Balancing Means of Escape and Security | Pt 1 – Counting the cost

There has always been conflict between the need for adequate levels of fire safety against the increasing need to maintain effective levels of security, particularly where means of escape (in case of fire) is concerned.

The fact that the many fires each year are started deliberately by intruders who are intent on arson, theft or vandalism highlights the correlation between fire safety and security. This poses some serious questions for those who have responsibility for protecting the building and its occupants, not only from fire but also from the threat of intrusion by thieves and vandals.

It is possible to satisfy the requirements of fire safety and security by the incorporation of an integrated package of measures, and this is often achieved where new build developments and major refurbishment schemes are undertaken. However, although achievable, some additional difficulties are encountered for an already operational building.

One of the main concerns for most managers is maintaining effective means of escape for all occupants, in the event of an emergency, whilst preventing intruders from entering.

The Need for Security

Not surprisingly, the chances of most workplaces suffering from criminal acts of vandalism, theft or arson are substantially greater than they were several years ago. Increasingly, workplaces now contain many high-value items, such as computers and specialist IT equipment, which makes them much more attractive, not just to the occasional opportunist but also to the professional burglar.

In fact, the threat is so severe in certain sectors; some organisations can expect to spend at least half their building maintenance annual budget on security measures and repairing criminal damage.

For most organisations a deliberate act of vandalism on their building will result in one or all of the following:

• Total loss of premises
• Business disruption
• Loss of equipment
• Loss of records
• Demoralised staff
• Heavy cost
• Total loss of business

Therefore it is realistic to say that no matter the outcome, it will inevitably impair the function of an organisation. It follows then, that every reasonable step possible should be taken to prevent it.

Understanding the Risk

Most organisations are at risk from criminal damage and in many instances the lives of employees and visitors are put in jeopardy from the actions of criminals. Therefore, before any measures are taken to combat the threat of intrusion it is vital that an employer gets a realistic appreciation of all the facts and their potential consequences before implementing effective safeguards. For instance, the padlocking of all external doors may help to stop intruders entering, but would most certainly hinder an effective and safe evacuation of personnel in the event of fire and could be responsible for loss of life.

Means of escape, by definition, is the provision of a safe route or routes, which are provided for persons to travel from any given point within a building, to a place of safety. It is therefore imperative that all escape routes are available for use at all times whilst the building is occupied.

From a security point of view, there are a variety of methods which can be used in order to provide an acceptable level of security, without jeopardising means of escape.

Before implementing such measures, the first step to achieving cost-effective security, whilst maintaining appropriate fire safety, is to undertake a comprehensive risk assessment.

Part 2 of this series will look at progressing the Fire Risk Assessment, and will be published next week.

In the meantime, if you have any queries about your building’s Security vs. Fire safety provision and means of egress, please contact Peter Gyere on 020 8668 8663.

The Complete Fire Safety Management Platform - Our aim, at CFSM, is to make the process of becoming fire-safe straight forward, and to use our expertise in fire risk assessment and fire safety management to guide you through each necessary step, resulting in your premises meeting all legal, insurance and ethical fire safety considerations. The Complete Fire Safety Management platform is part of Lawrence Webster Forrest Limited, one of the UK's longest established Fire Engineering and Fire Risk Management Consultancies.