An exit door is set to be installed at the Collie Visitor Centre after several inquiries were made by staff regarding a door to be installed in the event of an emergency.
On Tuesday, October 2 the Shire of Collie council voted unanimously to install and allocate up to $9,000 for the installation of an exit door in the 18/19 midyear budget.
With close consultation with staff Shire of Collie president Sarah Stanley said they would feel “safer” with some kind of exit strategy in place.
Shire of Collie chief executive office David Blurton said because the building currently complies with the National Construction Code they don’t have to install an exit door.
A risk assessment of the building which was conducted in 2015 by LGIS found that because of the size of the building it does not require a designated emergency exit.
It was recorded in the document ‘that providing an exit door and access point to the enclosed compound was not recommended as an adequate control measure for duress response and safe egress for staff and volunteers to retreat to, in the event of an emergency.’
It was recommended that staff would be better to retreat to a secure room, as opposed to an emergency exit.
Following the report a safe room was installed to the rear of the building, positioned behind the customer service counter for the safety of staff, but no exit door from the room put in.
Council have two options on where to locate the exit. One would be to include exit doors at both sides of the building, which could be used as designated official emergency exits as they could comply with the requirements for an emergency exit under the National Construction Code, including requirements for disability access.
Although, this option would have limited usefulness as there is a significant distance between the exits and where staff are located.
Another option is to install the exit through the rear of the safe room, across the roof which is relatively flat and exiting to the boundary of Collie Mowers and More, toward Throssell Street.
If council go with the second option it won’t be a designated emergency exit because it doesn’t comply with the requirements for disability access due to the close proximity of the tourist mine, but it would be a natural escape for staff.
Cr Stanley said Collie Visitor Centre staff were not thrilled about the option of going over the the roof but didn’t see any other exit strategy.
