The five whitepapers are deigned to guide the owners and managers of buildings through the legal, moral and commercial imperatives to maximise the safety of occupants in an emergency, as well as helping to protect property, assets and business continuity.
Taking proactive steps to ensure safe evacuations is one of the most important responsibilities of commercial property owners and managers. They are obliged to take multiple risk scenarios into account and respond by introducing appropriate planning, training and technologies. However, Eaton contends that too many businesses take safety for granted and is seeking to raise awareness. The new whitepapers can be downloaded at eatonworksafe.com.
“In our experience, most businesses occupying or managing a building are aware of their legal obligation to ensure the safety of people in the building, which also includes the safe evacuation of any person within that building in the event of an emergency,” said John Robb, commercial buildings segment leader at Eaton. “Despite this, too many businesses still take their safety for granted. At a time when the breadth and severity of risks are expanding, along with the legal, financial and reputational consequences of failure, we feel duty bound as an industry leader to help professionals understand and navigate this complicated landscape.”
According to figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the cost of commercial fire damage in the UK was around £1.7m per day in 2012. At the same time, it is estimated that over a third of businesses never resume operations after a major fire.
Increasing urbanisation, proliferation of warehouse buildings, an ageing population, reputational sensitivity and contemporary threats such as civil unrest, terrorism and extreme weather are all cited as reasons why evacuation planning must be prioritised.
The whitepapers, available to download at eatonworksafe.com, cover the following five key topics:
- Trends In Commercial Commercial Property and The Future of Safe Evacuation
- Protecting Your People – Regulations and Legal Obligations
- The Impact of Fire and Other Emergencies
- Minimising Risks
- Business Continuity and Reputation
Taking a comprehensive view of evacuation planning, the whitepapers include the latest statistics on fire and other evacuation triggers. They also include details of local and international regulations, the changing nature and psychology of risk, advice on selecting and installing equipment, how to conduct formal risk assessments and a look ahead to the safety systems of the future. Additionally, highly relevant case studies from the UK, Europe and US are woven in.
Eaton offers a wide range of fully-compliant equipment to enhance safety in buildings, including fire detection and notification systems, public address and voice alarms, communication devices, emergency lighting, illuminated exit signs and security systems. In addition, the business provides guidance, advice and continuing professional development (CPD) training to support contractors and customers on an ongoing basis.
