ESM Compliance
A Guide to ESM Compliance
ESM refers to the Essential Safety Measures a building is installed with to help mitigate potential fires, and where emergencies occur ESMs are designed to slow the spread of fire, supress the fire, alert the building occupants and ensure their safe evacuation.
As a building owner, the ESM compliance and maintenance of your building is imperative. Your buildings ESMs are set out by its Occupancy Permit issued by a registered Building Surveyor, or for buildings built pre 1 July 1994, a Maintenance Determination is required to identify your ESMs in accordance with National Construction Code (NCC) volume 1 series.
At Geokal Services, we provide strategic ESM audit services and knowledgeable guidance to ensure your building is up to code. Our experience across commercial use buildings enables us to advise owners on the best practices in accordance with building regulations, NCC and Australian Standards, ensuring your building meets these requirements.
Background to Essential Safety Measures Compliance
As society evolves, innovation has spearheaded advances in various sectors. In turn, these developments have impacted the way humans organise, socialise and work. The result is a myriad of building designs with a multitude of functions, not to mention improved building materials. To ensure minimum standards are maintained to foster a safe environment, governments have set out guidelines for various aspects of buildings, including Essential Safety Measures (ESM).
- Audit considerations. Regulatory requirements differ depending on when the building was built or altered. Additionally, there are two compliance aspects to these regulations, these relate to the maintenance of Active ESMs such as fire hydrants, sprinklers, heating/cooling systems, as well as Passive ESMs such as exits and paths of travel to exits, fire walls, smoke separation etc.
- Essential safety measures maintenance. As a building owner, you are responsible for the maintenance of all your ESMs, you are also required to produce an annual safety measures report. This list in part assures the relevant authorities that your building has been adequately maintained and complies with the intended fire safety features.
- Essential safety measures logbook. The owner of the building must make provision for the accurate and current record-keeping of all essential safety measures, this is usually done by asset tags (to ESMs such as fire hydrants, fire extinguishers etc) and testing logbooks. These logbooks must track the maintenance of the safety measures as well as any repairs done and checks completed.
- ESM Enforcement. The relevant local government and fire authority retains the agency to inspect the ESM compliance of buildings. Moreover, on request, all documentation relating to the logbook and annual ESM report must be made available within 24 hours.
Why Hire Us to do Your Essential Safety Measures Audit
It is your responsibility as a building owner to ensure your building meets the minimum standard regarding ESM as set out by the Building Regulations. Annual audits are a compulsory compliance measure with regards to these regulations. As such, it would prove prudent to procure the ESM services of Geokal Services . We can determine and guide you on the complexity of the safety features required alongside the relevant checks needed and corresponding documentation for your building. Moreover, we as a knowledgeable and skilled ESM service provider would strategically plan our, in order to minimise risk, subsequently saving you money in the long term.
- Proactive compliance. We provide a working knowledge of various ESM systems, their applications, limitations and longevity. By extension, we can strategically guide you on maintenance plans alongside timelines for servicing.
- Save money. Our strategy follows a dual approach with the intent to effectively save you money over the long term. This is possible through proper planning and timeline management, alongside rigorous audit procedures and astute record keeping. As a result, we can effectively lower the costs associated with maintaining safety equipment and, by default, avoid fines and prosecution related to compliance standards.
- Minimise risk. Defence is usually the best offence, and you can count on us to help you assess your compliance standards and effectively analyse your risk. Bearing in mind that safety risks are not limited to occupants and visitors in your building, rather it extends to passers-by as well as occupants of adjoining buildings.
- Trusted network. Depending on the outcome of your audit, we can assist with connecting you with the right people to get the job done. Our reliable network of preferred suppliers can assist with maintenance, repair and installation requirements.
- FPPA bronze member. As an ESM consultant company associated with the Fire Protection Association of Australia, you are assured of ethical work and service excellence. We have been reviewed and accepted as members based on our qualifications, certifications and registration information. Additionally, our work is framed and regulated by the FPA Australian Code of Conduct and Constitution as well as the by-laws for the Fire Protection Association Australia.
- Timely and affordable. We understand the need to ensure your asset is working for you. When managed and maintained correctly, there is a substantial opportunity to minimise costs while ensuring your building remains compliant. Moreover, a well-maintained ESM system provides a clear indication to your clients and investors that safety matters. As such, we offer prompt, cost-effective services to ensure you are compliant and can forge ahead with your business.