What is safety detailing?
Safety detailing is any modification to the built environment that reduces the risk of harm to people and/or property. This ranges from subtle stair inserts that reduce slipperiness to comprehensive traffic management systems that control vehicular traffic.
In terms of the project pipeline, most safety risks should have been identified before the specification stage, ensuring that the environment is as safe and functional as possible upon project completion. However, safety risks are sometimes identified post-project-completion, and the appropriate detailing is done retroactively.
The problem in Aotearoa
People often confuse 'safety and accessibility’ with doing the bare minimum to achieve code compliance. However, at its core, safety detailing is about doing whatever it takes to create a usable and enjoyable environment – and going above and beyond the Building Code where necessary.
We must remember that the code is essentially a series of guidelines; it allows architects and designers a lot of flexibility, and this puts the onus on you to make the right choices.
For instance, it is possible to achieve code compliance while using lower-quality safety detailing. This gets your project over the line, yes, but what happens in five years’ time when your stair inserts are worn down and no longer prevent slips in rainy weather?
In a similar vein, our accessibility partners have pointed out that the code provides very vague instructions for accessibility in pedestrian spaces. As a result, many of New Zealand’s urban areas are stressful to navigate for the blind and visually impaired.
It is economically sensible to invest in quality safety and accessibility detailing. It protects you and your firm’s reputation down the line, minimising the potential fallout from user injury or inconvenience. It ensures that your built environments are genuinely well-designed, not just ticking boxes and yet failing to perform. Perhaps most importantly, this is the compassionate move.
As architects, specifiers, constructors, and suppliers, we’re building the setting within which people’s lives play out. Isn’t that something incredible – to wake up every day and work on something that will bring value to so many lives? Isn’t this a job worth doing right?
Improve the way you use safety detailing
Based on our time in the industry, these are our recommendations:
Specify Smart
Before you specify, make sure you understand the purpose of your products. For example, not all tactile indicators fulfil the same function; stud-shaped indicators are hazard warnings, and bar-shaped indicators lead users in certain directions. If you intend to make a real difference for people by using safety detailing, then the obvious starting point is to understand how each product fulfils a specific need.
You must also think about the composition of your products. For instance, Freedom Works offers a range of materials, from polyurethane to brass to carborundum to concrete, but we’d be the first to tell you that not every material is suitable for your unique project. If you’re opting for a less costly fix now, do you understand the expected maintenance costs and lifespan of the product? A bit of early research may prevent a lot of hassles in the road ahead.
Partner with Accessibility Organisations
It’s surprising how many accessibility decisions are made without a single consultation with impacted users. People change constantly; they learn new ways of moving, navigating, and engaging with the built world. If you’re designing for accessibility in the exact same way year after year, without checking in and talking to accessibility experts and communities, then there’s a high chance you’re missing part of the picture. For example, wheelchairs today are larger and heavier on average than they were thirty years ago – have you factored this into your tactile indicator spacing?
Focus on Installation
Your installer translates your design into reality: pick the wrong installer and your safety detailing may fail. Seek out suppliers that are experienced in safety and accessibility detailing. Bear in mind that if you pick the lowest quotes, you miss out on more skilled and passionate project partners.
At Freedom Works, we tend to install our products ourselves. This is because we develop our products through intensive research; therefore, we’re also best placed to make sure they’re used correctly in the environment. You can opt to work with us directly, or ask for recommendations and code compliance guidance – our team is always happy to help.