FIRE SAFETY IN

BUILDINGS
OBLIGATIONS OF OWNERS
AND OCCUPIERS

WORKING FOR A SAFER TASMANIA

fire safety in
buildings

its your
business!

obligations
of owners
and occupiers

Published in August 2002

by the Building Safety Unit
Tasmania Fire Service
Ph 1800 000 699

Fire Safety in Buildings

Reference Manual

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1

INTRODUCTION___________________________________________ 3
1.1 Definitions____________________________________________________ 3

FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT _____________________________ 4

2.1 Equipment Maintenance_________________________________________ 4
2.2 Permit Holders ________________________________________________ 4
2.3 Permit Exemptions _____________________________________________ 5

ACCESS TO EQUIPMENT AND WATER SUPPLIES ______________ 5

3.1 Fire Protection Equipment _______________________________________ 5
3.2 Water _______________________________________________________ 5

EXITS, EXIT SIGNS AND LIGHTING ___________________________ 5

FLAMMABLE MATERIAL COVERINGS_________________________ 6

PRECAUTIONS ___________________________________________ 6
6.1 Hot Work ____________________________________________________ 6
6.2 Potential Fire _________________________________________________ 6

EVACUATIONS ___________________________________________ 6
7.1 Building Occupants ____________________________________________ 6
7.2 Evacuation Plan Requirements ___________________________________ 6
7.3 Practice Evacuations ___________________________________________ 7
7.3.1

Exemptions for practice evacuations _________________________________ 7

7.4 Education and Training _________________________________________ 7

PENALTIES ______________________________________________ 7

FURTHER INFORMATION___________________________________ 9

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INTRODUCTION

This reference manual supports the brochure Fire Safety in Buildings Its
Your Business. It provides additional information to owners, occupiers and
users of many types of buildings in Tasmania about their obligations under the
General Fire Regulations 2000. The regulations provide measures to help
protect people in buildings from fire.
For specific details on these obligations, please refer to the General Fire
Regulations 2000 available through the Tasmania Fire Service web site at
www.fire.tas.gov.au or from the Printing Authority of Tasmania on 6233 3168.
1.1

Definitions

A person

A building occupant, an employee of an

occupant, a visitor or a contractor.

Fire protection equipment

Fire extinguishers, fire hose reels, fire

hydrants, hydrant valves, fire blankets and fire
protection systems such as automatic fire
detection and alarm systems, automatic fire
sprinkler systems and emergency warning
and intercommunication systems.

Monitoring system

A system whereby smoke and heat alarms on

a premises are monitored on other premises
through the use of an electrical or electronic
device.

Permit holder

The holder of a permit required by Section

128(1)(ba) of the Fire Service Act 1979,
issued in accordance with the General Fire
Regulations 2000 and who is competent to
perform the relevant work.

Plumber

A person registered under the Plumbers and

Gas-fitters Registration Act and authorised to
undertake a particular class of plumbing work.

Prescribed building

Any building that is a Class 2, Class 3, Class

5, Class 6, Class 7, Class 8 or Class 9
building as defined in the Building Code of
Australia. These classes exclude private
residential homes, some bed and breakfast
accommodation and outbuildings such as
garden sheds and garages.

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Specified building

- a building capable of accommodating more

than 200 persons, estimated in accordance
with the Building Code of Australia;
- a special fire hazard building or a building
which presents or contains a special fire
hazard;
- a building providing residential
accommodation as part of an educational
institution, or medical psychiatric or
geriatric care facility;
- a school or early childhood centre;
- a detention centre;
- a healthcare building or a residential aged
care building;
- a hostel, boarding house, guesthouse,
lodging house, backpacker accommodation
or a residential part of a hotel or motel.

Temporary Occupant

A person who occupies a building for a period

that is not intended to exceed 14 days.

FIRE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

2.1

Equipment Maintenance

The owner of a prescribed building must make sure that all installed
equipment is maintained, so that it performs to the standard to which it was
originally designed.
The owner or occupier of a building, in which fire protection equipment is
required to be installed, must:
!

have the equipment tested, maintained and repaired by a permit holder;

and

keep a record of all testing and maintenance work carried out including the
type, date and result of any test, the name of the person undertaking the
test, the name and certification of the person carrying out any maintenance
or repair, the date it was carried out and any maintenance or repair work
required.

2.2

Permit Holders

All permit holders are obliged to service fire protection equipment in

accordance with the Australian Standards. For systems such as automatic
sprinkler systems, fixed fire detection systems etc. work must also be carried
out in accordance with the Tasmania Fire Service Code of Practice Fire
Protection Systems.

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Permit Exemptions

A person may install a portable fire extinguisher, fire blanket or stand alone
smoke and/or heat alarm not connected to a monitoring system, and replace
batteries in these smoke and/or heat alarms, without a permit.
An authorised plumber may install, maintain and repair a fire hydrant or
hydrant valve without a permit.

ACCESS TO EQUIPMENT AND WATER SUPPLIES

3.1

Fire Protection Equipment

The owner or occupier of a building must ensure that reasonable access by

firefighters to any fire protection equipment or essential services is available in
or on the grounds of:
!

the building; or

a place in which 3.2 (below) applies.

3.2

Water

An owner or occupier of the following must ensure that a suitable water supply
for fire-fighting is available:
!

a building, timber yard, yard or unfenced land, situated within a city or town
boundary used for the storage of more than 10 tonnes of combustible
material for commercial purposes;

a wharf or nearby land used for the storage of goods in transit; or

land used for the storage of hazardous and flammable material.

EXITS, EXIT SIGNS AND LIGHTING

The owner or occupier of a prescribed building must ensure:

!

locking devices are not fitted on a door forming part of any required exit
unless they comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) or have the
approval of the Chief Officer of the Tasmania Fire Service;

access to doors, corridors or fire escapes that form part of an emergency

exit or exit route are not blocked, restricted or made narrow;

exit signs and emergency lighting operate effectively and are clearly visible
at all times; and

ceilings, walls, floors and stairs of a fire exit, or path of travel to an exit, are
only covered with materials that comply with the BCA.

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FLAMMABLE MATERIAL COVERINGS

An occupier must not decorate a prescribed building with flammable materials

in such quantity or in such a way as to constitute a fire hazard.

PRECAUTIONS

6.1

Hot Work

Hot work includes grinding, welding, thermal or oxygen cutting or heating, and
other related heat-producing or spark-producing operations.
Before commencing hot work in a building, a person must:
!

inform the owner or occupier of the building of their intention to carry out
hot work; and

perform all hot work in accordance with AS 1674.

6.2

Potential Fire

An occupier of a workplace where dust, gas or hazardous residue is produced

that has the potential to form an explosive mixture, may prepare rules for
persons within that workplace so as to minimise the chance of a fire or
explosion and submit them to the Chief Officer for approval.
Where rules are approved by the Chief Officer of the Tasmania Fire Service,
they must be clearly displayed in the workplace and all people within that
workplace must comply with any directions contained in those rules.

EVACUATIONS

7.1

Building Occupants

A person must not fail to leave a specified building, in the event of fire, alarm
of fire or evacuation practice, unless the person is engaged in fire fighting
activities or is exempted under 7.3.1.
7.2

Evacuation Plan Requirements

The occupier of a specified building must ensure that:

!

an evacuation plan is developed in accordance with AS 3745 and AS 4083

(if applicable) and approved by the Chief Officer of the Tasmania Fire
Service;

evacuation plans remain up-to-date. A new plan must be submitted when

evacuation plans need to be adjusted due to building work or a change in
the use or occupancy of the building. Where there has been no change, a
plan must be re-submitted for approval every five years;
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relevant parts of the plan are kept posted at places in the building specified
by the Chief Officer, such as foyers, stairways and assembly areas;

a full copy of the plan is kept on site; and

any evacuation of the building is carried out in accordance with the plan.

7.3

Practice Evacuations

After receiving in-principle approval for the plan, final approval is subject to a
practice evacuation being successfully conducted in the presence of an officer
of the Tasmania Fire Service. If the officer is not satisfied with the practice
evacuation, the officer may require the occupier to repeat the practice.
Practice evacuations are to be performed at least once a year following final
approval.
7.3.1

Exemptions relating to practice evacuations

The occupier may exempt specified persons from taking part in a practice
evacuation if their work cannot be stopped such as where a business may
suffer a significant loss or experience security problems. Exemptions should
be made in consultation with the officer and resolved prior to a practice
evacuation taking place.
7.4

Education and Training

All staff members involved in managing or conducting an evacuation must be

thoroughly familiar with their roles and responsibilities. Relevant training shall
be provided to each member according to their assigned role.
It is recommended that a recognised competency standard be used for
training purposes. Personnel conducting the training shall have the necessary
knowledge, skills and experience (competence) to meet training outcomes.
AS 3745 outlines the requirements and typical training information.

PENALTIES

Offence

Fire protection equipment is not

maintained
An unqualified person tests, maintains
and repairs equipment
No record is kept of tests on fire
protection equipment after their
maintenance or repair
Records are not kept in a manner that
will preserve them in the event of fire
Access to fire fighting equipment or
essential services is obstructed

Maximum Number of
Penalty Units
1 penalty unit = $100

Maximum Number of
Penalty Units For
Each Day the Offence
Continues

52

10

10

10

26

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Offence

The door of a fire exit has a locking

device which is not compliant with the
Building Code of Australia (BCA)
Access to a door is blocked, narrowed
or impeded
Exit signs and emergency lighting are
not clearly visible or are not
operational
An initial practice evacuation has not
been carried out to gain final approval
The annual practice evacuation has
not been carried out
A repeat of the practice evacuation
was not carried out when the initial
practice evacuation plan was not
satisfactory
An evacuation plan has not been
updated
A revised evacuation plan has not
been submitted after a change in the
use or occupancy of a building
A revised evacuation plan has not
been submitted after building work
An evacuation plan has not been
submitted after 5 years
The occupier does not maintain an
evacuation plan approved by the Chief
Officer
The occupier does not keep a copy of
the plan or post it at places in the
building specified by the Chief Officer
The occupier does not provide training
to persons working or residing in the
building
During a fire or alarm of fire the
occupier does not carry out an
evacuation according to the
evacuation plan
A person, not engaged in fire fighting
activities, fails to leave a building in
the event of a fire or alarm of fire
A person, not exempted, fails to leave
a building during a practice evacuation
Approved rules for conduct in a
potentially explosive industrial
environment have not been displayed
conspicuously in the workplace
A person contravenes or fails to
comply with approved rules relating to
a workplace which has a potentially
explosive environment

Reference Manual
Maximum Number of
Penalty Units
1 penalty unit = $100

Maximum Number of
Penalty Units For
Each Day the Offence
Continues

26

26

52

26

26

26

10

26

26

26

52

52

52

52

10
10

52

52

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Offence

Reference Manual
Maximum Number of
Penalty Units
1 penalty unit = $100

A building has been decorated with

flammable materials in a hazardous
manner
The walls, floor or stairs en route to an
exit are covered with materials not
compliant with the BCA
A person fails to inform the owner or
occupier of hot work being carried out
on the premises
The AS 1674 requirements for hotwork are not observed
A timber yard has no suitable water
supply for fire-fighting as determined
by the Chief Officer
A wharf and nearby land used for
storage of goods in transit has no
suitable water supply for fire-fighting
as determined by the Chief Officer
Land used for storing hazardous,
flammable or combustible material has
no suitable water supply for firefighting as determined by the Chief
Officer

Maximum Number of
Penalty Units For
Each Day the Offence
Continues

52

52

52

52

52

52

52

FURTHER INFORMATION

The following Australian Standards are referenced by the General Fire

Regulations 2000 and the applicable sections are therefore enforceable:
!

AS 1674 Safety in welding and allied processes fire precautions;

AS 3745 Emergency control organization and procedures for buildings,

structures and workplaces; and

AS 4083 Planning for emergencies Health care facilities.

These are available from Standards Australia (telephone 1300 654 646).
For general enquiries, call the Tasmania Fire Service fire safety information
line on 1800 000 699.
To down load this information, go to the Tasmania Fire Service web site at
www.fire.tas.gov.au then about the Fire Service Community Fire Safety.

Version 1 - August 2002