During a fire, evacuation duration is one of the main elements that can save lives. Initially, evacuation systems were mainly composed of sirens. Sirens gave off a sound that was not very meaningful for people who had not read the information sheets and evacuation plans for that location.
In certain cases, these signals could cause panic because people were thrown off balance and did not know what to do, since not everybody is familiar with the Royal Decree of 17/06/1997 on alarms in the workplace.
Thankfully, technology has also progressed in this field and currently, there are vocal alarm systems which advantageously replace sirens in numerous cases. Vocal messages, whether live or pre-recorded, inform people about what is happening and what needs to be done, without ambiguity.These messages enable occupants to reach the assembly area safely.
To be optimal and effective, these systems must be approved and regularly inspected by ANPI.
