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Introduction

This guide aims to provide a holistic overview of the issues to consider and the techniques and information sources available to improve the management of risks in buildings by the building owner and/or user. This should realise benefits from reduced business losses, reduced insurance premiums, improvements in day-to-day operating costs, improvements in staff welfare (reduced absences due to sick leave) and reduced reactive mitigation measures after an incident.

This guide applies to all types of existing non-domestic buildings and premises in the UK from offices, warehouses and industrial/ processing sites to transport hubs such as airports and railway stations. The guide covers those risks that can have a major impact on the building or site infrastructure and a significant proportion of its occupants. Due to the wide-ranging nature and use of buildings in the UK, there may be some types of risk that are not covered here, although the general principles for risk assessment will still apply. (Note that risks to occupants from personal ‘accidental’ occurrences such as trips, falls, manual handing and repetitive strain injuries are not covered. Neither are specific risks arising from electrical and mechanical equipment in so far as they affect an individual person, eg electric shock from faulty equipment or trapping hands in moving machinery.)

There are many different drivers for managing risks in a building or on a site. The three main drivers are life safety, property protection and business continuity. In the UK there are numerous legislative and legal requirements that must be met that are primarily to protect the health, safety and welfare of people working, visiting or living close to non-domestic buildings and sites. By meeting these requirements there are usually additional benefits such as protecting the building itself and equipment inside it, and this may then lead to additional mission and business continuity benefits, as well as improved operational efficiency. There are also actions and procedures that are specific to safeguarding business assets, such as buildings, equipment or software systems, which go further than the life safety requirements of legislation. These requirements are usually driven by corporate governance and the insurance industry and so may be part of a corporate safety plan to reduce the business risk.