From Backroom To Boardroom – The Importance Of Prioritising Workplace Safety
Marc Gaunt, Segment Marketing Manager, Eaton
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Recent tragedies such as the Grenfell tower fire have casted doubt over whether or not the UK should be considered a leader when it comes to fire safety. Just last year, the fire and rescue services (FRSs) in England attended 582,551 incidents - 181,436 of which were fire related. This was a six per cent increase compared to the previous year, and it was largely driven by an increase (13%) in secondary fires. Yet despite criticisms, the UK is not alone when it comes to fire tragedy. According to Fire Safe Europe (FSE), 4,000 people are killed by fire in Europe each year, and almost 200 are hospitalised with serious injuries on a daily basis.
The causes of major fires vary, but according to Home Office fire statistics, electrical distribution and appliances are were the root cause of nearly 25% of fires in homes; which is now nearly 3 times that of smoking related fires.
Though a significant issue, fire-related instances are not limited to the home. Non-residential dwellings - also referred to as commercial properties - are also at risk. Similar to their residential counterparts, many commercial fires occur as a result of electrical faults. Commercial buildings are especially vulnerable due to the larger scale of electrical equipment stalled, changes in building use during its life and general wear and tear. According to Fire Europe, electrical faults are responsible for more than 25% of commercial building fires, and on average, commercial workplaces within the retail, industrial, and food service industries are most at risk.
So, as such a significant threat to human life, what steps can be taken to ensure that fire safety is made a priority within commercial buildings – and workplaces in particular?
Taking account for safety within the workplace
Though responsibility of ensuring a safe workplace lies with various stakeholders, it often comes down to building owners and operators. In most cases, the onus lies with them to carry out a fire safety risk assessment to ensure that adequate and appropriate fire safety measures are in place. The issue is that more often than not, building owners, managers and operators aren’t the ones on the ground during the day to day.
As this is the case, it only makes sense for those on the ground - employers and employees - to take on some amount of responsibility when it comes to workplace safety. But unfortunately, assigning responsibility and creating awareness is not always an easy feat, especially when there is a lack of concern from those same groups. According to a recent fire safety survey, 54% of people are never concerned that a property is not adequately protected against fires caused by electrical faults, and more than a quarter (27%) never look out for fire safety routes and fire exits when it a public building.
C-Suite culture shift
According to recent research by Gartner, growth tops the list of CEO business priorities in 2019 and 2020. This is followed by cost management, digital skills for executives, and risk management. While all are valid concerns for the C-suite to consider, it’s not the first time that employee safety hasn’t made the cut as a top priority.
At the highest level, business leaders must make it a priority to align conversations around workplace safety with other key boardroom topics - like quarterly earnings and sustainability, or inclusion and diversity. But instead of using these conversations as a ‘worst-case scenario’ planning session, they should use the time to proactively plan, share knowledge with employees, and consider what else can be done. Because in the end, creating a culture of conversation around safety is not only a smart business decision, it’s a matter of life and death.
As part of this, those in charge need to be familiar with the latest innovations in fire safety, such as the AFDD+, adaptive evacuation and voice alert systems. Having a high level of awareness and frequent conversations around new solutions will not only improve an employer’s reputation within the community, but it will keep the workplace safe beyond what is considered traditionally ‘standard’.
While the prevention of human loss is the ultimate goal, it’s also a strong business decision for the C-suite to prioritise workplace safety. According to the same Gartner report, cost management is currently considered the number eight priority for today’s CEOs. And with €126 billion - or 1% of the total European GDP - lost every year due to the effects of fire, it’s never too early to start having prevention conversations.
What’s needed now is significant change from the top so that the trickle-down effect will reach each level of the workplace. This systematic adjustment of attitudes toward fire safety will not only improve workplace safety but will move beyond the work environment itself, and into the homes of every person involved – ultimately creating a safer commercial and residential environment moving forward.
