Blog

Everything You Must Know About Annual Fire Safety Statements

07 April 2022

A property fire can be devastating, especially if the building or structure involved does not possess fire protection measures and systems. Without preventing or mitigating the fire, it can quickly lead to structural damages to the property. It can likewise lead to injuries and deaths.

The effects of property fire can be costly and heartbreaking. Hence, contractors must ensure that the buildings they create will be fitted with active and passive fire protection systems. Building owners, alternatively, have to ensure that their properties will be checked by an accredited practitioner for fire safety regularly. Doing this can confirm whether their properties will be still safe from fire or not.

Once assessments and inspections have been carried out, an annual fire safety statement must be filled out. This document is vital as it confirms the safety of a specific building or structure.

Understanding Annual Fire Safety Statements

A fire safety statement is a document that states the operating conditions of varying fire safety and egress measures in a building. A building owner fills out the fire safety statement. However, a nominated person can also fill it out, confirming that the building has been checked and assessed by a competent fire safety practitioner. The practitioner’s goal is to check the essential fire safety services and critical fire safety measures. The practitioner can then confirm the condition of these systems.

This specific document must be done annually. It may likewise include an extra statement from the building owner that states their engagement and coordination with the practitioner in terms of building inspection. Some elements of a building that the practitioners would inspect are fire pathways, travel paths, emergency and exit lights, and fire extinguisher enclosures.

Coordinate with Key Fire Safety Companies

When conducting the annual fire safety statement, a building owner should work with a reputable fire safety company since they boast an experienced staff. This staff will be comprised of highly trained practitioners who can assess and inspect fire detection systems, HVAC systems, sprinklers, and passive fire protection elements. Take note, however, that some inspectors may only have limited licensing in terms of undertaking the assessment.

To save some money, building owners must coordinate with a company that can offer a person who can complete all aspects of fire safety assessments.

Submission of Annual Fire Safety Statements

The annual fire safety statement must be passed to the local council where one’s building is located. Once the local council has determined that a building owner did not submit any document, they can issue infringement notices. As the statement is submitted, the local council can review it to determine if there is any violation or non-compliance. The council can then issue penalties or take enforcement actions whenever necessary.

If you need help with annual fire safety statements, you must call us at Key Compliance. We offer a range of fire safety measures assessment for operational compliance for small and large businesses.