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FIRE SAFETY TRAINING

We are all open to the threat of an emergency due to natural or man-made catastrophe. Properly designed and implemented emergency procedures save lives. One of Fire Boar's most important services is emergency response training, because the impact of a crisis can be substantially reduced when people are trained to respond to it correctly. Training need not be expensive or disruptive.

Fire Boar offer a range of training, inspections and evacuation plans

The regulatory authority specifies the requirements for the certification of essential fire safety measures as listed in the Building Code of Australia, section 1

  • Emergency Evacuation Systems shall be inspected and tested periodically and maintained as specified in AS 3745
  • An evaluation of the fire evacuation systems formulated by the owner / occupier is verified and inspected in accordance with the 'Critical Emergency Evacuation System Elements & Records' table of procedures
  • Emergency Response Training with numerous options conducted in accordance with AS 3745
    • Employee Emergency Response & Extinguishers
    • Use of Portable Fire Equipment
    • Chief Warden Training
    • Ensure workplace emergency prevention procedures, systems and procedures are implemented
    • Fire & Evacuation Plan (A3 & A4 laminated) incorporating instructions and (FSA)
    • Fire Safety Inspection / Audit

LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENTS & YOUR OBLIGATIONS IN QLD.

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service introduced the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 on the 1st July 2008. The new QLD Development Code MP 6.1 - Maintenance of fire safety installations has been affective from 1st January 2009 and provides the record and maintenance requirements for fire safety installations in buildings.

If you are an owner / occupier of a building, it is important to understand how you can identify if your building has prescribed fire safety installations and what your obligations are to maintain these.

MP 6.1 is designed to set clear performance criteria for the maintenance of fire safety installations.

The new maintenance code applies to all buildings (including existing buildings) other than class 1a / detached houses and townhouses and class 10 buildings / domestic sheds and garages.

The new maintenance code requires the building occupant to provide a yearly statement to the Commissioner of the QLD Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) which confirms that the building's fire safety installations have been maintained in accordance with a relevant standard or recommendation.

'As per section 55 of the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 it specifies mandatory details for records of maintenance.'

'The Occupier's Statement is within schedule 2 of this code and commenced 1st January 2009.'

A copy of the yearly Occupiers Statement - Schedule 2 as authorised within the Queensland Development Code MP 6.1 - Maintenance of Fire Safety Installations to be submitted to your local QFRS office or emailed to occupierstatement@emergency.qld.gov.au

The most significant reform in the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 is the requirement for,

'Occupiers of high occupancy buildings', as defined under the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, to appoint and train a Fire Safety Adviser (FSA).

FIRE SAFETY ADVISOR (FSA)

To determine if you need to appoint a FSA there are a number of things that you need to consider.

The Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 states that you are required to appoint a FSA if the building is,

  • A class 2, 3, 5, 6, 7b, 8, 9a or 9b building that is a workplace where 30 or more workers are normally employed.

And who is classified as a worker?

  • A person is considered a worker if they carry out work regardless of whether they receive payment or not
  • A person to be considered a worker they must, during the current calendar year be employed or likely to be employed and attend the building for at least 40 days during the calendar year

BUILDINGS AND THEIR CLASIFICATIONS

In multi-tenanted buildings where there are a number of tenancies employing 30 workers or more, each of those tenancies are required to appoint a FSA however it is acceptable and in fact recommended for those tenancies to liaise with the managing entity of the building and appoint the same FSA for the whole of the building.

This solution allows all tenants to comply with the legislation and share the benefits of increased fire safety awareness for the whole of the building not just selected tenancies.

Building Classifications

A class 2 building is a residential building containing 2 or more apartments or units
A class 3 building is a residential building such as a residential part of a motel, hotel or resort
A class 5 building is an office building
A class 6 building is a shop or other part of a hotel
A class 7b building is a storage facility or display area
A class 8 building is a laboratory or a factory
A class 9a building is a health care building
A class 9b building is an assembly building such as a night club

Multiple Classifications

  • Where parts of a building have different purposes - if not more than 10% of the floor area of a storey, being the minor use , is used for a purpose which is a different classification, the classification applying to the major use may apply to the whole storey

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR THE FIRE SAFETY ADVISOR

DUTIES

A Fire Safety Advisor is required to,

  • Provide or coordinate a 'first response evacuation instruction'
  • Provide or coordinate 'evacuation coordination instructions'

In addition the Fire Safety Advisor may provide assistance to the occupier by,

  • Liaising with occupiers to ensure the development of the 'Fire & Evacuation Plan'
  • Liaising with occupiers to ensure the development of the 'Evacuation Sign & Diagram'
  • Review the Fire & Evacuation Plan and Evacuation Sign & Diagram annually
  • Monitor the building's prescribed fire safety installation maintenance schedule and maintenance records and advise the occupier of discrepancies
  • Liaise with QFRS during building inspections
  • Be available at the time of inspection and have all relevant maintenance records and documents available at the time of inspection
  • Coordinate the establishment and manage the 'Emergency Control Organisation (ECO)' where required
  • Arrange or provide general evacuation instruction as well as first response evacuation instruction and evacuation coordination instruction
  • Provide advice to the occupier of any possible breeches of the regulations
  • Coordinate evacuation practice
  • Perform the role of the Evacuation Coordinator if normally onsite during business hours
  • The FSA if a member of staff could provide invaluable assistance to QFRS attending an incident in the building due to their comprehensive knowledge of the building

WHERE A 'FIRE SAFETY ADVISOR' IS REQUIRED

Example 1 - INDUSTRIAL SHED / Fire Seperated

CLARIFICATION

  • In this example there are 3 tenants in the same building
  • They are separated by fire walls

REQUIREMENT

  • As Tenancy C has more than 30 workers a FSA is required for Tenancy C

Example 2 - INDUSTRIAL SHED / Not Fire Seperated

CLARIFICATION

  • In this example there are 3 tenants in the same building
  • They are not separated by fire walls

REQUIREMENT

  • In this example (no fire separation between tenancies) a FSA is only required for Tenancy C

QFRS RECOMMENDATION

As the tenancies are not fire separated the QFRS would recommend that Tenancy C would approach the body corporate or managing entity with a view of appointing a FSA for all three tenancies A, B and C. This way all tenants can gain the benefit of increased fire safety awareness and the cost could be a shared arrangement.


Example 3 - SMALL SHOPPING CENTRE / Common Mall & No Onsite Management

CLARIFICATION

  • No onsite Property Management

REQUIREMENT

  • In this example there is no single tenancy with 30 or more employees
  • There is no requirement under current legislation for a FSA to be appointed

QFRS RECOMMENDATION

As there are common areas, QFRS would recommend that the Managing Entity appoint a FSA to increase the level of fire safety awareness in the building.


Example 4 - LARGE SHOPPING CENTRE / Common Mall with Onsite Management

CLARIFICATION

  • Onsite Property Management

REQUIREMENT

  • In this example, only tenancies E and F would be required to appoint a FSA

QFRS RECOMMENDATION

As there are common areas, QFRS would recommend that the Managing Entity appoint a FSA to increase the level of fire safety awareness in the building. Tenancies E and F may still appoint their own FSA or agree to share the FSA appointed by centre management.


Example 5 - ACCOMODATION BUILDING / Under 25 Metres (Class 2 or 3)

CLARIFICATION

  • Under 25m in effective height
  • Ground floor restaurant has 31 workers

REQUIREMENT

  • In this example, under current legislation the restaurant would require a FSA and the accommodation building would not require one.

QFRS RECOMMENDATION

As there are common areas, QFRS would recommend that the Body Corporate or Managing Entity appoint a FSA to increase the level of fire safety awareness in the whole building. The restaurant may still appoint their own FSA or agree to share the FSA appointed by the Body Corporate or Managing Entity.


Example 6 - ACCOMODATION BUILDING / Over 25 Metres (Class 2 or 3)

CLARIFICATION

  • Over 25m in effective height
  • Ground floor restaurant has 15 workers

REQUIREMENT

  • In this example, the Body Corporate or Managing Entity would be required to appoint a FSA for the building regardless of the number of workers in the building as it is over 25 metres in height

Example 7 - HIGH RISE OFFICE BUILDING

CLARIFICATION

  • No specific floor has 30 or more workers

REQUIREMENT

  • In this example under current legislation businesses A and G would require a FSA.
  • This is because even though both businesses are spread across two levels each, both levels of each business are counted as the same workplace because they are in the same building.

QFRS RECOMMENDATION

As there are common areas, QFRS would recommend that the Body Corporate or Managing Entity appoint a FSA to increase the level of fire safety awareness in the whole building. Businesses A and G may still appoint their own FSA or agree to share the FSA appointed by the Body Corporate or Managing Entity. This would give a consistent fire safety approach to the whole building and not just some of the levels.


FIRE EVACUATION PLANS

  • We offer evacuation plans that give you a variety of options and allows individuals to easily justify their location and identify egress passage ways to assembly points
  • Fire Boar offer a range of options including 3D plans that are visually more appealing and considerably easier to locate position and coordinate emergency evacuation procedures. Fire Boar is the only Fire Service Provider to provide this option and has been extremely positive with the elderly and children
  • As per table 19.4.2 the testing requirements for Evacuation Procedures are 6 monthly and annually with an outline to INSPECT monthly the Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) list and check for compliance with the emergency plan formulated on your site
  • Evaluations of the evacuation paths and egress routes as per the items outlined in table G2 of AS 1851

As of July 01, 2009 a Certificate of Classification will be required to be at the entrance of every such building