Why Does Fire Safety Legislation Exist?
In Queensland we are governed by the Building Safety Regulations 2008, Building Act 1975, and Building Code of Australia.
This legislation exists to prevent loss of life, injury to persons, and loss of property in situations of fire emergencies. Its two main goals are ensuring:
- Safe evacuation is possible during a fire emergency
- Fire safety installations are maintained
Who is Responsible for The Compliance of Your Building?
Your Body Corporate is responsible for the safety of any person in your building in the event of a fire. This is an onerous responsibility. Ensuring your Body Corporate is compliant with the Fire Safety Regulations can be a difficult process. The best thing you can do is engage the services of a licensed and reputable company to ensure adherence to the legislation. These companies, such as StarBMS, can undertake Fire Compliance Audits to identify areas of non-compliance and recommend steps to rectify any issues.
It is important to note that all buildings must be compliant at all times. The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services may impose fines at any time for non-compliance.
What Are You Currently Getting Tested and How Often?
Often, we attend schemes to conduct inspections. During these inspections we have often found that fire safety equipment is being tested more frequently than the Australian standard. This is an unnecessary cost to the Body Corporate.
At StarBMS we follow the Australian standard to ensure your building is compliant and ensure you are only paying for what is necessary.
Building Owners and Occupiers
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has created The Fire Safety Management Tool for Owners/Occupiers to assist then in managing their compliance with the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 (FESA) and the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 (BFSR).
