Fire Safety Certification: NSW requirements for building owners

 

From 1 December 2017 building owners are required to submit their Annual Fire Safety Statements (AFSS) in a new format signed off by a competent fire safety practitioner.

 

New Annual Fire Safety Forms

The forms can be completed electronically.  

The one for existing buildings is available        and on the Department of Planning & Environment website.

 

Fire safety statements- the current system
Many building owners are required to ensure the fire safety measures serving their buildings are kept in working order. It is critical that these measures work as expected if a fire eventuates. These owners are also required to verify they are fulfilling this responsibility by routinely issuing fire safety statements.
The fire safety statement must be issued by the owner or the owner’s agent. The fire safety statement is usually required to be issued at least once each year. These are referred to as annual fire safety statements. In some cases, there is a requirement to issue additional statements. These are referred to as supplementary fire safety statements.
The building owner or their agent must submit a copy of these documents to their local council and Fire and Rescue NSW. A copy must also be displayed in a prominent location in the building that it applies to, with a copy of the fire safety schedule. If you do not have a copy of the fire safety schedule you can get one from your local council.
The fire safety statement is a declaration that the existing essential fire safety measures serving the building have been assessed and are capable of performing to the standard required. It also declares that the building has been inspected and no fire exit breaches were observed.
The essential fire safety measures for a building are listed in the fire safety schedule. The fire safety schedule also specifies the required standard of performance for each measure listed.
The current regulation states assessments and inspections must be completed by properly qualified persons, as chosen by the building owner.
The current regulations do not currently describe the attributes of a properly qualified person, leaving building owners to determine this on a case by case basis. If the necessary checks are not taken building owners may inadvertently select the services of someone who is not properly qualified. In this case, there is no guarantee the owner’s obligations under the regulations are being met, which could result in the building being unsafe.

 

APFS (Accredited Pratitioner, Fire safety)

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