COVER STORY
EVACUATING A MODERN WORKFORCE
Here, Gerard Wallace, Managing Director of Evac+Chair International, provides an
insight into the reasons behind the changing workforce profile and the fundamental issue of ensuring safety for everyone in the event of a building’s evacuation.
The global shift in demographics, coupled with the increasing understanding of what disability actually means, are transforming the shape of the modern workforce, making it more diverse and inclusive. It is essential that organisations cater for how these changes in the nature of the modern workforce affect their health and safety policy and practice. Accessibility, combined with stringent procedures, is the key. It is imperative that all employers are aware of their responsibilities when recruiting a new member of the team.
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LIFE EXPECTANCY RATES Vastly improved life expectancy - one of the greatest
triumphs of the 20th century - coupled with acute financial pressures have caused a shift in the age profile of today’s workforce.
Published in December 2016, the British Social Attitudes Survey for 2015 states that while nearly two-thirds of employees still expect to retire in their 60s, 17% expect to be in their 70s before they stop work.
In fact, according to a report published in The Guardian, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) stated the number of people aged over 65 is projected to increase
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by 64% in 2032, when they will make up almost a quarter of the UK population.
Moreover, since 2006, it has been possible to continue working while drawing a state pension and, the age at which that pension can be drawn is due to rise to 66 by 2020 and 67 by 2028 with many expecting this to be nudged to 70.
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URBANISATION As of 2014, approximately 54% of the world’s
population lived in cities and, according to the United Nations, this number is expected to increase by 2050. This rapid urbanisation and massive migration of people towards cities over the last few decades has seen the proliferation of high-rise buildings. High buildings are easy to access with a lift but present challenges when evacuating especially for those who are mobility-impaired.
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INCREASING EMPLOYMENT OF DISABLED WORKERS Societal perceptions of ‘disability’ means are changing.
Physical impairments used to be a barrier to those seeking employment. But someone in a wheelchair may be equally able - if not superior - to someone who is able-bodied in performing a desk-based role. Governments around the world recognise that people with physical disabilities not
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