If you own or manage a building in NSW, you have likely seen the term essential fire safety measures on paperwork and wondered exactly what it covers. In short, these are the fire safety systems and equipment your building relies on in an emergency, and they are the same items your building's fire safety schedule lists as applying to you. Understanding them makes it far easier to stay compliant and keep people safe.
What are essential fire safety measures?
Essential fire safety measures are the specific fire protection systems and equipment installed in a building to prevent, detect, contain and help people escape a fire. They are not a random list. Each building has its own fire safety schedule, and that schedule sets out the measures that apply to your building along with the standard of performance each one must meet.
Common essential fire safety measures include:
- Portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets
- Fire hose reels and fire hydrant systems
- Exit signs, emergency lighting and paths of travel
- Fire doors and fire and smoke resisting construction
- Smoke alarms, smoke detection and alarm systems
- Automatic sprinkler systems where fitted
- Mechanical air handling and ventilation systems
Not every building has every measure. A small commercial unit and a large residential complex will have very different schedules. The point is that whatever is listed on your building's fire safety schedule is what you are responsible for maintaining.
Why does each measure need to be maintained?
A fire safety measure only protects people if it works on the day it is needed. An extinguisher with no pressure, an exit sign that has failed, or a fire door that no longer closes properly can turn a manageable situation into a serious one. That is why each measure must be inspected, tested and maintained on a regular basis by a competent person.
Maintenance is not a one off task. Different measures need attention at different intervals, from monthly checks through to annual servicing, depending on the equipment and the standard that applies to it. Keeping clear records of this work is just as important, because you will need to show that each measure has been maintained when it comes time to complete your annual statement.
How do essential fire safety measures connect to the Annual Fire Safety Statement?
In NSW, building owners are generally required to submit an Annual Fire Safety Statement, often shortened to AFSS. This statement confirms that each essential fire safety measure listed on your fire safety schedule has been assessed by a suitably qualified person and is capable of performing to the standard required.
The link is direct. The measures on your schedule are the measures assessed for the statement. If a measure has not been maintained, or cannot be verified as performing correctly, it cannot honestly be signed off. This is why ongoing servicing throughout the year matters so much. The statement is the final step, but the work that supports it happens continuously.
What standards apply to servicing?
Servicing and maintenance of fire safety measures is carried out to the relevant Australian Standards. AS 1851 is the standard that covers the routine service of many fire protection systems and equipment, and it sets out what needs to be checked, how often, and how results are recorded. Other standards apply to specific measures as well.
Working to these standards is what gives an assessment its credibility. When your measures are serviced by FPAA accredited practitioners following the correct standards, you can be confident that the sign off on your statement reflects the real condition of your building.
A closer look at some common measures
It helps to know what a few of these measures actually involve. Fire extinguishers must be the correct type for the risk, kept charged, and inspected on schedule so they are ready to use. Exit and emergency lighting must illuminate the way out if the power fails, which means the batteries and fittings have to be tested regularly. Fire doors are engineered to hold back fire and smoke, so their seals, closers and clearances all need to be right for them to do their job.
Smoke alarms and detection systems give people the earliest possible warning, and they need regular testing to stay reliable. Each of these measures plays a distinct part, and together they form the layered protection your building depends on.
What should a NSW building owner do?
Start by finding your building's fire safety schedule and reading which measures apply to you. From there, put a maintenance routine in place so every measure is serviced at the right intervals and the records are kept in order. When your statement is due, that ongoing work makes the assessment straightforward rather than a scramble.
If you are not sure what your schedule covers, whether your measures are being serviced correctly, or how to prepare for your next statement, it is worth talking to an accredited practitioner. Blaze Fire Safety works to Australian Standards including AS 1851 across metro Sydney, the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra and South Coast.
For clear advice and reliable servicing of your essential fire safety measures, contact us for a free quote and keep your building compliant and safe.