There are a lot of components that come into play when maintaining compliance with Australian building codes and fire safety compliance is no exception. In fact, ensuring that buildings are compliant with fire safety regulations is usually the top priority for body corporations.
As different essential safety measures (or ‘ESMs’) possess their own maintenance requirements, building managers are tasked with keeping maintenance schedules for their buildings that ensures all fire safety systems and equipment are kept in good working order. That’s where annual fire safety statements come into the picture. Also referred to as AFSS certification in New South Wales and an ‘Annual Essential Safety Measures Report’ or AESMR in Victoria, these annual statements are designed to prove your building’s fire safety compliance to your state building authority. But what is an annual fire safety statement exactly?
AFSS and AESMR statements are easy to organise, so long as building managers fulfil their responsibilities and are proactive with the process of securing their annual fire safety certification.
So what do you need exactly to receive an AESMR for your building? And how do you know that all boxes have been ticked before your building can prove its compliance? We’ll be answering these questions as well as some of the other frequently asked questions surrounding AESMR and AFSS development today. Read on to learn a little more about how building managers and body corporations can uphold their responsibilities when it comes to annual fire safety certification.
So what do you need exactly to receive an AESMR for your building? And how do you know that all boxes have been ticked before your building can prove its compliance? We’ll be answering these questions as well as some of the other frequently asked questions surrounding AESMR and AFSS development today. Read on to learn a little more about how building managers and body corporations can uphold their responsibilities when it comes to annual fire safety certification.
The follow are frequently asked queries when it comes to understanding AFSS/ AESMR:
As per Australian building regulations, only accredited fire safety technicians are authorised to provide building owners and managers with annual fire safety statements. This is because only fire safety technicians are qualified to assess whether or not your building’s essential safety measures are in good working order.
Your fire safety specialist can also provide you with your annual fire safety statement only after confirmation that all of the ESMs in your building have been deemed compliant with Australian fire safety standards. This means that you will need complete servicing and maintenance history for all the ESMs (including your emergency exit lighting and doorways) in your building in accordance with their individual maintenance requirements, as outlined by Australian Standards.
For example, if your building has been fitted with a fire sprinkler system, your AESMR can only be issued by your fire safety technician if records of its annual servicing appointment have been finalised, as AS1851 stipulates that these particular sprinkler systems be inspected at least once every 12 months. Testing and servicing can be confirmed by evaluating the maintenance log books or records kept for all the ESMs in your building.
The cost of procuring your annual fire safety statement is dependent on the number of ESMs requiring testing and fire safety certification. Naturally, larger buildings with more ESMs or fire suppression systems with a greater number of components, can expect their annual fire safety statement to be accompanied by a higher service fee.
Keep in mind that some fire safety specialists may provide offers or special service rates depending on the scope of your building’s fire safety service requirements. We recommend contacting your local fire safety specialists to place a formal inquiry regarding the costs of procuring an AESMR for your building, and any additional benefits that they may be able to offer (i.e. state-of-the-art tools or technology that streamlines the maintenance and testing of your fire safety equipment).
Some states may require building managers to manually submit or lodge their AESMR every year through your state building authority as well as through local council offices. Manual lodgment of your AESMR is not required through the VBA in Victoria, but the VBA does stipulate that the annual essential safety measures report must be made available by building managers upon request from either their representatives or from members of your local fire safety authorities. Failure to produce your AESMR after 24 hours’ notice may result in you receiving a fine as well as an infringement notice.
Building owners are also required to ensure that a copy of the building’s current AESMR and the building’s fire safety schedule are prominently displayed in the building itself. Note that different penalties are given in different states for failure to comply with these regulations.
Whether you’re looking to procure an annual fire safety statement in NSW, an AESMR in Victoria, a ‘Schedule 16, Form 3’ in South Australia, or an Occupier’s Statement in Queensland, there’s no denying that these state-regulated annual fire safety statements is a crucial component of fire safety compliance for body corporations and buildings located across the country. Building managers are responsible for ensuring that this fire safety statement is available at the request of both your state building regulatory body, as well as your local fire authority and council offices.
Working with dedicated fire safety technicians like our team at Alexon can help you stay on top of your ESM maintenance, allowing you to promptly finalise your AFSS or AESMR with every calendar year. If you’re looking to produce detailed essential safety measure reports to help fulfil all the AESMR certification requirements for your building, contact our team at Alexon today.
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