When your business is flying high, it’s not unusual for your premises to do the same. For inner-city companies, high-rise buildings are part and parcel of getting your name seen. What better way to impress clients, and also fly your logo high and proud for everyone to see? You’ll undoubtedly be in the best position to go up against your competition if you have a high-rise to rival theirs.
But, high-rise business isn’t without its risks. After all, it’s easy to see why business spaces like these are a health and safety headache. After all, the very nature of a high-rise building poses risks in all manner of ways. And, you need to address each of these if you want to legally protect your business. After all, health and safety are crucial at the best of times, but never more than when you’re flying high every workday. So, read on to find out what you should consider to stay on the right side of health and safety.
From the ground up
Often, you’ll only buy or rent one floor of a high-rise. In that case, you don’t need to worry about this. But, if you own the whole building, or if you’re building from scratch, it’s essential you think about foundations.
After all, this is a pretty big building for any patch of land to hold. And, that can cause issues. If you’re building from scratch, you may need to think about aggregate piers of stone columns which ensure stable foundations. If you want more information about this, read here, or do a little independent research.
One thing’s sure: skipping this stage now could cost you in a significant way down the line. Not only would you have to fork out for repairs if your foundations floundered, but you would also have to compensate your staff.
In case of fire
Fire safety in high-rise buildings has been on everyone’s lips since the Grenfell disaster in the UK last year. In truth, it’s never easy to protect against fire in high-rise options. After all, if a fire occurs on a floor below you, it can seem like curtains.
But, that doesn’t have to be the case.
For one, you should install alarm systems and sprinklers which trigger the moment smoke’s detected. It’s also crucial to have a planned and practiced fire escape route to hand. To ensure this is possible, you must provide staircases, protected by fireproof doors. That way, it’ll be possible to escape, no matter which floor staff are on at the time a fire starts.
Window safety
Most high-rise buildings boast of vast windows looking out at the fantastic city views on offer. This is the best part of business premises like this, right?
Of course, but this doesn’t come without risks. If your windows open full-tilt, there’s room for severe accidents on your watch. To make sure it doesn’t happen, install safety windows which only open a certain amount. This will increase safety in this area no-end.