Exit strategy

摘要

In an emergency situation everybody in the workplace must be able to evacuate the premises quickly and safely. For physically disabled members of staff this may be more difficult, so it is up to the employer to ensure that adequate provision is made for them to be able to escape alongside their able-bodied colleagues. Ten per cent of the current UK workforce would have difficulty in evacuating a building if they were unable to use the lifts during an emergency. Stairway evacuation is often impossible - not just for people in wheelchairs, but also for people with walking difficulties, heart disease, epilepsy, and so on. To add to these difficulties, the potent combination of an ageing population and the likely extension of our statutory retirement age will inevitably have an effect on the overall mobility of the workforce. Architectural advances are having a real impact on emergency management procedures, both in the UK and internationally. Vertical villages (the latest term for high-rise buildings!) are throwing up new challenges as they reach ever-new heights. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur each hold 5000 people, while the new London Bridge tower, due for completion in four years' time, will be the tallest building in Europe.