The safety of one in four businesses in jeopardy
April 2015
IT in Manufacturing
According to research from Hochiki Europe, a leading fire safety solutions manufacturer, one quarter (25%) of businesses are risking employee safety due to poor maintenance of their building’s fire or emergency lighting systems.
In a survey of fire equipment installers, one third (34%) also state that emergency lighting performance is not accurately monitored using a logbook in accordance with the law.
Similar levels of apathy to accurate logbook recordings were found in relation to fire safety efficiency with one third (33%) of installers’ customers not possessing up-to-date fire detection records on site.
Legislation such as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 dictates that all businesses adhere to prescriptive standards which comprise the quality of products adopted, maintenance of all safety systems and shared responsibility to protect the workforce.
Low adoption of technology
Despite the environmental and total cost of ownership benefits, only 15% of installers’ customers use LED technology and just 9% have self-testing emergency lighting systems which can reduce valuable resource spent by businesses on maintenance.
To support businesses in accurate self-assessment of existing security equipment, Hochiki Europe has developed an online tool which quizzes the user on the performance status of a building’s current solution as well as providing guidance on methods of improving it.
David Brown, product manager at Hochiki Europe, said: “It is crucial that businesses do not fall short when it comes to the assessment and maintenance of safety provision which is designed to protect employees and prevent accidents that may not be legislated for.
“We’ve partnered with skilled installers to determine where businesses and their building owners can be better supported, and developed a simple online tool which directs them to solutions that promote efficiency and optimum safety in accordance with the very latest regulations.”
For more information contact Hochiki Europe, +44 (0)163 426 0132, [email protected], www.hochikieurope.com
Further reading:
Unlocking mining efficiency with advanced processing control
IT in Manufacturing
ABB’s Advanced Process Control system, powered by its Expert Optimizer platform, is emerging as a key enabler of smarter, more efficient mining operations.
Read more...
Open control technology reduces energy consumption and carbon footprint.
Beckhoff Automation
IT in Manufacturing
The Swedish company Airwatergreen AB is breaking new ground in the dehumidification of air in industrial buildings and warehouses. PC-based control from Beckhoff regulates the innovative process.
Read more...
Harnessing AI and satellite imagery to estimate water levels in dams
IT in Manufacturing
Farmers and water managers often struggle to accurately estimate and monitor the available water in dams. To address the challenge, International Water Management Institute researchers have worked with Digital Earth Africa to create an innovation that uses satellite images and AI to get timely and accurate dam volume measurements.
Read more...
Why industry should enter the world of operator training simulators
Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
System-agnostic operator training simulator (OTS) software is a somewhat unsung hero of industry that trains plant operators in a virtual world that mirrors real-world operations. The benefits are multiple.
Read more...
Track busway for scalable data centre power delivery
IT in Manufacturing
The latest generation Legrand Data Centre Track Busway technology addresses the operational pressures facing today’s high-density, AI-intensive computing environments and is being well received by data centre facilities around the world.
Read more...
Poor heat management in data centre design
IT in Manufacturing
Designing a world-class data centre goes beyond simply keeping servers on during load shedding; it is about ensuring they run efficiently, reliably, and within the precise environmental conditions they were built and designed for.
Read more...
It’s time to fight AI with AI in the battle for cyber resilience
IT in Manufacturing
Cybercrime is evolving rapidly, and the nature of cyber threats has shifted dramatically. Attacks are now increasingly powered by AI, accelerating their speed, scale and sophistication. Cybersecurity needs to become part of business-critical strategy, powered by AI to match attackers’ speed with smarter, faster and more adaptive defences.
Read more...
Why AI sustainability must be a boardroom priority
IT in Manufacturing
As South African companies race to harness artificial intelligence for innovation and growth, few are asking the most critical question - the environmental cost.
Read more...
RS South Africa shines spotlight on MRO procurement
RS South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
RS South Africa has highlighted the growing pressures faced by procurement professionals responsible for maintenance, repair and operations supplies across the country’s vital economic sectors.
Read more...
Sustainable energy management
Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Utilising its innovative ONE approach technology, Siemens provides complete transparency on resource consumption and offers data-driven optimisation recommendations for sustainable energy management.
Read more...