In a perfect world, occupants will always follow directions. In the real world, that rarely happens, according to an article from Building Operating Management on the FacilitiesNet website. Knowing fire safety myths about occupant behavior can help a facility manager better prepare.

There are widely held false beliefs that can confuse building stakeholders who are responsible for ensuring a building is safe from fire and contribute to flawed design decisions or installations. 

For instance, one common myths is that people will always follow the exit signs during an emergency. In reality, not all building users are familiar with the building.

When occupants are egressing a building during an emergency, it is unlikely that they will be prepared to try a route they have never used before to leave the building. In fact, it is more likely they will attempt to leave by the route they entered the building.

Read the article.