An effective use of space

Tom Welland, our Commercial Director made a presentation at Total Workplace Management’s Fire Safety and Security Seminar. 

A critical part of running a profitable business is being able to understand how a company's assets are (or are not) being used. Many companies do not have an adequate understanding of how one of their most expensive assets - the space they lease or own - is being utilised. In the current environment, when companies are looking for cost savings, there cannot be a better way of making the most of what they already have.

Workplace analysis and optimisation is a facet of risk evaluation that takes full account of the impact of design implementation and the benefits of increased productivity and staff motivation as a function of effective property management.

Pragmatic application of regulation too can actually add benefits to a business as well as ensuring compliance. Take for example BS 9999:2008 Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings, which provides guidance on general fire safety design using a more flexible risk-based approach. By taking into account the varying physical and human factors related to a building including travel distance, stair and exit widths and level of fire alarm, this standard allows the development of a bespoke solution which provides more flexibility than previously available under prescriptive guidance such as Approved Document B.

However, approved Document B notes that the Building Regulations do not impose any requirements on the management of a building and that its proper management is assumed. BS 9999 goes beyond this and recognises that having designed a building, it is imperative that management ensures that the building still functions as it should.

The Equality Act 2010 too, whilst continuing to protect disabled people’s important rights of access, does appear to be more ‘business friendly’ by allowing service providers to comply by ‘reasonable and proportionate’ means. It’s worth remembering that most managers and staff habitually over-estimate how much office space is really occupied in traditional working environments, so flexible and more effective use of office space enables higher levels of occupancy. Effective management of space can make a large difference to occupancy without encroaching on legal space requirements. 

It’s often simple changes that have the most effect, such as; Re-evaluating estimated evacuation times – guidelines that many believe are too rigid and depend on the mix of a building’s occupants and the type of activities being carried out there; Increasing the amount of detection equipment installed to annunciate a fire sooner and initiate an earlier evacuation; Re-designing obstructions, even small ones such as shelves being moved or made smaller to help ease an evacuation; Monitoring of staff training and of fire drills to keep staff alert. Research has revealed that in the event of a fire alarm sounding, 40% of the public would instinctively follow people in their vicinity… even into danger. With only 29% using the nearest exit.

Tom Welland says, 'The pragmatic application of Regulations actually adds substantial business benefits as well as compliance. Workplace analysis  gives due consideration to the economics of work environment design and strategies for a building's future utilisation as a collaborative and flexible workspace. Workplace analysis and optimisation takes full account of the impact of design implementation and the benefits of increased productivity and staff motivation as a function of effective property management.'