How Buildings Kill

How Buildings Kill
Peter Luscuere
How Buildings Kill
Peter Luscuere
1
How Buildings Kill
Peter Luscuere
Kill
Building
Syndrome
Mortality in Holland (2007-2010)
• 16,530,494: total population (average numbers)
• 134,613: total deaths/y or 8.1 ‰, from which:
• 5,497: Non-Natural or 4.1 %, how?
–
66: Industrial Accidents
– 148: Murder / Manslaughter
– 504: Unknown
– 687: Traffic fatalities
– 1,478: Suicides
– 2,614: Private Accidents (48 %)
Source: CBS
2
Mortality in Holland (2007-2010)
• 2,614: Private Accidents, where?
–
–
–
–
–
–
50: Public Road
82: Recreational Area
106: Various other locations
490: Nursing home/Hospitals
889: In and around the house
999: Unknown
Source: CBS
Mortality in Holland (2007-2010)
• 2,614: Private Accidents, how?
–
19: Object
–
38: Fire
–
74: Drown
–
82: Unknown (OD?)
– 128: Various
– 157: Suffocate
– 2,117: Fall
Source: CBS
3
Mortality in Holland (1996-2003)
• 2,614: Private Accidents, when?
– Winterperiod highest,
– in Spring decrease to:
– stable Summerperiod,
– Autumn lowest
Source: CBS
Risk of death/y for various activities:
• Drowning due to levee failure
1 in 10,000,000
Source:
CBS 2004
4
Risk of death/y for various activities:
• Drowning due to levee failure
• Death by Bee sting
•
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
Source:
CBS 2004
Risk of death/y for various activities:
• Drowning due to levee failure
• Death by Bee sting
• Struck by lightning
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
Source:
CBS 2004
5
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
Source:
CBS 2004
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
Source:
CBS 2004
6
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
Walking (in traffic)
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
1 in
54,000
Source:
CBS 2004
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
Walking (in traffic)
Cycling
Working (agriculture/fisheries)
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
1 in
54,000
1 in
26,000
1 in
14,000
Source:
CBS 2004
7
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
Walking (in traffic)
Cycling
Working (agriculture/fisheries)
Driving (car)
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
1 in
54,000
1 in
26,000
1 in
14,000
1 in
5,700
Source:
CBS 2004
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
Walking (in traffic)
Cycling
Working (agriculture/fisheries)
Driving (car)
Driving (moped)
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
1 in
54,000
1 in
26,000
1 in
14,000
1 in
5,700
1 in
5,000
Source:
CBS 2004
8
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
Walking (in traffic)
Cycling
Working (agriculture/fisheries)
Driving (car)
Driving (moped)
Motorcycling
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
1 in
54,000
1 in
26,000
1 in
14,000
1 in
5,700
1 in
5,000
1 in
1,000
Source:
CBS 2004
Risk of death/y for various activities:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Drowning due to levee failure
Death by Bee sting
Struck by lightning
Flying
Working (average company)
Walking (in traffic)
Cycling
Working (agriculture/fisheries)
Driving (car)
Driving (moped)
Motorcycling
Smoking cigarettes (1 package daily)
1 in 10,000,000
1 in 5,500,000
1 in 2,000,000
1 in
814,000
1 in
77,000
1 in
54,000
1 in
26,000
1 in
14,000
1 in
5,700
1 in
5,000
1 in
1,000
1 in
200
Source:
CBS 2004
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Chances compared:
• Struck by lightning
1 in
2 million
Chances compared:
• Struck by lightning
• Drowning due to levee failure
1 in 2 million
1 in 10 million
10
Chances compared:
•
•
•
•
•
Struck by lightning
Drowning due to levee failure
Winning Jackpot “Staatsloterij”
Winning “Lotto”
Winning “Postcodeloterij”
1 in 2 million
1 in 10 million
1 in 20 million
1 in 50 million
1 in 100 million
Building related mortality scenario’s
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fire / Suffocation
Explosion
Overheating
Low light levels
Electrocution
Falling
Dropping
Sickening
Poisoning / Smog
Refrigerants
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Radiation
Infection / Legionella
Depression
Crushing / Burying /
Starvation
Drowning
Impaling
Strangulation
Decapitation
Collision
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Fire / Suffocation
• Fire is perhaps the most well-known
scenario, though relative low mortality
a linked scenario:
• Suffocation
smoke deprives people from fresh air required
to escape
Fire / Suffocation
• Fire is perhaps the most well-known
scenario, though relative low mortality
a linked scenario:
• Suffocation
smoke deprives people from fresh air required
to escape
12
Explosion
• Natural gas or LPG systems bring the
risk of explosion
– A leaking gas system in a closed
environment only requires an ignition source
Overheating
• During decades the policy in Holland was:
– Nursing homes don’t need comfort cooling
• Heatwaves lead to high mortality anyhow
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Low light levels
• Poor lighting levels in nursing homes
– Increased risk of falling
– Staff has difficulties in identifying right
medications
Electrocution
• High tension switch/distribution rooms have
restricted and secured entrance
• 220 V systems also dangerous (in fact>42 V)
– Most dangerous in non-/badly grounded wet
areas, or hobby like systems
– Homes from before ‘79 can have grounding on
waterlines. Short circuit can backfire into shower!
(plastic inserts)
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Falling
• Stairs are dangerous
Extremely murderous however:
• Ramps, split-levels and doorsteps
Majority of private accidents are older women
who die due to complications after fractures
Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
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Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
– Façade Cleaning
Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
– Façade Cleaning
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Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
– Façade Cleaning
– Roof activities / repairs
Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
– Façade Cleaning
– Roof activities / repairs
• Items dropping on people:
– Roof
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Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
– Façade Cleaning
– Roof activities / repairs
• Items dropping on people:
– Roof
– Balcony
Dropping
• People who drop in / during:
– Elevator shafts
– Façade Cleaning
– Roof activities / repairs
• Items dropping on people:
– Roof
– Balcony
– Fan Coil Unit
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Sickening
• Sickening by Asbesthos can be a slow
working mechanism:
• From exposure to sickness takes decades
• Presence in 4 out of 5 schools recently checked!
Poisoning
• Most common: CO-poisoning
– Badly maintained furnaces lead to
incomplete burning and hence COproduction. CO is without color odor or taste.
• Other non-building related poisons used
by terrorists were spread through the
building (airborn and surfaces).
– Anthrax
– Ricin
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Poisoning by Smog
• The great smog die of London 1952
– Large scale coal fired furnaces
– Cold weather plus anticyclone
– 4,000 deaths (current estimate: 12,000)
Refrigerants
• NH3
– In early days a common refrigerant though
highly dangerous to humans (lethal above
1,500 ppm)
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Refrigerants
• NH3
– In early days a common refrigerant though
highly dangerous to humans (lethal above
1,500 ppm)
• Replaced by safe Freons (CFC’s)
Refrigerants
• NH3
– In early days a common refrigerant though
highly dangerous to humans (lethal above
1,500 ppm)
• Replaced by safe Freons (CFC’s)
– These however seemed to be highly
contribting to Ozone depletion
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Refrigerants
• NH3
– In early days a common refrigerant though
highly dangerous to humans (lethal above
1,500 ppm)
• Replaced by safe Freons (CFC’s)
– These however seemed to be highly
contribting to Ozone depletion
• Now back to NH3
Radiation
• Radioactive gas Radon (Rn) is emitted
by rocky soil:
– The gas accumulates in cellars/crawling
spaces, exposure by inhalation
• Gypsum is also a possible source
– Newly built houses in the Netherlands some
times have a cooldown period
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Infection
• Pathogene bacteria can be bred, nurrished
and distributed airborn by ventilation systems
– Moist sections / filters in AHU’s
• Aspergillus in dust -> Aspergillose
• Virusses cannot be stopped by filters and are
distributed likewise
Legionella
• A particular nasty bacteria, exposure
through inhalation of aerosols, like:
– Showers
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Legionella
• A particular nasty bacteria, exposure
through inhalation of aerosols, like:
– Showers
– Whirlpools
Legionella
• A particular nasty bacteria, exposure
through inhalation of aerosols, like:
– Showers
– Whirlpools
– Cooling towers
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Legionella
• A particular nasty bacteria, exposure
through inhalation of aerosols, like:
– Showers
– Whirlpools
– Cooling towers
– Spray humidification
Depression
• Architecture itself can be depressing
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Depression
• Architecture itself can be depressing
• Indoor climate can worsen this:
– Disfunctional lighting
Depression
• Architecture itself can be depressing
• Indoor climate can worsen this:
– Disfunctional lighting
– No daylight / view
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Depression
• Architecture itself can be depressing
• Indoor climate can worsen this:
– Disfunctional lighting
– No daylight / view
– Bad acoustics
Depression
• Architecture itself can be depressing
• Indoor climate can worsen this:
– Disfunctional lighting
– No daylight / view
– Bad acoustics
– Bad IAQ
– And much more...
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Crushing / Burying / Starvation
• Buildings as a whole can collapse,
possible causes:
– Earthquakes
– Explosions
Crushing / Burying / Starvation
• Buildings as a whole can collapse,
possible causes:
– Earthquakes
– Explosions
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Crushing / Burying / Starvation
• Buildings as a whole can collapse,
possible causes:
– Earthquakes
– Explosions
– Disfunctional
• Architects
• Constructors
• Contractors
Drowning
• Buildings can be death traps in case of
levee-failure:
29
Drowning
• Buildings can be death traps in case of
levee-failure:
Impaling
• Clothing hooks can be dangerous
30
Impaling
• Clothing hooks can be dangerous
• Whith the right shape, when tripping, it
can be like an arrow in your eye
Impaling
• Clothing hooks can be dangerous
• Whith the right shape, when tripping, it
can be like an arrow in your eye
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Strangulation
• Strangulation: wearing a tie near rotating
equipment
Decapitation
• Decapitation is unlikely but certainly not
impossible:
– Disfunctional elevator door safety
– Person, head front, entering cabin tries to
force the closing door to re-open
– Head is locked in place between doors
– Cabin leaves…
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Decapitation
• Decapitation is unlikely but certainly not
impossible:
– Disfunctional elevator door safety
Collision
• Collision seems unlikely, but what about
this?
• And more recent…
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How Buildings Kill
Peter Luscuere
34