RiskUKSeptember2017

Fire Safety Planning: Emergency Evacuation Case Study
Elevated life expectancies and financial
pressures are shifting the age profile of
today’s workforce. Published in December
last year, 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 down
tools. In fact, according to a report in The
Economist, between 1995 and 2015, the number
of working individuals aged over 65 more than
doubled to break through the one million
barrier. It’s estimated that, by 2020, one third
of the workforce will be aged over 50.
A major contributory factor behind such
statistics is Government policy which is keeping
more people in work. Since 2006, it has been
possible to continue working while drawing a
state pension. The age at which that pension
can be drawn is due to rise to 66 by 2020 and
to 67 by 2028, with many commentators
expecting this figure to be nudged closer to 70.
Lots of people want to carry on working and,
for financial reasons, many need to do so. As a
result, companies are now actively courting
older workers. Older workers are praised for
their reliability, experience and loyalty and for
their ‘soft skills’ in areas like customer services.
While we can expect a growth in the desire
for paid employment among the upper age
group in our society, more people with physical
impairments are now seeking employment
opportunities. This is driven by the Government
encouraging both employers and employees
alike to find roles where disabilities may no
longer be a barrier to earning.
There are nearly seven million people with
disabilities of working age in the UK.
Government figures have reported a steady rise
in the numbers employed. In 2016, the UK
employment rate among those with permanent
disability and of working age was 46.5% (ie 4.1
million). According to The Papworth Trust, only
17% of people with disabilities were born with
their impairment, with the majority acquiring
their disability during their working lives. It’s
estimated that five out of six people retain their
job after their first year.
For people with disabilities – and, to a
greater or lesser degree, older workers –
accessibility within the workplace is a key
issue, as indeed it is when they’re out and
about during their leisure time. When
considering this, we tend to think in terms of
ensuring that people can access and then move
safely around inside the workplace. Building
design is adapted to incorporate ramp access,
wider doorways for wheelchair access and
passenger lifts – all of which provide valid
solutions for accessibility. However, designs
Taking Evacuation Planning
into the Premier League
Costing £14.7 million to construct, the bet365 Stadium –
formerly the Britannia Stadium – is the home of Stoke City FC.
Following the recent completion of expansion works, the
ground’s capacity now tops 30,000. Importantly, the redevelopment
project has taken full account of planning for
fire safety and emergency evacuation, as Risk UK reports
don’t necessarily look at how people can exit a
building or a stadium in an emergency scenario.
The Taylor Report
The bet365 Stadium is the home of Stoke City
Football Club and has been so since the
summer of 1997. The all-seater stadium cost
nearly £15,000,000 to build and brought the
club up to standards set out in the Taylor
Report following 119 years spent at the old
Victoria Ground.
By early 1997, the skeletal steel
superstructure was in place and the stadium
began to take shape. Later that year, it opened
its doors for the first time as the Britannia
Stadium thanks to a £1 million, ten-year
sponsorship deal with the Britannia Building
Society which was instrumental in the overall
funding of the project. A further £3 million was
given as a grant by The Football Trust.
Rochdale were the visitors for the historic
first-ever competitive match on 27 August 1997:
a 1-1 draw in the Worthington Cup watched by
15,439 fans. Just four days later, the first-ever
league game took place against Swindon Town
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