JOHANNESBURG - Fires may be viewed as safety incidents, but in business, they can also threaten operational continuity, bringing production and services to a halt.
“You cannot replace the lost time or the customers,” says RiXForensica’s Gordon Maeta.
In severe cases, fires can also result in what Maeta describes as “shock losses”, with knock-on effects for the broader economy and affected communities.
The cost of preventing fires is often far lower than the cost of recovering from them.
In South Africa, ageing infrastructure, electricity instability and climate pressures are increasing fire risks, while emergency response capabilities remain constrained.
Small businesses, in particular, may prioritise immediate costs over putting adequate fire protection measures in place.
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“A single incident can wipe out years of their profits,” Maeta says.
However, he stresses that protecting a business does not necessarily require expensive systems.
“Protection doesn’t always mean they need to spend on expensive systems,” he adds.