Assessing self-preservation capabilities in toddlers during evacuations

Abstract

The evacuation of vulnerable people is critical and also comprises the evacuation of young children. Although some experts have suggested the age that young children can evacuate themselves without having to be physically assisted, we must acknowledge the fact that the empirical evidence supporting this assertion is limited. In this study, we investigated the performance of 94 children aged 0-3 during five evacuation trials conducted in a day-care centre and confirmed that self-preservation is age-dependent. However, this capability may vary due to individual and developmental differences, for example, one-third of children, aged 1-2 years, evacuated on their own, while approximately one-fifth of children, aged 2-3 years, required assistance. Furthermore, we found no gender differences in relation to self-preservation. The results of this study also suggest that the characteristics of the scenario, namely, adult to child ratios and travel distances, and the decisions and actions of staff members during the pre-evacuation stage, which involved gathering, preparing, and encouraging children, served as factors that affect self-preservation. These findings challenge our current understanding of the impact of self-preservation capability on children's safety.