IAFSS Digital Archive

Open Access

Sign in or register now for free access to all the IAFSS Proceedings, Fire Reseach Notes, and AOFST Proceedings.


If you had an account on th previous Digital Archive site (http://iafss.haifire.com) you will need to create a new account to access the papers.

Login

Lost your password?

Registration

To access the full text papers on this site, you will need to register. Access is free and only takes a few minutes to complete. Please click the button below to get started.

Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

IAFSS Symposiums

IAFSS Symposiums All Symposiums Symposium 1 Symposium 2 Symposium 3 Symposium 4 Symposium 5 Symposium 6 Symposium 7 Symposium 8 Symposium 9 Symposium 10 Fire Research Notes AOFST Symposiums
On People And Chance: The 'hard" Facts About The "soft" Branches Of Fire Safety Science

Hall, J.R., 2000. On People And Chance: The 'hard" Facts About The "soft" Branches Of Fire Safety Science. Fire Safety Science 6: 23-40. doi:10.3801/IAFSS.FSS.6-23


ABSTRACT

Science requires falsifiable propositions, preferably assembled in structures that provide nonobvious predictions across a wide scope. The human behavior and probability branches of fire safety science meet this definition. The topic of fire safety science, as distinct from fire science, demands human behavior and probabilistic modeling. In both human behavior and probabilistic modeling applied to fire safety science, there are multiple schools and approaches, often reflecting disputes over how much it is necessary or possible to imitate the structures and elements of the hard branches of fire safety science. A review of these approaches and the state of the art provides a basis for greater understanding of the nature and importance of the soft branches of fire safety science -- and the hard fact that they are worthy of the name "science" and essential to any valid and useful fire safety science structure.


Keyword(s):

behavior, risk, probability, hazard, evacuation, scenario


View Article

Member's Page | Join IAFSS | Purchase a Volume | Author's Site

Copyright © International Association for Fire Safety Science