By Julian Moss

Fire & Life Safety Products – Eaton Africa

According to recent research it is estimated that over a third of businesses never resume operations after suffering a major fire. However, while fire is still the most common reason for building evacuation, emerging threats such as terrorism, social activism and crime should also be considered as potential evacuation triggers.

Lone-wolf terrorism is one such type of emergency and building owners are becoming increasingly aware of this threat. Lone-wolf attacks (or lone wolf terrorism) is defined as a person(s) that prepare and commit violent acts alone, outside of any command structure and without material assistance from any group. With these acts of terrorism in busy public spaces becoming more frequent, it is important that building occupants can be evacuated safely in the event of an attack like this. A quick and efficient evacuation can be the difference in saving people’s lives.
 
Our research suggests that as a result of the current economic climate, the safety of employees may not always be prioritised as it should be. One reason might be the ultra-competitive business environment where priorities have focused even more on efficiency, cost cutting and revenue growth and therefore investing in safe evacuation can often be perceived as an unnecessary expense.

Thankfully in South Africa, employee fatalities are relatively low when compared to the rest of the African continent. However, it is vital to remember that when these tragic events do happen, the damage that a business suffers as a result can be catastrophic. The severe injury or death of an employee, especially when it is preventable, reverberates far and wide across an organisation

A question raised in our recent white paper for the Commercial Buildings sector - ‘Protecting people, preserving business’, was, when the consequences are so high, why do businesses not prioritise risk management more? The findings suggest that one reason might be the emphasis placed on CEOs to deliver results on a quarterly basis, often meaning that businesses make fast growth and profit a priority rather than looking at ways to protect their assets.

These pressures can make senior executives hesitant to invest in comprehensive risk management preparation for safe evacuation, believing it to be too expensive.

The reality is that the overall costs incurred from implementing safe evacuation services and procedures are far less than the potential loss of business or a drop in the share price, resulting from a damaged reputation that can occur as a result from employee fatalities. Building owners today should be astutely aware of these risks and have a robust evacuation strategy in place.

Did You Know? Voice Alarm (VA) systems often provide the quickest way to evacuate people from buildings? Learn more at our #EatonTechDaySA Click here to register today!