It’s been more than two years since the mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas. The shooter killed 58 and wounded more than 400 in the massacre on Oct. 1, 2017.
Since that time, most of the news coverage on these types of violent acts has focused on gun control. But there’s another side to the public-safety story: The need to have all businesses, visitors and guests protected and informed by active and passive means if a hazardous incident has occurred.
Due to an increase in active-shooter incidents, we are now concerned for our personal safety when entering any public facility. These facilities need to adhere to the safety regulations to ensure we are safe from most hazardous incidents. Management and staff need to be informed and trained in the established safety protocols. The urgent need is to obtain a higher level of public safety so that trained personnel can assist those who need to escape danger.
There are currently in place two sets of safety protocols that protect people when entering a public facility. They are both active and passive in application. These regulations are required in places such as offices, manufacturing, retail, fast food, medical, entertainment, restaurants, social halls and sports facilities.
Today, safe exiting can become an immediate need.
First, according to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard, an emergency action plan must be created by the management of a business, with input from staff and employees. It must be publicly communicated, in writing [or verbally, if a company has 10 or fewer employees], and include practice drills, if necessary. It is mandated that management ensure that employees receive proper training in their responsibility and visitors’ safety.
Here are a few of the requirements of the OSHA standard: Identify the means of reporting a hazardous emergency to all occupants and 911; develop emergency evacuation procedures for staff and visitors; assign trained employees to assist in medical and evacuation duties; identify safe places for sheltering in place; assign a location to assemble outside for employees and visitors; develop a system to account for all employees after an emergency; prepare a continuity plan for returning to normal operations; ensure counseling is available for employees, if needed; and create a culture of vigilance by empowering employees to report any unusual or suspicious activity.
Second, there are two national codes that impact safety in building construction. They are the International Code Council’s fire code and the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code. These codes are designed to keep costs affordable and still maintain acceptable risks. In the case of a fire, the codes are designed to give occupants sufficient time to evacuate a building.
In these codes there are provisions for: maximum capacity of facility, exit signage and emergency lighting; active fire suppression systems; required location of emergency exits; paths of egress to be unobstructed; emergency doors that open from the inside and swing outward; crowd-control management; and restricted parking in selected areas on the perimeter of a building for emergency personnel to stage their vehicles and equipment.
Also a few states mandate that public announcements of the locations of all emergency exits be made during public assemblies.
I’m hoping for the development of a smartphone app that shows all the safety assets available in the building where the app user is located. It should be designed to show the user’s location and can then direct that person by graphic or voice to a safe exit in an emergency.
Today, safe exiting can become an immediate need not only from a spreading fire but also from release of toxic gas, loss of power, gunfire or explosions from a terrorist attack.
Strong enforcement and situational awareness are recommended. One should observe all the safety means that are available when entering any public facility.
Bob Sweeney is president of RES Associates, of Warwick, a business consultancy for the construction industry.