When it comes to protecting your home, the doors are the first and last line of defence. If you do not have a good set of doors in your home, you are asking for trouble. I discovered this the hard way when my home was broken into. The doors were old and wooden and not very strong. As soon as I had reported it to the police, I called in a contractor who could recommend some strong quality doors to protect my place. The contractor was great and I learnt an awful lot from him. I hope you enjoy my blog.
When a building is being constructed, the law requires that it follows particular building codes and fire safety measures, rules and regulations. These codes, measures, rules and regulations ensure that the building can be safely inhabited and does not negatively interfere with the environment. They also ensure that the building does not in any way affect the health of its occupants or the people around it.
What Are Some of the Fire Safety Measures?
A building should install portable fire extinguishers, fire hydrants, water hoses, automatic and manual fire alarms and automatic and manual fire suppression systems (this can be a sprinkler system). There should also be emergency exits marked with LED signs. You might have seen a green exit sign showing you where the emergency exit is in a particular building. However, physical features are not enough! Employees should also be trained on how to behave in case of a fire and practical drills should be conducted. Drills help people understand better; they give you a sort of reference point to where you should walk fast or run to. They also help assign different individuals different responsibilities to minimise confusion, panic and fire casualties.
Failure to follow building codes and fire safety measures, rules and regulations can land you in legal problems, which can either be in payment of high penalties or jail time.
What is an Annual Fire Safety Statement?
An annual fire safety statement is a way to ensure that you follow fire safety rules and regulations. A clause under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Regulations of 2000 states that the owner of a premise who holds a fire safety schedule should, every year, print a copy of the building's fire safety statement, mount a copy on the wall, send a copy to the local council and send another copy to the commissioner of fire and rescue.
A fire safety schedule is a list that highlights the fire safety measures mentioned above and the standards they should meet.
Therefore, an annual fire safety statement is a document issued when a licensed and qualified fire safety measures specialist visits your premises to assess the fire safety measures put in place and check whether they meet or exceed the expected standards.
What Happens If You Fail to Lodge an Annual Fire Safety Statement?
You may incur a hefty fine or serve a sentence for endangering the lives of your employees or the occupants of your building.
Share17 February 2020
