To protect the safety of its residents and to raise awareness of the need of risk management in high-rise structures, the Lagos State Government has trained facility managers.
This was said on Monday in Alausa, Ikeja, at a training for facility management businesses by Mr. Lanre Mojola, Director-General of the Lagos State Safety Commission.
According to Section 202 of the International Building Code, which is accepted worldwide and focuses on tall structures, any structure that is 75 feet (22,860 metres) or higher is considered to be a tall building. Tall structures are special because they require different management strategies than conventional buildings because of the inherent risks they include.
“It is important that facility managers have a general understanding of risk assessment of tall buildings. There are issues with ventilation and air conditioning in tall buildings, particularly in the hot climate we are in, causing distress to occupants. We also have issues with electrical fault testing, water safety, and leadership commitment to safety.”
Mr. Sesan Ogundeko, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, stated that before the commission took action to compel compliance with risk assessment of high-rise buildings throughout the state, it would first engage in awareness-raising campaigns.
Segun Adebayo, president of the Nigerian chapter of the International Facility Management Association, urged facility managers to prioritise risk management in their offerings.
“Of course, data information shows that attention needs to be given more to high-rise buildings and we as professionals will undertake to deliver quality, sustainable and professional services to our employers of labour,” he said.
