Question: Our strata’s vehicle garages are located in a below ground-level car park. If owners want EV chargers and an electric vehicle, is additional fire safety equipment required? Who pays for this?
I am a member of our strata committee. A lot owner is considering buying an electric vehicle.
Our strata complex has all the vehicle garages located in a below ground-level car park and all garages have individual garage roller shutter doors.
The lower garage common area has a fire control system installed that includes alarms, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. These safety measures activate exhaust fans.
In NSW, are there fire regulations for additional fire control measures in areas with EV cars and chargers? Does additional fire safety equipment need to be installed to manage a potential lithium battery fire, given there have been reported electric vehicle fires while electric vehicles are garaged and on charge?
If additional fire control measures are required, who is responsible for the cost of installation and ongoing maintenance of these additional fire control measures? Would it be the owners corporation or the lot owner?
Answer: FRNSW recommends a smoke alarm or a heat alarm is installed in garages where an EV is regularly parked or charged.
FRNSW recommends a smoke alarm or a heat alarm is installed in garages where an EV is regularly parked or charged.
A licenced electrician is required to carry out the installation.
I would assume your current practitioner responsible for inspecting the existing smoke or heat alarms would add these items to their testing schedule.
I have not yet read anything confirming that each garage needs to be treated as an individual fire compartment.
It would be worth reviewing your bylaws and raising this in the next owners corporation meeting.
This post appears in the May 2023 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
Heath Newell Chief AFSS Services E: heath@chiefmechanicalservices.com P: 0405 932 458