Most public, commercial and industrial buildings incorporate systems to enhance life safety and asset protection in the event of an emergency. Often these are exit doors, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers, fire hose reels and fire walls but they may range up to complex fire protections and smoke exhaust systems. Regardless of the life safety systems utilised, that system needs to be maintained.
Building owners are responsible to ensure that all the essential safety measures incorporated in their building are maintained in a reasonable order, inspected on a regular basis and those inspections documented. Latrobe City Council is undertaking an educational program to assist building owners to meet their statutory obligations. This program will be reinforced with building audits to ensure a reasonable level of compliance is achieved.
Further detailed information can be found in the essential safety measures maintenance manual published by the Victorian Building Authority.