The New Year greeted us with a tragedy in Koszalin, where five young girls died in one of the escape rooms. Due to this tragedy, inspections of this type of facilities were ordered throughout the country. It turned out that the functioning of many of them gives a lot to be desired. Some companies suspended their activities, several dozen were immediately closed. This mishap also left its mark on Norway. Inspections took place in many places.
The main objection to the lack of safe escape routes ...
Inspections took place all over Norway, especially in larger towns. In Bergen, a lack of safe escape routes has been observed at several sites. The auditing units noted the lack of an additional door, which may be the only escape route in the event of a fire or gas explosion. This allegation does not only apply to escape rooms, but also to many closed facilities, such as cinemas, theaters and museums.
Opposition from owners of escape rooms
Many owners refute the allegations, explaining that at the time the building was built, no one had any objections and earlier inspections of compliance with the Planning and Construction Act (plan bygningsloven). were not carried out. Nobody expected that a place intended for entertainment could be classified as a high-risk facility. The owners of escape rooms also emphasize that the game participants can stop the game at any time, and their safety is supervised by an employee of the facility. Many escape rooms have been closed as a result of January and February inspections.