The Building Act 1993 require the building owner to maintain essential safety measures so that they operate satisfactorily. If you are the owner of a building (other than a house or outbuilding), you are responsible for its upkeep and maintenance – particularly its safety features. These are known as essential safety measures (ESM).
Maintaining the essential safety measures will ensure that the building’s important safety systems are working at the required operational level throughout the life of the building.
The type of maintenance needed depends on the complexity of the safety measure, equipment or feature, and on the maintenance program expected at the time of installation.
Responsibility of owners / owners’ corporations
- Display occupancy permit in approved location
- Make occupancy permit available for inspection
- Comply with ESMs on occupancy permit, maintenance determination and/or maintenance schedule
- Ensure ESMs are not removed from approved locations
- Ensure maintenance, testing and repair of ESMs
- Keep records of all ESMs maintenance and repair work
- Ensure annual ESMs report prepared
- Provide on request by councils municipal building surveyor or local fire authority the ESMs maintenance logbooks and Annual Reports for the past 10 years
Responsibility of occupiers / tenants
- Keep exits and paths of travel readily accessible, functional and clear of obstructions
- Provide access to private areas for the purposes of ESM inspections and maintenance
Consequences of not complying
Non-compliance of owners and occupiers may lead to fines, prosecution, and increased safety risks for occupants, passers-by, and neighboring buildings.
For more information refer to the Building and Plumbing Commission website