Global power management company, Eaton, says preventive safety management in building construction can help reduce the menace of building collapse and also save lives.
The firm said in a statement that the recent Ita-Faaji building collapse that resulted in the loss of lives, including those of school children, had once again emphasised the need for building safety to be a key priority for all stakeholders in the construction process, from architectural planning to final project completion.
The Product Manager for Light and Safety Division, Eaton, Mr Dean Gopal, said building safety systems were often bypassed or substandard equipment chosen based on costs.
Gopal said, “We also see that fire, voice and evacuation systems are left out or not serviced correctly, which contribute to the large number of fatalities we hear about in the media. If these are done and specified in the planning phase of construction, they come at a lower cost compared to having changes made during and after the construction is complete.
“Over the past few years, we have seen several cases reported about buildings collapsing due to fire. It is extremely important that fire risk assessments be carried out safely, and evacuation procedures put in place and monitored by the relevant building authorities to ensure the safety of people and buildings.”
According to Eaton, statistics show that from 2015, the Federal Fire Service recorded over 900 fire incidents in which over 200 lives were lost as well as the loss of business continuity, which amounted to about N11bn in revenue.
It added that effective building safety management should include experts doing a risk assessment of a building, identifying possible risks, selecting the appropriate design and installations to address these risks, and ensuring regular testing and maintenance of these solutions.
Source: Punch Newspaper.
