If you follow the world’s latest news, you’ve definitely heard of building collapses that have left many people dead and others fighting for their dear lives. Such incidents come as a shock and you can only hope that you’ll never be a victim of such. To avoid such incidents, it’s in your best interest to ensure that the building you do business in is structurally sound. Here’s how your business can benefit from safe building design and construction:
- Reduced Risk Of Death
When a story building collapses, heavy structural components can fall on the occupants and kill them instantly. Suppose all your employees are in their offices within the building when the accident happens. You risk losing all of them at the spur of a moment. And, thereafter, the loss of lives may take a toll on your emotional well-being. It might be difficult to gather the strength to continue with the same business.
To avoid such a loss, you need to ensure that the building housing your business is safe. For more insight into what elements of the building you should focus on when assessing its stability, read this article.
- Guaranteed Business Continuity
If you operate from a safely designed building, it’s highly unlikely that your business operations will come to a halt due to mass casualties. Your employees will always be there to handle their respective duties.
Also, your business equipment will always remain in usable condition. Think about computers, printers, copiers, scanners, production machinery, desks, chairs, and the like. They’re critical for the day-to-day success of your business. And therefore, you must ensure they stay protected from damage arising from collapses.
- Compliance With Government Regulations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has laws to ensure that employees work in premises devoid of safety and health hazards. If they inspect your business premises and find it unsafe, you may be penalized with hefty fines and revocation of your operating license. But if you work in a safe building, you’ll always have your license intact. Your customers will have even more trust in you by always being open for business.
- Peace Of Mind
Buildings that are prone to collapse will have tell-tale signs. Some of the most common signs include:
- Wide cracks in walls
- Sagging floors
- Curved columns
- Cracked arches
- Bulging walls
- Unusual structural noises
Your employees may see these signs and continue working, but it may cause them anxiety. All the time, they’ll keep thinking of what might or might not happen. In such a state of mental turmoil, you don’t expect them to optimally perform.
But if the building is safe and sound, they’ll carry out their duties with peace of mind. Likewise, their productivity remains high all the time. This way, they get to achieve most of the business objectives in good time.
- Positive Public Perception
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whenever customers walk into your business premises, the physical state of the building leaves a lasting impression. Companies that understand this fact spend a lot of money on improving the reception area.
If you operate from a poorly designed building that seems as if it’s on the verge of collapse, your customers will notice it. And they’ll leave with the impression that you’re not serious with business. That hurts your business since discouraged customers may never return.
In this same sense, a structurally sound building portrays you as a devoted entrepreneur. Your customers see for themselves and feel safe whenever they are at your place of work. You won’t have to ask them to return to your premises. Instead, they’ll subconsciously find themselves coming back for more of the experience. And that means more money for you.
- Reduced Operating Costs
With a safe building, you won’t have to spend money now and then to do repairs. Structural repairs usually cost a lot of money. If you’re to finance the repairs, you may soon go broke and go out of business.
Unsafe buildings also cause workplace accidents. If the courts find you guilty of negligence, you’ll have to pay hefty fines and compensate injured employees. This will certainly hurt your finances.
To Conclude
From the points above, it’s evident how safe building and construction benefits you as an entrepreneur. Therefore, make sure that any building you rent meets the universally accepted safety standards. And if you’re the owner of the building, do periodic inspections and repairs to maintain the structural health of your building.
