Moving to a New Business Establishment: Why is Fire Risk Assessment Necessary?

New South Wales Fire Safety Regulations require that business property owners must have their company premises inspected, serviced, maintained and certified annually to ensure adequate fire safety protection and compliance. Commercial property owners are legally liable for ensuring fire safety compliance for their buildings, and non-compliance can result in serious financial penalties. All commercial buildings need to have updated, approved fire safety measures and equipment installed and in excellent working order to prevent serious injury to employees and property damage if a fire should occur.

Your fire safety consultant and practitioner can perform a complete inspection and audit of your property and issue a report detailing any repairs or additional fire safety measures or installations that are needed. With the expert aid of your fire safety compliance professional, you can be sure that your commercial building is in compliance with all current NSW fire safety requirements.

More Reasons for the Necessity of a Fire Risk Assessment in Your New Business Establishment

Additional reasons for the need to schedule a fire risk assessment after moving to a new business establishment include the following:

• Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS). Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) certification is an annual requirement for all NSW commercial property owners. After your building’s fire safety inspection and audit are completed and your fire safety practitioner has issued your resulting assessment report, any property defects or inadequacies must be corrected. Once your property is in compliance, your AFSS can be compiled and issued. You must sign this statement within three months after the assessment date for your property. One copy of the statement must then be sent to the appropriate Council, NSW Fire Brigades, and another copy must be posted in a prominent location in a lobby or other public area of your building.

• Essential Services Maintenance. The ongoing upkeep and general operation of your commercial property should include a well-organised and integrated building management and maintenance program. This program should include regular inspections and testing of all essential services and of the life safety equipment and systems in your building. All operating equipment, mechanics and systems must be serviced and maintained regularly in compliance with the regulations of the BCA and associated Australian Standards.

• Non-Compliance Consequences. Non-compliance with the NSW Fire Safety Regulations may jeopardise the health and safety of your employees and any other occupants of your commercial building if a fire emergency should occur. It may also endanger the occupants of nearby buildings. As the owner of this non-compliant property, you could accrue substantial financial penalties. In addition, your property insurance might be voided and legal action might be brought against you. You could also be charged with violations of OH&S requirements and suffer damage to your reputation as a business property owner.

When you contact the fire safety compliance consultants and practitioners of Key Compliance located in Kogarah, NSW, you will receive top caliber advice, a property inspection and assessment followed by the written report stating the current eligibility of your commercial building for certification as fully fire safety compliant. If any repairs or updates are needed for your property to comply with fire safety requirements in NSW, our Key Compliance fire safety professional will assist you with locating good companies to perform these improvements. Once your building meets all of the necessary standards, our Key Compliance fire safety expert will ensure that you receive your AFSS and the new Fire Safety Certificate for your building.