Business Services

Summary: If a fire ever starts in your office you need to be prepared to act quickly. Keep these safety measures in mind to find the best plan of action.

Break-ins and theft are two security concerns nearly any business needs to be prepared for but natural hazards are just as dangerous. A building fire is stressful and intense. Panicking and freezing in shock during a hazard is common but it is also incredibly dangerous. With only minutes to take action, dealing with a fire requires both effective decision-making and the right kind of mindset. Knowing how to react to a building fire can save your life.

Use the Stairs

If a fire breaks out in your office building and you need to get out, stay away from the elevator. The elevator is usually the quickest way to get to the ground floor, but elevator systems are usually connected to the fire detection system set up in the building. As such, after the alarm goes off there is a high probability that the elevator will not be usable. From interim short term management services to project management firms, these safety precautions are put in place to keep everyone safe. Instead, calmly walk towards the stairs to make your way towards the building exit.

Use Your Best Judgment

When a fire spreads your immediate reaction might be to take all of your valuables with you before exiting the building. Seasoned industry leaders like Lyle Charles Consulting and fresh startups might have important documents, files, computers, and equipment in the office. Losing expensive or valuable items in the fire can be devastating but you need to use your best judgment. When you have little time to act you need to quickly get out.

An alibi is evidence that proves that the defendant in a criminal case was somewhere else when the crime occurred. The defendant will have to rely on a witness or evidence (camera footage) that he or she was at a different location at the time of the crime.

Although a defendant may have an alibi, they may choose not to testify personally, because they can be charged with other crimes if they are questioned further. In other instances, testifying may put the defendant at risk of the prosecutor attacking the defendant’s credibility and even highlighting prior convictions. Once a jury believes that the defendant may be lying, it can be difficult to change their minds.

However, the defendant offering the alibi as a defense will not assume responsibility to verify the alibi. This task rests on the prosecution and will require finding the defendant guilty beyond reasonable doubt. However, the judge and jury will weigh the credibility of the defendant with the evidence put forward.

Most states will require the defendant in criminal cases to disclose information and an intention to rely on an alibi as evidence at a trial. The process is called “discovery” and will provide prosecutors the opportunity to investigate the validity of an alibi and to prepare to undermine its credibility.

If you or someone close to you is charged with a crime, it is best to speak to an attorney who has experience in handling criminal cases.

Construction mediation is a sensible option for some construction disputes, as it allows for parties to discuss issues and arrive at a solution in a shorter time compared to arbitration. Here are some of the types of mediation methods that can be used by organizations.

Facilitative mediation – This form of mediation, uses a neutral third party who guides the negotiation The facilitator will help parties overcome deadlocks and encourage creative solutions. The main focus of these facilitators is to ensure that parties are aware of their underlying interest and their real issues.

Evaluative mediation – Evaluative mediation will involve a mediator who analyses the facts of the case and provides his/her view on the merits of the case. However, parties may not be willing to agree with the recommendations

Settlement mediation – This form of mediation, focuses on reaching a compromise between parties. The mediator will review priorities, until parties reach a compromise.

Therapeutic/Transformative mediation – This form of mediator will look at the underlying causes of the dispute and look at ways to settle the issue as well as improve the relationship between the parties. The process encourages parties to vent their emotions to learn why certain requests are made. Although this form of mediation is mostly used in family and social disputes, they have also been used for construction disputes to help foster a healthy relationship between parties.

Lyle Charles offers a wide range of mediators that will assist construction organizations to overcome their disputes and reach favorable settlements.

Advertising is a good way to make consumers aware of a company’s products or services. Companies by law, should advertise the standard and usual purpose of an item or service.  However, some companies offer false claims that can mislead consumers.

A product or service legally, has to perform as explained in more occurrences than not for it to be a valid representation of the product or service. Therefore, if the performance of an item or service is crucial for a deal to go through, if the product or service fails and a deal rejected, there are state and federal laws that have been implemented to safe guard the customer.

Most laws state that any claim that is contrary to the standards and practical use of an object will have a bearing on the price, quality, and purpose of the product or service. Therefore, although deceptive information is provided to the customer, laws arise by the customer for being mislead.

If a contract has been signed, the customer can legally drop the deal and break the contract if they have been mislead.  In this instance, the customer should seek legal advice to understand how they can sue the company.

Although customers suing companies selling products have been successful, customers that have been mislead when purchasing services may be less successful. This is because suing a company based on a misleading service involves a class action suit against the entire company.