Are Evacuation Diagrams Legally Required for Older Body Corporate Buildings in Queensland?

By admin,

For a 1979 Class II Queensland three-storey walk-up building comprising 6 residential lots with one evacuation route and being subjected to the Building Act 1975, is there a LEGAL requirement for evacuation diagrams?

Why Are Fire Doors Non-Compliant in a Three-Year-Old Complex?

By admin,

I live in a three year old complex of 63 units. We have been advised some of the fire doors are not compliant and have to be replaced at a cost of $60,000. Is this cost the responsibility of the Body Corporate or individual property owners?

How long should fire doors last without being replaced if properly maintained? The warranty on the doors was for only 12 months.

We understand that if they are not replaced and a fire does occur, we will not be covered by the insurance. What action can we take?

Fire Doors Approved in 1999: Do Later Modifications Make Them Non-Compliant?

By admin,

The Certificate of construction for our building states the build as 1999. It's a Class 2 build with eight units and two stairwells. Our doors are now classed as non-compliant because they all have deadbolt locks with a knob set below. Owners can't afford to replace the doors.

How do we know if the fire doors passed compliance at the time of the build? If the doors were compliant in 1999, do they have to comply with the current standard?

Fire Door Compliance After 20 Years: Have the Standards Changed?

By admin,

I am Chairman of a small strata scheme with seven lots in a two-story, Class 2 building built in the early 2000s. The building has passed fire door compliance checks for the last two decades without issue.

The recent annual inspection has indicated many of the fire doors (from apartments to internal stairwell) no longer comply with the 10mm gap from the bottom of the door to the floor. How can the doors be compliant for 20 years, and now they are not? The doors have not changed.

Can a Body Corporate Alarm Fire Stairs and Issue Fines?

By admin,

I live in a 7-story residential apartment. For exercise, I use the staircase regularly to come and go. The staircase is also the emergency exit route in a fire.

Our body corporate has advised that the external doors will be alarmed and they will issue fines if the doors are opened. Is this legal?

Fire Door Stops Identified During Inspection: Are They Legally Required?

By admin,

Our annual fire door inspection resulted in a $4500 quote to have fire door stops fitted to four fire doors in the garage. The fire doors lead to our complex’s stairwells. The inspection company have never mentioned fire door stops in previous audits. Are these a legal requirement, and why have they not previously been required?

Do Older Buildings Need to Meet Current Fire Extinguisher Requirements?

By admin,

Our scheme of seven lots was built in 2001 and a Certificate of Occupancy - Form 11 was issued. The certificate covered two three-level buildings. Neither had fire extinguishers in the common entry. I believe these are now required.

If the buildings were certified for occupation without extinguishers in common entries, do we need to conform with current regulations?

Legal Risks of Fire Safety Measures in Class 1A Community Title Schemes

By admin,

Community title schemes that consist of only class 1A buildings are excluded from having formal fire evacuation procedures. This places the responsibility on the individual lot owners.

If a body corporate committee for an estate consisting of only class 1A housing puts in place its own procedures or purchases fire fighting equipment when they are not required by law, can this create a potential litigation risk to the body corporate in the event someone is hurt or killed following these procedures or using equipment?

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