Emergency Egress Systems & Secondary Means of Escape
Egress is the planned path occupants take to leave a building safely. When the primary means of egress can be overwhelmed, blocked, or unusable by part of the population, a secondary egress system closes the gap. EvacuSystems supplies and installs certified escape chute egress solutions that add protected, high-throughput, accessible descent to your existing life-safety plan.
Primary vs. secondary egress
Most buildings rely on stairwells as the primary means of egress. That works until it doesn't: smoke infiltration, structural damage, overcrowding, or an event on a lower floor can render stairs unusable precisely when they are needed most. A secondary egress system is an independent route that does not share the failure mode of the stairwell.
Escape chutes are well suited to this role because they are physically separate from the stair core, require no power, and maintain throughput as occupancy rises. They convert 'the stairs are blocked' from a crisis into a managed evacuation.
Accessibility is the differentiator
A genuine egress plan accounts for every occupant, not just those who can descend many flights on foot. Conventional egress frequently strands wheelchair users, the elderly, injured occupants, and patients in care settings.
Escape chutes are usable across the full spectrum of occupants, which is why they are deployed in hospitals, care homes, and schools as well as commercial towers.
- Wheelchair users via barrier-free entry configurations
- Non-ambulatory and stretcher-bound patients
- Children of crib age and the elderly
- Unconscious or incapacitated occupants with assisted descent
- Untrained occupants — intuitive, no instruction required
Supporting compliance and documentation
Egress decisions are reviewed against local building codes, fire safety regulations, and insurer requirements. The systems we supply carry TÜV GS approval and ISO 9001 production, with materials certified to DIN 4102 (B1) and DIN 5510-2.
EvacuSystems provides the documentation that approvals require — engineered drawings, datasheets, and certification references — and can supply documentation supporting equivalence discussions where local standards differ. We supply documentation; we do not issue regulatory approvals, which remain with the relevant authority.
Designing egress into the building
Whether you are retrofitting an occupied building or planning a new one, egress should be engineered, not bolted on. We survey the structure, identify where secondary egress adds the most safety value, specify the configuration, and coordinate installation and staff training — leaving you with a documented, maintainable system.
Common Questions
Does an escape chute replace the fire stairwell?
No. It supplements primary egress as an independent secondary route. The goal is resilience: if the stairwell is compromised, occupants still have a protected way down.
Will it satisfy our building code?
Codes vary by jurisdiction. The systems carry internationally recognized certifications, and we supply the supporting documentation, but acceptance is determined by your local authority having jurisdiction. We can provide materials to support that review.
Can egress be added to an occupied building?
Yes. Installations are engineered to the site and typically need under 1 m² of floor space with no permanent ground works, which makes retrofitting practical with minimal disruption.
Request Technical Documentation
Receive complete specifications, engineered drawings, compliance certificates, and site assessment guidelines.