, evacuation rates, performance‑based design, ISO/TR 16738:2009

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/TR 16738:2009 is a technical report providing information on methods to evaluate the behaviour and movement of people for fire‑safety engineering life‑safety assessments.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers engineering methods and parameters for quantifying occupant response and movement during evacuations, procedures for determining occupant location and condition over time, and how to use these results within fire‑safety engineering designs. It excludes the use of lifts in emergency evacuation.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Fire‑safety engineers, building designers, regulators, code officials, consultants, risk assessors and researchers performing or reviewing life‑safety evaluations and evacuation analyses.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The report was published in 2009 (Edition 1) and the ISO record indicates it was reviewed and confirmed in 2019, therefore that edition remains the current technical report as recorded by ISO. Users should verify with the ISO catalogue or their national standards body for any later updates.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a Technical Report intended to be used alongside the ISO/TR 13387 series and other ISO fire‑safety engineering documents that provide methods, definitions and process guidance.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Evacuation, occupant behaviour, movement, egress modelling, life safety, fire‑safety engineering, ISO/TR 16738:2009.