Without the right information, it can be difficult to make this decision – but we’re here to break it down for you. When it comes to buying or renting evacuation equipment, you need to ask yourself one main question: how long do you need the equipment for?
Perhaps you only need your evacuation equipment for a short period of time. Maybe the lift in your building is undergoing maintenance, and you need a stair climber for the duration of the works. Or you might be organising a sport or business event and require evacuation equipment for a few days to keep all your attendees safe.
In these situations, you don’t normally need evacuation equipment on your premises. You also know roughly how long your equipment is required for. If this sounds like you, renting might be the right choice.
Benefits of Short-Term Evacuation Equipment Rental:
- The cost of renting your equipment is cheaper than purchasing the product if you only need it for a short amount of time.
- Renting prevents unnecessary cost outlays for an item you won’t get much use out of.
- Maintenance is not an issue. Items arrive from Evacu8 in perfect working order.
- Ability to rent specialist products for more complex end users visiting your premises for short term events.
Drawbacks of Short-Term Evacuation Equipment Rental:
- You might only need your equipment for a few days at a time to hold an event. However, if your event happens regularly – monthly, for instance – you will need to rent the equipment multiple times. This could work out more expensive in the long run.
- If there are any disruptions to your timeline or unexpected delays, you may end up extending your rental period – and these costs add up quickly.
- You could incur extra costs if you accidentally damage a piece of equipment.
Generally, a good rule of thumb is:
If renting the equipment ends up more expensive in the long run, then it is better to purchase it outright.
When it comes to evacuation equipment, it can be very difficult – if not impossible – to predict when you might need it. To comply with fire safety regulations, you should keep the equipment on your premises at all times in case of an emergency.
In these cases, it is better to buy your equipment. This way, you avoid incurring costs on days, weeks, or months when you are not using it. If you require many pieces of evacuation equipment, it might be a large purchase to begin with. However, you need to weigh up the cost of the equipment compared to your needs over a long period of time.
Benefits of Long-Term Evacuation Equipment Purchasing:
- You have everything you need, whenever you need it.
- Purchasing saves you money in the long term if you use the equipment regularly or cannot predict exactly when you’ll need it.
- There is no hassle of returning your equipment to the rental company.
- Allows building users to feel safe, knowing they are being looked after all year round.
Drawbacks of Long-Term Evacuation Equipment Purchasing:
- The initial cost of purchasing will be more expensive than rental. However, you need to weigh this up against how long you require the equipment for.
- Your end users’ needs may change short term and your equipment needs may evolve.
- Maintenance of some evacuation equipment may be required. At Evacu8, we can make this part easy for you with evacuation equipment maintenance contracts available at a fixed price for up to 3 years.
Still not sure whether you should buy or rent your evacuation equipment? We’re here to help. Contact us today for an on-site assessment.