Fire Safety Assessment: Avoid Legal Liabilities and Financial Penalties Due to Non-Compliance

Fire safety systems are implemented as required by state or territory regulatory requirements. In order to protect the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment, building and property owners must comply with fire safety systems. Aside from that, by doing so, they will be able to avoid legal liabilities and financial penalties due to non-compliance.

Localised Fire Safety Systems

In Australia, fire safety systems vary depending on their respective areas. Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Emergency Services Agency is responsible for bushfire safety resources and advice. They also have fire safety policies for building owners, occupants and agents for fire evacuation processes. New South Wales (NSW), on the other hand, relies on their Rural Fire Service Plan and Prepare. Northern Territory has their own Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Prepare for Bushfires. In Queensland, they have the Rural Fire Service Bushfire, while South Australia (SA) has Emergency and Safety Bushfire. Tasmania has Fire Service Bushfire, Victoria with Business Victoria and Western Australia with State Planning Policy and Guidelines.

Regular Inspections

Regular inspection and testing of electrical equipment can save lives. It helps identify damage, wear and electrical faults and will make sure you detect electrical faults and deterioration you can’t see. Inspections and testing must be carried out by a competent person, which depending on your jurisdiction might be a licensed or registered electrician or a licensed electrical inspector. Most states have their own electrical safety regulations, and additional information is also available in the National standard AS/NZS 3760 service safety inspection and testing of electrical equipment.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

SDS’s are documents that provide critical information about hazardous chemicals. They include information on chemical’s identity and ingredients, health and physical hazards, safe handling and storage procedures, emergency procedures and disposal considerations. Businesses should use SDS when they assess the risks of hazards in the workplace.

Safety Management Procedures for Confined Spaces

It is a requirement under AS2865-2009 and under your State or Territories Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) Act to have written safety management procedures for all work involving confined space entries. Organisations that enter confined spaces are required to have the following documentation namely confined space policy, confined space entry work instructions or safe work procedures, confined space register, confined space risk assessment for each confined space identified, confined space entry permit and permit to work policy and procedures. There will be Fire Safety Assessment (FSA) that will visit your workplace to determine the gaps between your current documentation and that of the Australian Standards and WH&S Regulations to put together specific confined space entry documentation for your workplace. Further, FSA often undertakes confined space audits to determine if a space is in fact a confined space for our clients.

In order to comply with the fire safety assessment procedures, consult Key Compliance. We will ensure that your commercial property is completely compliant with all NSW fire safety regulations.