Question: Owners have been given a small window during a weekday for a fire safety inspection. Is the owners corporation required to arrange accesses on a day suitable for each occupant?
My partner’s strata has set a date and time for a fire inspection. It’s a two-hour window on a weekday, and my partner isn’t available. Although she has provided alternative days, the owners corporation advised they cannot change the date. The only option is for owners to leave a spare key with a committee member. Surely, apartment access would be similar to that of a renter, where they must organise a suitable time for access.
Answer: Contact the fire safety company directly. They may have some flexibility.
Fire safety inspections are typically coordinated for the entire building, which includes many residents with varied schedules. Finding a time that suits everyone’s needs can be challenging, especially since these inspections are often booked well in advance to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
While the date is fixed to streamline the process for the whole building, one possible solution is to contact the fire safety company directly. They may have some flexibility, such as inspecting earlier in the morning when they are already on-site or visiting at another time if they have other inspections nearby. Alternatively, leaving keys with a trusted neighbour is a common solution that ensures your apartment can still be inspected.
Though the inconvenience is understood, fire safety compliance is critical, and your cooperation ensures the building remains safe for everyone.
This post appears in the October 2024 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Tim Sara
Strata Choice
E: tsara@stratachoice.com.au
P: 1300 322 213
The fire inspection group is holding back the signing off of the inspection report due to the absence of fire dampers.
The block has a full ventilation system in the basement supported by sensors. A fire and rescue tenant found this system to be more than required and the air flow to be adequate.
We believe that any repairs were carried out by our maintenance tradespeople and therefore the company could not profit from us. For example, a fire alarm was only 250mm from the wall and the company wanted to charge us to move it to 300mm.
Our complex is 14 years old and we have never had any issues with other inspections.
We are a older apartment block of 6 apartments.
We have monthly fire alarm tests and follow the AFSS tests and reporting
Our provider has said we need to undertake a 5 yearly fire panel review/test,
this on a fire panel that was completely replaced 5 years ago by the same company.
Is it a requirement under law for this 5 yearly test (it’s expensive), or a recommendation?
Hi Jaqui
Rob Broadhead, 2020 Fire has responded to your question in the article above.
Question. In Sydney, what would be a reasonable cost of a fire inspection where they enter each of the 8 units and check the hard-wired smoke detector with a backup battery, and what would the reasonable cost of them having to return when they can’t access the unit.
Would the Fire inspection company be subject to the Pisroductivity Commission to justify their fees?
Hi Peter
We’ve received the following comment from Andrew Terrell, Bright & Duggan:
This question is too specific – you should get some quotes.
Our block is 40 years old and after an inspection we have been told all our front doors have to be replaced because they have a gap of 1 cm at the bottom of the door. Is this correct. I am sure our doors complied at the time they were installed. It is a considerable cost. Are we able to put in a metal bead to raise the level of the floor? Thanks for any help.
We live in a small complex of 7 Lots.
At our recent AGM our Strata Manager proposed a Special By Law be approved, “Additions or Amendmants to Common Property — That the Owners Corporation RESOLVE by Special Resolution to accept the proposed by-law covering all approved additions to Common Property as attached —
” This By Law refers to the following items –Air conditioners,Pergolas,Foxtel,PayTV/Satellte dishes,Batteries,Solar panels & any other additions or attachments to Common Property including but not limited to key safe boxes or Door bells. Please note: this By Law includes all existing additions to Common Property & any future additions to Common Property”
My concern is this proposal seems to create an open slather situation for any Lot owner to do as they please in their Lot in the future as well as overlooking existing unauthorised additions/attachments.
Would appreciate your comments.
Hi Andrew.
Quick point to make is that AS1851 is not required in NSW. So the only requirement in NSW is for an annual inspection (once a year) under the EPA Regs.
I would still recommend following AS1851 but the choice is really up to the Owners if they want this level of service.
Hi Andrew,
It is a requirement in NSW under the environmental planning and assessment act that each essential fire measure identified in a building be maintained. AS1851 is the Australian standard for routine maintenance of fire protection systems.
Depending on the measure, it may require maintenance on a monthly, 6 monthly or annual basis etc. Yes and annual inspection must be carried out within 3 months of completing an AFSS however an annual inspection is not all that is required.
your question is “Can you please advise the legally required fire safety inspection intervals as I believe 4 times a year is not true.”
The requirements from your insurance company is usually more demanding than the legal requirements.
Also consider what your insurance company requires, some insurance companies require a monthly visit, others also require a thermal scann of all switchboards annually.
The questions asked refered to legal requirements. For a thermal scan, there isn’t any, for Fire, I believe the legal requirement is one full function test per year, but check this to be 100%, ring a fire consultant or fire engineer, not a maintenance company (two different worlds).