gpg-04 annual fire safety statements - new south wales
TRANSCRIPT
Good Practice Guide GPG 04
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Version 1.1 Approved for release March 2014
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Leading and supporting a professional industry to minimise the impact of fire on life, property and the environment, for a safer community
Good Practice Guide
GPG 04
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Version 1.1 Page 2 of 5
Table of Contents 1.0 Scope ............................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 Definitions ........................................................................................................................ 5
3.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 5
4.0 What is an Annual Fire Safety Statement? ......................................................................... 6
5.0 What are the specific requirements? ................................................................................ 6
5.1 Division 1 - Preliminary .......................................................................................... 7
5.2 Division 2 – Fire Safety Schedules ........................................................................ 10
5.3 Division 3 – Fire safety orders .............................................................................. 11
5.4 Division 4 – Fire safety certificates ....................................................................... 12
5.5 Division 5 – Fire safety statements ....................................................................... 13
5.6 Division 6 – Fire safety maintenance .................................................................... 14
5.7 Division 7 – Miscellaneous fire safety offences .................................................... 15
5.8 Division 7A – Smoke Alarms ................................................................................ 16
5.9 Division 8 – Miscellaneous ................................................................................... 16
5.10 Relationship of Part 9 of the EP&A Regulation ...................................................... 17
6.0 Roles and responsibilities regarding the preparation of an annual fire safety statement 18
6.1 Building Certifier ................................................................................................. 18
6.2 The building owner .............................................................................................. 18
6.3 Properly qualified person .................................................................................... 20
6.4 Fire protection service provider .......................................................................... 21
6.5 Council ................................................................................................................ 21
6.6 Fire Commissioner .............................................................................................. 22
6.7 Tenants ................................................................................................................ 23
7.0 Penalties for non-compliance ......................................................................................... 24
8.0 Frequently asked questions ........................................................................................... 25
8.1 What’s the difference between a final fire safety certificate and an annual fire safety statement? ................................................................................................. 25
8.2 How should essential fire safety measures be listed on an annual fire safety statement? ........................................................................................................... 27
8.3 What to do when there are anomalies between what is listed on a fire safety schedule and what is installed in a building, or the fire safety schedule appears to be incorrect? ....................................................................................................... 28
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Leading and supporting a professional industry to minimise the impact of fire on life, property and the environment, for a safer community
Good Practice Guide
GPG 04
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Version 1.1 Page 3 of 5
8.4 What if there is no fire safety schedule available? ............................................... 32
8.5 What building changes / alterations impact on the requirement to produce an annual fire safety statement? ................................................................................ 32
8.6 Does a building need to be upgraded to the latest version of the BCA or Australian Standard? ............................................................................................................. 33
8.7 What is the difference between standards of performance and maintenance standards? ........................................................................................................... 33
8.8 How should performance standards be identified for buildings not required to have a fire safety schedule? ................................................................................. 34
8.9 How does AS 1851 fit in to the process of developing annual fire safety statements? .......................................................................................................... 35
8.10 What is the difference between a condition report and an annual fire safety statement? ........................................................................................................... 36
8.11 What about occupational health and safety obligations? ...................................... 37
8.12 How should defects identified with essential fire safety measures be rectified? .. 37
8.13 How is the anniversary date of the annual fire safety statement & supplementary fire safety statement defined? .............................................................................. 38
8.14 What happens if non-compliances are identified within the 3 month period prior to the anniversary date of the annual fire safety statement and more time is required to comply? ............................................................................................ 38
8.15 How are alternative solutions captured on an annual fire safety statement? ........ 39
8.16 What is a properly qualified person? ................................................................... 40
8.17 Who signs the annual fire safety statement? ......................................................... 40
8.18 Do any of the requirements of Part 9 apply to buildings constructed prior to 1 July 1988? ................................................................................................................... 41
8.19 What if tenants prevent access for assessments being undertaken? .................... 41
9.0 Disclaimer ...................................................................................................................... 42
10.0 References ..................................................................................................................... 42
Appendix A - Definitions .......................................................................................................... 43
Appendix B – Statutory Fire Safety Measures ........................................................................... 48
Appendix C – Typical Fire Safety Schedule .............................................................................. 50
Appendix D – Example final fire safety certificate .................................................................... 52
Appendix E – Example annual fire safety statement ................................................................. 54
Appendix F – Owners and Tenants ........................................................................................... 56
Appendix G – Indicative maintenance standards ..................................................................... 60
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Leading and supporting a professional industry to minimise the impact of fire on life, property and the environment, for a safer community
Good Practice Guide
GPG 04
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Version 1.1 Page 4 of 5
Foreword
Ensuring that essential fire safety measures installed in buildings are performing to expected standards is critical to achieving fire protection goals for the building’s owner, occupants and responding firefighters.
Over time, the requirements for the installation of essential fire safety measures have evolved as regulations, codes and standards have been updated to keep pace with industry trends and new technologies. This evolution is to be encouraged in pursuit of better fire safety outcomes. What is also expected however, is that fire safety obligations do not end at the completion of building works.
Essential fire safety measures are expected to perform over the lifetime of a building and should be routinely assessed to demonstrate that the standard of performance expected is capable of being delivered at anytime, should a fire incident occur.
Fire & Rescue NSW is aware that the preparation of Annual Fire Safety Statements and associated activities has been inconsistently applied across NSW, and that these requirements have been confusing for many stakeholders. The Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 includes specific requirements for these activities and this Good Practice Guide has been prepared by FPA Australia in conjunction with its members of the NSW Committee to articulate these requirements with additional clarity and practicality.
I am pleased that Fire & Rescue NSW has been afforded the opportunity to review the FPA Australia NSW Annual Fire Safety Statement Good Practice Guide and endorse its suggested approach to understanding and applying the NSW regulatory requirements.
I commend FPA Australia for providing leadership and developing this additional resource for their NSW members and other industry stakeholders to encourage consistency in the application of these important fire safety requirements. I also encourage all stakeholders to consider the content of this Good Practice Guide and undertake the necessary activities to demonstrate compliance.
Greg Mullins AFSM
Commissioner Fire & Rescue NSW
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Leading and supporting a professional industry to minimise the impact of fire on life, property and the environment, for a safer community
Good Practice Guide
GPG 04
Annual Fire Safety Statements – New South Wales
Version 1.1 Page 5 of 5
1.0 Scope
This document has been prepared by FPA Australia to provide guidance to the fire protection industry, building owners and building occupiers in relation to the objective of Annual Fire Safety Statements and the requirements and responsibilities for preparing these documents in New South Wales.
This guide presents features of good practice in relation to the application and implementation of Annual Fire Safety Statement requirements and is recommended to industry in order to achieve consistency for all stakeholders in the process.
FPA Australia Members can access the full Good Practice Guide via the CONNECT resource platform here. For information about becoming an FPA Australia member please call 1300 731 922 or email [email protected]
© Copyright 2014 Fire Protection Association Australia. Material distributed by FPA Australia is subject to copyright. Any information within this publication may not be reproduced in printed or electronic form without permission from FPA Australia. For more information, please see www.fpaa.com.au or contact FPA Australia on: 1300 731 922.