Risk of a Stampede

This is in continuation to our previous post. As correctly put across by many of our friends and which we agree to, safety-drills in schools is definitely a step forward in saving lives. We also intend to continue this discussion, because we feel a few questions were left unanswered in our last post. These are as following:

1. What is the likelihood of a stampede when conducting such evacuation drills in schools?
2. Drop-Duck-Cover-Hold versus other methods?
3. Why authorities in developing countries are blamed complacent about conducting such drills?

While we leave it to later or subject specific experts to comment the last two of the above, we surely can put across a viewpoint for the first one.

The answer is, the likelihood is VERY LOW; and perhaps needs an explanation.

While a false alarm may cause panic - evacuation drills and actual disaster events (natural) are mostly coordinated events. The likelihood could have been Zero/Nil, but stampedes might occur when spaces are crowded. Crowd management is one answer, and the researches continue and awarenesses increase. See for example, Wikipedia lists about thirty stampede related events in the last century, and now thirty in the first decade itself. One thing we can note that is our exposure to such information has increased. Other thing to note is that people, unlike or like animals, when they don’t have a clear sense of purpose in being present in a place, and a place overcrowded, become victims of chaos and stampede. Events like riots, congregation for a sporting event or a religious ceremony are the only examples in the list - others can be put in as outliers.

Thankfully, in most places where education and its spaces are taken seriously, much of the problem is averted by mere alertness and prevention.

Emergency planning, small passages, barricades or no barricade, control crowd flow, work on a balanced crowd ratio (or movement) in a crowded space are some examples.

And, Schools and educational places are the places where this can be taught.

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Stampedes, scientifically (more precisely in Physics) are in the domain of a word called ‘Impulse’. Impulse is also defined as change in momentum of a body, in other words, changes in Mass and Velocities of relative bodies. And when there are too many bodies, there is bound to be various speeds and masses, and these bodies would collide.

Two ways –human’s can act beyond natural is perhaps as following:

1. By controlling speed variation
2. Make oneself lighter

Not only keep your instincts natural when getting out, keep your speed in check, and off your weight from the other. In other words, keep it easy and cautious together when the alarm bell rings.

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References:

• Dec 1^st 1958 Chicago http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyslGbvSdxE&feature=related
• Wikipedia definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stampede
• Google search on definition of stampede http://www.google.co.in/search?q=define%3A+stampede&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
• Google search on definition of impulse http://www.google.co.in/search?q=define%3A+Impulse&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
• Through Wikipedia a news report tells us, how not to follow the flow and fall flat on the chest http://www.slate.com/id/2209135/