How evacuation certification works

By: Aimée Turner London

06:00 22 Aug 2008

Source:

In Europe, evacuation certification is governed by the Joint Aviation Requirements, while in the USA the rules are known as the Federal Aviation Regulations.
In addition to design rules such as those governing the 18.3m (60ft) minimum spacing of exits on the same side and the same deck is a performance-based requirement commonly known as the "90-second certification test".
Compliance with this rule is demonstrated by performing a full-scale evacuation demonstration, performed in darkness, using only half of the normally available exits and a population that satisfies an age and gender mix specified in the rules, selected by the manufacturer and approved by the regulatory authority.
Crew and passengers do not know beforehand which exits will be made available. The test involves evacuating all passengers and crew to the ground (using slides if fitted) within 90s.
A complete video record is made of the event including behaviour within the cabin and at the exits. The video recordings of the evacuations are a valuable source of data concerning the performance level achieved.

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