As people have shifted toward sustainable building design, they may have unwittingly also shifted to potentially more dangerous designs when it comes to the threat of fire. According to the US National Association of State Fire Marshals, many green developments tend to favor large walkways over pedestrian traffic, which makes it harder for firefighters to get access to a building’s interior. Not only that, but the lightweight sustainable materials are actually a higher risk in an emergency, unable to sustain the weight of emergency equipment. Various other problems exist, but the good news is that there is a workable compromise between sustainable design and fire safety.
Read the full article here: Bridging the Gap Between Fire Safety and Sustainable Design