Capital Development Guideline7. Administration of the Fire Risk Assessment Process 13 8. Fire Safety Audit 15 9. Interim Report 19 10. Interim Fire Safety Precautions 21 11. Assessment

Capital Development Guideline7.2 Fire Risk Management Engineering GuidelinesCapital Management Branch September 2001

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Capital DevelopmentGuideline7.2 Fire Risk Management Engineering Guidelines

Capital Management Branch

September 2001

7.2 Fire Risk Engineering Guidelines, Edition 2 © State of Victoria, September 2001

Acknowledgments(c) Copyright State of Victoria 2001.

Published by the Capital Management Branch, Resources Division, Victorian Government Departmentof Human Services

Design and production by Human Services Corporate Communications Unit

Prepared by Warrington Fire Research Aust. Pty. Ltd.

Edition 2This publication is available at Department of Human Services Intranet address:

http://intranet_1/capital/contents.htm

ValidityThis guideline will be revised on an as-needs basis. The reader should check the status of thedocument prior to implementing any requirements.

The copyright in this guideline is owned by the State of Victoria. Photocopying or other reproductionof this material without permission is prohibited. All other rights reserved.

DisclaimerCompliance with this guideline alone should not be considered as automatically satisfying thebuilding regulations or occupational health and safety obligations of a building owner or operator, noras satisfying applicable legislation.

No liability will be accepted for any loss or injury occurring in relation to the use of this document forany purposes.

It is the responsibility of the fire safety engineer undertaking the consultancy works and the relevantbuilding surveyor to formulate a fire safety strategy that would satisfy the Department of HumanServices’ objectives and relevant statutory requirements.

ii


Contents

1. Scope 1

2. Overview 3

3. Definitions 5

4. Responsibilities of Relevant Fire Safety Engineers and Building Surveyors 7

5. Principles for Fire Risk Management in Buildings or Facilities Owned or Occupied by the Department of Human Services or Department-Funded Agencies 9

6. Fire Risk Management Objectives 11

7. Administration of the Fire Risk Assessment Process 13

8. Fire Safety Audit 15

9. Interim Report 19

10. Interim Fire Safety Precautions 21

11. Assessment of Compliance with BCA Performance Requirements 23

12. Final Report 25

13. Fire Safety Plan 29

14. Implementation of Priority 1-3 Building Works in Existing Buildings 31

15. Implementation of Priority 1-3 Human Measures 33

16. Fire Audit and Risk Assessment Process for New Buildings Works Incorporating Overnight Client Bed-Based Accommodation 35

17. General Responsibilities 37

iii

iv 7.2 Fire Risk Engineering Guidelines, Edition 2 © State of Victoria, September 2001

1. Scope

1.1 This guideline describes the process forundertaking fire safety audits and fire riskassessments for the Department of HumanServices Victoria in order to identify anappropriate fire safety strategy for a building orfacility.

1.2 This guideline replaces the previous draftDepartment of Human Services guidelines:Guidelines for Fire Safety Risk Assessment forExisting Class 9A Buildings, Guidelines for FireSafety Risk Assessment of Existing Health CareBuildings, and the interim version of thisguideline issued in December 1997.

1.3 This guideline is applicable to nominatednew or existing buildings and facilities owned oroccupied by the Department of Human Servicesor by Department-funded agencies and should beused in conjunction with the following:• Building Regulations 1994.• Building Act 1993.• The Building Code of Australia 1996 (BCA

1996).• The Fire Engineering Guidelines or equivalent

International Standards Organisation(ISO)/Australian Standards documents.

• Relevant Ministerial Guidelines, BuildingNotes.

• Any other relevant legislation including theDangerous Goods Act 1985 and Regulations, theOccupational Health and Safety Act 1985 (OH&SAct) and Regulations.

1.4 This guideline is one of a series ofdocuments outlining the Department of HumanServices Fire Risk Management Strategy (seefigure 1). Specific guidelines have beendeveloped for specific occupancy types.

1.5 These guidelines have been provided togive a general indication of the Department ofHuman Services expectations for fire riskmanagement in buildings owned or occupied bythe Department or by Department-fundedagencies. The guidelines enable appropriately

qualified professional advisers, such as registeredfire safety engineers and building surveyors, toassess fire risk, recommend steps to minimise firerisk, and to assess and report on acceptablestandards of fire safety, in specific settings.

The fire safety engineer shall, as a minimum,follow Capital Development Guideline (CDG) 7.2in implementing and reporting on fire safetyaudits and fire safety risk assessments. Subject tothis, the use of the other guidelines in the seriesof Fire Risk Management Guidelines is subject tothe following:(a) The guidelines do not constitute specific fire

safety advice and are provided for assistancein determining appropriate fire safetymeasures. It is up to individuals, acting withappropriate professional advice, to determinetheir application to particular situations.

(b) Each guideline should be used for purposesonly within the range set out in the ‘’ ‘Scope’section at the start of each document.

(c) In addition to the fire safety requirements andstandards in the guidelines, owners andoperators of facilities may be subject tovarious statutory, common law andcontractual obligations. They should seekspecific legal advice on the existence andscope of these obligations.

The Department of Human Services makes norepresentation that the guidelines are suitable forany particular situation, and accepts noresponsibility for any loss or damage arising outof any decision to apply the guidelines to anyparticular situation.


2 7.2 Fire Risk Engineering Guidelines, Edition 2 © State of Victoria, September 2001

Figure 1: Department of Human Services Fire Risk Management Guidelines

CDG 7.1 Fire Risk Management Policy and Procedures

Fire Risk Management Guidelines for Specific Occupancy Types

Fire and Emergency Response Procedures andTraining Framework

CDG 7.2 Fire Risk Management EngineeringGuidelines

Fire Statistics forResidential Properties

Fire Statistics forHealth Care Facilities

CDG 7.3Secure

Facilities

CDG 7.4Supported

Community-Based Houses

CDG 7.5Congregate

Care Facilities

CDG 7.6Hospitals

CDG 7.7Community-Based Houses

CDG 7.8Single

Dwellings

CDG 7.9Multi-storey

housing

CDG 7.10BoardingHouses


2.6 Notwithstanding the above, the Departmentof Human Services recognises that while it maynot be possible to totally remove the risk to lifefrom fire in buildings, the Department iscommitted to adopting practicable measures tominimise the risk to life from fire.

2.7 A typical flow chart for the fire audit andrisk assessment process is shown in figure 2.Refer to section 3 for definitions.

2.8 In order to undertake a fire engineeringstudy, it is necessary to characterise the facilityand building by means of an audit process,which is described in this document.

2.9 The outcomes of a fire safety audit andsubsequent fire risk assessment will be aconceptual fire safety strategy for a facility,together with an upgrade plan, cost estimates andcertification by the building surveyor that thestrategy complies with the BCA 1996 and theBuilding Regulations. The adopted conceptual firesafety strategy shall be documented in the formof a fire safety plan which defines the fire safetystrategy for the site in the long term and can beeasily updated if conditions at the site change.

2.10 The fire safety engineer shouldsubsequently review the design documentationfor the fire safety upgrade works to ensure thatthe conceptual design has been accurately andthoroughly translated into the designdocumentation.

2.11 Minimum levels of quantitative analysishave been nominated for client sleeping areasreflecting the Department view that these are highrisk areas that must be specifically addressed indetail by fire safety engineers. This should,however, not be construed as restricting theapplication of quantitative techniques to bed-based areas only or limiting the depth of analysis.

2.12 These guidelines do not prescribe the use ofMultiattribute Evaluation methods, commonlyreferred to as point’s schemes, such as NFPA101A. Such methods may be used to supplement(but not in lieu of) the qualitative risk assessmentand quantitative analysis required by in theseguidelines.

2. Overview

2.1 The Department of Human Servicesrecognises its responsibility to provide a safeenvironment in buildings that it owns or occupies.

2.2 The traditional prescriptive approach inmeeting the requirements of BuildingRegulations is often impractical to apply toexisting buildings. In addition, because of thespecialist nature of many Department of HumanServices owned or occupied facilities,prescriptive measures which are a requirement ofthe Building Regulations may not be appropriateto implement in new facilities.

2.3 The BCA 1996 allows the use of fire safetyengineering to ascertain compliance with theperformance requirements specified to meet therequirements of the current Building Regulations.This enables a flexible approach to be applied.

2.4 For existing and new buildings, unlessotherwise nominated, the fire engineeringapproach, which is described in these guidelinesand the Fire Engineering Guidelines (published bythe Fire Code Reform Centre Ltd.) should beadopted. An assessment against the performancerequirements of the BCA 1996 shall also be made.Other parameters defined in section 6 of thisguideline should also be considered.

2.5 If one or more performance requirements ofthe BCA 1996 are not satisfied, and there aresound justifications that such requirements donot need to be satisfied, it will be necessary toobtain a modification to the Building Regulationsfrom the Victorian Building Appeals Board,unless the relevant building surveyor canexercise discretionary powers under the BuildingRegulations. Applications for modifications shallonly be made with the permission of the CapitalManagement Branch (CMB) of the Department ofHuman Services, or the Office of Housing (OoH)Asset Manager and the Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the facility or a delegate. The BuildingAppeals Board referral process would notnormally be followed, as it is a requirement ofthe Department of Human Services that the firesafety engineer and the building surveyor haveappropriate qualifications and expertise to assessdesigns against the performance requirements.

3

2.13 Section 16 has been added to this edition. Itdefines the role of a fire safety engineer for newbuilding works and requires their early

involvement as a member of the design team tomaximise the potential advantages of a fire safetyengineering approach.

Note:

The implementation of Interim FireSafety Precautions will proceed at thetime as the remainder of the riskassessment process.


Obtain Documentation from Facility and plan audit

Review by DHS CMB, facility, region

NO

YES

YES

Project Control Group DHS, CMB, Region andBuilding Surveyor review of Final Report

Building Surveyor or Certificate

Fire Safety Plan

Define and Implement upgrade program

Commerceimplementation ofinterim measure Refer to Figure 3

Final Report• Interim report• Quantative analysis• Establish fire safety upgrade

works• Costing and prioritisation of

works etc.• Assessment against

performance requirements of building regulations

Conduct Fire Safety Audit

Interim ReportDocument fire safety audit

Fire statistics and literature reviewQualitive risk assessment

Identify interim precautions

InterimReport

Accepted

Final ReportAccepted by

Project ControlGroup and

CMB

NO

Figure 2: Fire Safety Risk Assessment Flow Chart Figure 3: Implementation of Interim Fire SafetyPrecautions

Issue Instructions for precautions to beimplemented in-house e.g. housekeeping

Specify Interim Fire Safety Precautions andcall tenders

Select appropriate contractor

Building permit issued if required

Interim Fire Safety Precautions implemented

Commissioning testing and certificate ofInterim Fire Safety Precautions

3. Definitions

Building LegibilityRelates to the complexity of the building layoutwhich has an impact on the ease of wayfindingby the occupants or rescue personnel.

Congregate Care FacilityA ‘residential care building or group ofbuildings’, as defined in the BuildingRegulations, with 24-hour on-site support or carestaff, and having a floor area greater than 350m2or accommodating more than six residents where10% or more require significant (or physical)assistance to evacuate the building during anemergency.

Community-Based HousesHouse of a typical domestic type constructionand layout with a total floor area up to 350m_with 24-hour staff, accommodating no more than12 persons, of which not more than one requiresassistance to evacuate the building during anemergency.

Desktop Fire AuditAn audit of fire safety issues and measures basedon a review of documentation such as designdevelopment documentation. This type of auditmay not involve a site inspection and is thereforereliant on a careful examination of thedocumentation. It provides data for a fire riskassessment on new facilities, majorrefurbishments and the like. The desktop fireaudit should address the same matters as a firesafety audit on an existing building except thatminimum requirements for matters that wouldotherwise be observed during an audit, such asmaintenance, fire prevention and training, shouldbe stated and considered in the subsequent riskassessment.

Deterministic Analysis (Study)A method of analysis based on physicalrelationships derived from a scientific theoryand/or empirical results that, for a given set ofinitial conditions, will always produce the sameoutcome.

FacilityA facility is a building or group of buildings thatis ‘staffed’ but excludes single dwellings,community-based houses and supportedcommunity-based houses.

Fire Engineering Design BriefA formalised design review and hazardidentification and assessment procedure,undertaken by a team of representatives fromvarious organisations involved in the study. Thisprocess is referred to as a Qualitative DesignReview in International Standards Organisationdraft Standards.

Fire Resistance LevelThe grading periods in minutes determined inaccordance with specification A2.3 of BCAVolume One.

Fire Risk AssessmentIn the context of these guidelines, a fire riskassessment is one or more, normally acombination, of:• a qualitative fire risk assessment• a quantitative fire risk assessment• a regulatory assessment

Depending on the particular application.

Fire Safety AuditA site inspection and document review tocharacterise the building contents, the fire safetyprovisions, people and the environment, to thedegree necessary to undertake a fire riskassessment and to identify severe fire hazardsrequiring interim fire precautions.

Fire Safety EngineerAn engineer who is registered under the categoryof engineer, Class of Fire Safety Engineer by theVictorian Building Control Commission and hasappropriate experience in conducting fire safetyaudits and risk assessments.


Fire Safety PlanA document that defines the fire safety strategyfor a facility in terms of the required levels ofperformance, design parameters andmaintenance requirements for each physical orhuman measure/factor.

Fire Safety StrategyA combination of physical and humanmeasures/factors including maintenance andmanagement systems that have been specified toachieve nominated fire risk managementobjectives.

Human Factors

(Measures or Precautions) Occupant characteristics, management practices,emergency control organisation, training and thelike that may impact on fire safety. Humanmeasures or precautions typically relate tofacilities/building management issues.

Interim Fire Safety PrecautionsTemporary or permanent fire safety measures toaddress severe fire hazards prior to theimplementation of the full fire safety upgradeworks. Interim measures do not, as a matter ofcourse, bring facilities to compliance.

Physical Factors (Measures orPrecautions) Fire protection equipment, lining materials,architectural layout, egress provisions and thelike that may impact on fire safety. Physicalmeasures or precautions generally relate tocapital works.

Practical (practicable) Practical (practicable) having regard to:(a) The severity of the hazard or risk in question.(b) The state of knowledge about the hazard or

risk and any ways of removing or mitigatingthat hazard or risk.

(c) The availability and suitability of ways toremove or mitigate that hazard or risk.

(d) The cost of removing or mitigating thathazard or risk.

Probabilistic Analysis(Probabilistic Risk Assessment)A method of analysis based on the estimation ofthe probabilities and consequences of firescenarios to establish, for example, the risk to lifefrom fires in a building. This method is generallyused for a comparative approach.

Relevant Building SurveyorThe building surveyor appointed to the project.The relevant building surveyor shall haveobtained at least a graduate certificate related toperformance-based building and fire codes andshall be registered by the Building ControlCommission under the class of BuildingSurveyor and, in addition, under the 1997Amendment to the Building Regulations 1994 toassess performance-based submissions.

Relevant Fire Safety EngineerThe fire safety engineer appointed to the project.

Risk AssessmentAn assessment of the potential for the realisationof an unwanted event, which is a function of thehazard, its probability and consequences. See also‘Fire Risk Assessment’.

Single DwellingA detached house or one or more attacheddwellings, each being a building separated by afire-resisting wall, and housing a family unit.

Supported Community-BasedHousesHouses of a typical domestic type constructionand layout, which may be on separate sites orgrouped together on one site with 24-hour on-sitesupport or care staff and having a floor area notgreater than 350m2 and accommodating no morethan six residents and where any of the residentsrequire significant (or physical) assistance toevacuate the building during an emergency.


4.1 Fire safety audits and fire risk assessmentsmust be undertaken by the relevant fire safetyengineer, or by competent persons under thedirect supervision and guidance of the relevantfire safety engineer.

4.2 Fire safety audits and fire risk assessmentreports must be signed by the relevant fire safetyengineer. The relevant fire safety engineer shallbe employed by the organisation commissionedto undertake the fire safety audit and fire riskassessment.

4.3 The appointed relevant building surveyorshall not be an employee, agent, or principal ofthe relevant fire safety engineer’s organisation oran organisation related to it.

Note:

The intent is to maintain independence of therelevant building surveyor from the relevantfire safety engineer. Any other relationships orarrangements that may compromise thisindependence must be disclosed in writingwhen making fee submissions/proposals andthe like.

4.4 The relevant building surveyor shall haveobtained at least a graduate certificate related toperformance-based building and fire codes orshall have equivalent qualifications and shall beregistered by the Building Control Commissionunder the 1997 Amendment to the BuildingRegulations 1994.

4.5 The relevant building surveyor or abuilding surveyor from the same organisationunder the direct supervision of the relevantbuilding surveyor must carry out a siteinspection during the audit process and providea regulatory assessment against the Building Actand Regulations with respect to fire safety issues.The regulatory assessment must identify specificnon-compliances with the deemed-to-satisfyprovisions of the BCA 1996.

4. Responsibilities of Relevant Fire Safety Engineersand Building Surveyors



5. Principles for Fire Risk Management in Buildings orFacilities Owned or Occupied by the Department of HumanServices or Department-Funded Agencies

5.6 Where practicable, the following fire safetyprinciples should be applied to allbuildings/houses:• That the frequency of outbreaks of fire is

minimised by the implementation of aneffective fire prevention strategy.

• That if a fire occurs it is rapidly detected, analarm is given and the fire authority is calledeither automatically or manually.

• That there is a safe means of escape from allendangered areas to places of safety foreveryone on the premises.

• That where required by the building fire riskmanagement strategy, the development andspread of a fire be delayed and contained aslong as possible by selection of appropriatelinings and furnishings, and bycompartmentation.

• That where required by the building fire riskmanagement strategy, automatic suppressionsystems be provided to supplement the aboveprecautions.

• That where required by Department ofHuman Services Policy, the Department’s Fireand Emergency Response Procedures and TrainingFramework or the building fire riskmanagement strategy, training, exercises anddrills be regularly undertaken, evacuationplans documented and communicationsystems provided. This will enable staff (and,where appropriate other occupants) to assessthe situation in the event of a fire, determinethe most appropriate action and implementthese actions.

• That endangered areas be evacuated quicklyto a pre-arranged location, according to arehearsed procedure.

• That evacuated areas be checked for thepresence of occupants and a roll call iscompleted.

• That the fire be extinguished as quickly aspossible by automatic systems (where fitted)or by site personnel in accordance with, andto the extent covered by, their fire fightingtraining and experience, if safe to do so, or byexternal intervention of the relevant fireauthority.


5.1 Fire safety relies on a combination ofphysical and human factors. These factors willvary depending on the occupancy and buildingtype.

5.2 Physical factors generally include:• General building design and construction,

including compartmentation and resistance ofthe structure to fire.

• Automatic fire detection, communication andalarm systems.

• Manual and automatic fire suppressionprovisions.

• Smoke control systems.• Emergency lighting and exit signage.• Provision and upkeep of fire retardant

furnishings, textiles, fixtures and fittingswhere practicable.

• Egress and security provisions.• Maintenance of equipment.

The above factors rely heavily on properinstallation and maintenance to achieve anacceptable level of fire safety.

5.3 Human factors are influenced by:• General housekeeping.• Effective local management and organisation.• Careful preparation of appropriate fire safety

policy and procedures and ongoing trainingwhere practicable, review, and commitment tofire safety.

• Appropriate emergency control arrangements.• Building use.

5.4 Human factors can have a significant impacton the frequency of fire starts as well asminimising the adverse consequences of a fire ifit occurs.

5.5 All fire safety equipment and the associatedbuilding services and procedures are to bemaintained so that, as far as practicable, the firesafety strategy for a facility is not compromised.This requirement relates to physical factors thatshould be maintained in accordance with Part 11of the Building Regulations, and human factorsthat include management, organisation, firesafety policies, staff training and evacuationcapabilities.


6. Fire Risk Management Objectives

6.1 The fire risk management objectives of theDepartment of Human Services can be dividedinto primary objectives and secondary objectives.The fire safety audit and risk assessment shalladdress primary objectives only unless the scopeis specifically increased to address secondaryobjectives.

Primary Objectives• To safeguard people from illness or injury due

to a fire in a building.• To comply with relevant Acts and

Regulations.

Note:

To satisfy the objective to safeguard peoplefrom illness or injury due to a fire in abuilding, the Department requires a fire safetyaudit and risk assessment to be undertaken onnominated facilities. This will identify firehazards and determine practicable precautionsto address the hazards. Any fire safety upgradesshould be implemented in accordance with therecommendations of the relevant fire safetyengineers.

Secondary Objectives• To maintain services to the local community.• To continue operations (minimise business

interruption).• To protect assets.• To enhance public image and satisfy moral

obligations.

Note:

A judgement is required as to the relativeimportance of a building or part of a buildingor facility in order to ascertain if there is a needfor additional precautions to satisfy the abovesecondary objectives. This judgement will needto be made at senior management level for thefacility or building.

6.2 The objectives, functional statements andperformance requirements of the BCA 1996,supplemented by the Building Regulations 1994and other fire related statutes such as

occupational health and safety (OH&S)legislation, infer community expectations for firerisk management. The Department of HumanServices has adopted these as a benchmark forfire risk management in its facilities. However,each facility will normally require a uniquelytailored fire safety strategy and variations will beexpected between facilities.

6.3 The Department of Human Servicesconsiders that fire prevention and fire safety(emergency) management should form an integralpart of any fire risk management strategy. Giventhese matters are not adequately addressed in theBCA 1996, this document includes additionalguidance on matters to be considered. Referenceshould also be made to OH&S legislation.

6.4 The individual performance requirementsspecified in the BCA 1996 must be satisfied orequivalency with deemed-to-satisfy solutions inthe BCA 1996 must be demonstrated.

6.5 To aid interpretation of these requirements,the objectives and functional statementspresented in the various parts of the BCA 1996(Class 2 to Class 9 buildings) have beenconsolidated and are listed below.

BCA Objectives• Safeguard people from illness or injury due to

fire in a building.• Facilitate the activities of emergency services

personnel in the event of a fire.• Protect other buildings and property from

physical damage due to collapse or firespread.

• Maintain fire protection equipment to satisfythe above objectives.

BCA Functional Statements• A building is to be constructed to maintain

structural stability during a fire to:• Allow occupants time to evacuate safely.• Allow for fire brigade intervention.• Avoid damage to other property.



• A building is to be provided with safeguardsto prevent fire spread:• To adjoining fire compartments.• Between buildings.• So that occupants have time to evacuate

safely without being overcome by theeffects of fire.

• To allow for fire brigade intervention.

7. Administration of the Fire Risk AssessmentProcess


7.1 A typical flow chart for the fire riskassessment process is shown in figure 2.

Note:

Figure 2 and this guideline do not describe indetail the internal processes and methodologythat should be adopted by consultants in orderto ensure that fire safety audits and the fire riskassessments are carried out in a thorough andmethodical manner. All consultants carrying outwork in accordance with these guidelines shouldensure that internal processes and the adoptedmethodology are appropriate for the purpose.

7.2 The work program should be defined withmilestone dates for nominated events, such as:• Completion of the interim report.• Meeting to review the interim report, define

depth of study for the quantitative assessmentand define interim fire safety precautionsrequired.

• Completion of the final report.• Completion of documentation and tendering

for the implementation of interim measures.• Meeting to discuss the final report.• Submission of the final report, together with

the relevant building surveyor and fire safetyengineer certification.

• Acceptance of the final risk assessment report.• Completion, commissioning, testing and

certification of the interim precautions.• Submission of the fire safety plan for the

facility to the Project Control Group(PCG)/Fire Engineering Design Brief (FEDB)meeting for approval (project completion).

7.3 When a fire safety engineering designapproach is to be used for major projects, aconsultative process should be followed. Thismay utilise the procedures of AS/NZS 4360; orthe Fire Code Reform Centre Limited FireEngineering Guidelines ( FEDB) or other agreedformat. The following people may be involved inthe consultation process:• The CEO responsible for the facility, or a

delegated person.• A representative of the Department of Human

Services.

• The relevant fire safety engineer responsiblefor the project.

• The relevant building surveyor with thenecessary competence to evaluateperformance-based designs.

• An architect or other members of the designteam if building works are planned or beingundertaken.

• The Metropolitan Fire Brigade or Country FireAuthority.

• A checking fire safety engineer.• Other personnel as required.

7.4 In some instances, communication withsome authorities/organisations may be bycorrespondence or supplementary meetings,rather than at a PCG meeting.

7.5 Minutes of all relevant meetings shall becirculated to all members, confirmed andappended to the final fire safety audit and riskassessment report. The relevant fire safetyengineer or his/her representative will normallybe responsible for recording the minutes.

7.6 A committee and/or nominatedorganisations will be responsible for commentingon the submissions from the fire safety engineer.In particular, they will consider:• The accuracy of the fire audit.• Whether the reports address the necessary

issues in sufficient depth.• Whether the respective organisations agree

with the findings of the reports submitted forcomment.

7.7 The interim report shall initially besubmitted as a draft and prepared in accordancewith section 9 of this guideline.

7.8 Outcomes from the interim report willinclude:• Identification of major fire hazards that require

urgent attention and the definition ofappropriate interim precautions (see section10) that must be implemented as soon aspracticable.

• Identification of potential practicableprecautions (trial fire safety strategies) toaddress fire hazards in the long term.


Note:

It may be necessary to consider more than onetrial strategy in order to identify the optimumsolution.

• A statement of proposed methods of analysisand design fire scenarios and acceptancecriteria.

7.9 The final report shall contain thequantitative analysis and shall fully documentthe risk assessment process and findings andinclude costings of nominated fire precautionstogether with a prioritisation on a scale of 1 to 3,with 1 being the highest priority. The highestpriority, all other factors being equal, should beassigned to measures providing the greatest riskreduction compared to the required expenditure.

7.10 The final report shall initially be submittedas a draft and be prepared in accordance withsection 12 of this guideline.

7.11 Once the draft final report has beenaccepted by the relevant FEDB/PCG committee,the final report can be formally issued. The finalreport shall include the relevant buildingsurveyor’s determination with respect tocompliance with the BCA 1996 and the BuildingRegulations 1994. This may include a Form 13 asdefined in the Building Regulations.

7.12 Where a non-compliance is identified andlife safety is not significantly compromised,having regard for the practicality of the necessaryprecautions to alleviate the risk, the relevantbuilding surveyor may exercise discretionarypowers where permitted under the BuildingRegulations. Where discretionary powers are notavailable, the matter could be referred to theVictorian Building Appeals Board subject toapproval from the PCG committee, CMB or theOoH Asset Manager and the CEO of the facilityor a delegate. Where discretionary powers areused, the relevant building surveyor shall issue aForm 13 clearly identifying where discretionarypowers have been exercised and certifying theremaining fire related provisions as complyingwith the Building Regulations.

7.13 After completion of the final report, a firesafety plan must be prepared by the relevant firesafety engineer that defines the long term firesafety strategy for the facility. Reference shouldbe made to section 13 of this guideline forfurther information.

8. Fire Safety Audit


audit). Refer to section 16 for further details.

8.5 The depth of investigation and inspectionundertaken during an audit must be clearlystated in a report and when a proposal is made.The depth of investigation should reflect theneeds of the project.

For example, in order to perform a fire riskassessment, the likely reliability and performanceof fire safety equipment may be estimated, basedon visual inspection, a review of designdocumentation, test results and maintenancerecords supplemented by a statistical review.

8.6 The following is a list of parameters which afire safety audit is expected to address, however,the list should not be considered to beexhaustive.

General Architectural/Structural/Services Design and Site LayoutLocation and orientation relative to otherbuildings, site boundaries and other hazards.

• Overall size of the building, number of storeysabove and below ground level.

• Location of fire separating elements and otherenclosure boundaries, together with theposition and sizes of doors, windows andother areas with potentially lower fireresistance.

• Details of structural elements including fireresistance of individual elements andstructure as a whole, if appropriate.

• Building legibility and normal circulationroutes, including main entrances and exits.

• Egress provisions, including the identificationof dead ends, maintenance/adequacy of pathsof travel, exit widths, travel distances, refugesfor disabled, security requirements, provisionfor dispersal of people from the vicinity of thebuilding, and horizontal exits.

• Relevant details of building services present,including heating, ventilation and airconditioning system (HVAC), hydraulicservices, combustible gases (or gases whichfoster combustion), medical gases and relatedservices, electrical services and

General8.1 The primary purpose of a fire safety audit isto characterise the building, contents, fire safetyprovisions, people and the environment to thedegree necessary to allow for a fire riskassessment to be undertaken and to identifysevere fire hazards requiring interim fire safetyprecautions.

8.2 A full compliance or conformance audit torelevant design standards and codes forinstallation and maintenance lies outside thescope of the fire safety audit. However, this maybe specified as an interim work where, forexample, there is reasonable doubt as to thereliability of fire safety equipment or the fireresistance of structural elements.

8.3 For existing buildings, a physical audit shallbe undertaken in accordance with the guidelines.It shall be supplemented by a review of allprevious fire safety audits and fire riskassessments, reports and consultant surveys,which will be provided on a confidential basis tothe consultant by the facility management. Thisrequirement extends to previous draft reportsand reports that may impact on fire safety or theimplementation of fire safety measures, such asrisk assessments undertaken for insurancepurposes and asbestos audits. Such reports areprovided for background information only andno reliance should be placed on previous fireaudit reports. The contents of previous reportsshall not be used as the basis for subsequentaudits or used in full or in part for any otherpurpose. In addition, architectural and buildingservices drawings shall be reviewed andinterviews undertaken with key staff members.The relevant building surveyor, or a buildingsurveyor under direct supervision and from thesame organisation, must undertake a siteinspection and prepare a regulatory assessment,according to the relevant sections of thisguideline.

8.4 For new facilities the audit may be based ona review of drawings/design documentation anddiscussion with key personnel (that is, a desktop


communication services, and fire services.• Access for fire appliances.• Identification of potential fire and smoke spread routes.• Configuration of hidden voids.

Fire Protection Equipment

Table 1: Fire Protection Equipment

Automatic Fire Suppression Systems • Type of extinguishing medium.• Availability of extinguishing medium.• General design of system.• Age and condition of system.

Fire Detection System • Type of system.• General locations/zones.• Age and condition of system.

Structural Fire Protection • Type of protection and likely Fire Resistance Level (FRL).• Age and condition of system.• Likely structural response to fires.

Compartmentation • Type and location of fire and smoke barriers.• Protection of openings and services penetrations, such as dampers,

shutters, magnetic door hold-open devices, fans and vents.

Active Smoke Management Measures • Type of systems.• Age and condition of system.• Performance of systems.

Alarm Warning and Intercommunication Systems • Details of the following systems including functional description, age and condition.

• Automatic fire alarm system.• Nurse calling system.• Paging system.• Emergency Warning and Intercommunications Systems (EWIS).• Manual Call Points (MCPs).• Public Address (PA) system.• PABX systems.• Two way radios.• Computer networks.• Mobile phones.

Manual Fire Suppression Provisions • Type of manual suppression equipment (portable extinguishers, fire blankets, hose reels and hydrants).

• Age and condition of equipment.

Maintenance and Reliability of Fire • Review maintenance documentation and test results to judge Protection Systems adequacy of maintenance systems.

• Review documentation, statistics, and results of audit to estimate reliability of the system.


Occupant Characteristics• Number of tenants, staff, clients/patients, staff

to client/patient ratios, and number ofvisitors, at all times of day.

• Distribution of tenants, staff and clients at alltimes of day.

• Mobility and awareness at all times of day(tenants, staff and clients).

• Disabilities of clients.• Effect on client of medication administered.• Familiarity with the building.• Levels of fire safety training.• Duties performed by staff.• Potential for fire lighting behaviour.• Age.• Sex.• Aggressive behaviour.• Ability to interpret and react to an emergency.

Fire Brigade Intervention• Equipment carried on fire appliance where

critical. For example, some Country FireAuthority appliances may not have readyaccess to breathing apparatus.

• Attendance set-up time and number and typeof first response vehicles.

• Fire hydrants.• Site access.• Fire fighter access (for example, stairs, lifts,

protected lobby).• Smoke extraction.• Other information required by the Fire

Brigade Intervention Model published byAustralasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC),where relevant.

• Monitored connection between facility fireindicator panel (FIP) and fire brigade or othermonitoring body.

• Participation of fire brigade in facilityevacuation and other training.

Enclosure Audit (of SelectedRoom(s))It is expected that all enclosures will be inspectedduring an audit, unless access is denied orenclosures are specifically excluded. For selectedenclosures it will be appropriate to obtain furtherdetailed information for further analysis orconsideration. This information may include thefollowing:• Size and shape.• Use of room.• Potential ignition sources (for example,

smoking, cooking activities, electricalequipment, wiring, hazardous activities,arson, exposure to fire source features).

• Substantial combustible contents and itemswhich would potentially aid rapid fire growth.

• Fire load density.• Estimated fire growth characteristics.• Enclosure boundaries and lining materials.• Location of structural elements.• Fire protection system provided.• Escape routes.• Fire and smoke spread routes.• HVAC, heating and ventilation systems.• Ambient noise levels.• Number of occupants, characteristics and

proximity to staff.• Fire hazards (for example, medical gases,

flammable liquids).

Fire Prevention Methods• Maintenance of electrical and heating

appliances and other hazardous items ofequipment.

• Provision of circuit breakers in protection ofelectrical circuits.

• Provision of earth leakage protection ofelectrical circuits.

• Measures to minimise arson.• Safe management practices regarding highly

flammable materials.• Housekeeping.• Control of properties of materials (for

example, flame-retardant furnishings).

Fire Safety Management• Numbers and locations of wardens.• Levels of staff training.• Frequency and results of drills and exercises.• Implementation of fire prevention strategies

(that is, housekeeping).• Implementation of maintenance policies and

schedules.• Emergency procedures.• Adequacy of fire notices and plans.• Management plan and reporting systems.• Work permit systems.

Emergency Exit Signage andEmergency Lighting• Types.• Location.• Adequacy.• Reliability.

External Hazard Identification• Type.• Location.• Potential consequences.

OtherAny other matters that may significantlyinfluence fire safety or the implementation of firesafety precautions. Examples include:• Asbestos locations.• Security (including consideration of the effect

on egress provisions).• Functional requirements of the facility.• The practicality of potential fire safety

precautions.

8.7 Extreme hazards identified during the auditshould be immediately brought to the attentionof senior staff at the facility or building, andrectification works nominated as soon aspracticable.

8.8 The fire audit shall be fully documented inthe report and shall include an identification ofall sources of information and the dates of theaudit, in addition to the observations.


9. Interim Report


General9.1 The interim report shall include as aminimum:• Executive summary.• The fire safety audit (see section 8) and

building surveyor’s inspection reportincluding assessment of variations fromdeemed-to-satisfy provisions.

• Fire statistics and literature review.• Preliminary qualitative risk assessment.• Determination of the required interim

precautions.• Proposed potential fire safety strategies (trial

conceptual designs).• Design fire scenarios.• Proposed method/depth of

assessment/analysis.• Acceptance criteria of assessment/analysis.• Issues arising from previous reports.• Order of magnitude costs.

Fire Statistics and LiteratureReview9.2 A fire statistics and literature review shall beincluded in the report to assist in theidentification of fire hazards, major causes ofinjuries, the reliability of fire protection systemsand other data that can be used in the riskassessment process.

9.3 All sources of information shall bereferenced. Sources may include Australian FireStatistics or Fire Statistics and Incident Reportspublished by the Department of Human Services.

9.4 The preliminary qualitative risk assessmentshall:• Identify all severe fire hazards requiring

interim fire safety precautions and specify thenecessary fire precautions to minimise the riskas far as practicable. (See section 10 for furtherinformation.)

• Identify all major fire hazards.• Identify practicable precautions that may

address the fire hazards in the long term(potential fire safety strategies).

Note:

The preliminary qualitative risk assessmentshould be extended in the final report to assess,for example, compliance with performancerequirements of the BCA 1996 for non-residential buildings.

9.5 On the basis of the qualitative riskassessment, the following shall be proposed:• Methods/depth of analysis.• Design fire scenarios.• Proposed acceptance criteria.

Note:

As a minimum, a Level 2 analysis as defined inthe Fire Engineering Guidelines, published bythe Fire Code Reform Centre, is required as partof the quantitative analysis for buildings orparts of buildings with client/patient overnightaccommodation.


10.1 Upon completion of the fire audit andqualitative risk assessment, a number of firehazards may have been identified. These hazardsmust be stated in the interim report.

10.2 In determining the need for, and extent ofinterim fire precautions, the following factorsmust be considered:• The severity of the fire hazard(s) identified.• A realistic time estimate to implement the

potential fire safety strategies which areidentified at the end of the fire audit orqualitative risk assessment. Normally interimmeasures should be capable of beingimplemented within six months of anagreement to proceed.

• A realistic estimate of the time to implementthe nominated interim fire safety precautions.

• The cost, practicability and likely effectivenessof proposed interim fire safety precautions.

• Adverse consequences of implementing theproposed interim fire safety precautions (forexample, interruption of day-to-day activities,hazards introduced during implementation).

• Any other factors considered pertinent.

10.3 The relevant fire safety engineer andrelevant building surveyor in consultation withthe PCG are required to determine if interim firesafety precautions are required and, if so, theextent of such precautions.

10.4 It is accepted that it is unrealistic to expectinterim precautions to provide the same level offire safety as that provided in the long term.

10.5 If the time difference betweenimplementation of the permanent upgrade andthe interim precautions is small, it may bereasonable to accept a higher risk than if theperiod is an extended one, having regard for theseverity of the fire hazard.

10.6 The interim precautions may comprise amix of human and physical precautions. Thebasis for determining interim fire precautionsmust be fully documented in the interim report,together with all assumptions made and costestimates.

Note:

Physical precautions typically relate to capitalworks; human precautions typically relate tofacility management issues.

10.7 The PCG is the body that is responsible forapproving the interim works package.

10.8 The relevant fire safety engineer or anominated sub-consultant shall prepare tenderdocumentation or instruction for theimplementation of physical precautions.

10.9 Tenders must be called followingGovernment tendering procedures, unless theworks are carried out under existing contracts orby facility staff in-house. It should be noted thatconsent may be required from reportingauthorities for some works and that a buildingpermit will be required for works relating to firesafety and essential services that are notclassified as maintenance.

10.10 It should also be noted that registeredbuilders will be required to undertake the worksin accordance with the Building Regulations if abuilding permit is required since it is notDepartment of Human Services policy to act asan owner builder.

10.11The relevant fire safety engineer or anominated sub-consultant must act as thesuperintendent for works performed by externalcontractors and administer the project.

10.12 The relevant fire safety engineer, or aconsultant with appropriate knowledge ofperformance-based fire engineering and fire andemergency response procedures and training,shall prepare tender documentation orinstruction for the implementation of humanprecautions. These may take the form of, forexample, detailed instructions on fire preventionmeasures to be implemented or a specificationfor training and/or drills that are required to beundertaken.

10.13 The relevant fire safety engineer mustconfirm that the necessary work nominated forthe human interim precautions has been

10. Interim Fire Safety Precautions



satisfactorily undertaken. This may require, forexample, arrangement of and/or witnessing drills,reviewing the content and extent of training orcompetency-based assessment procedures.

10.14 Upon completion, the relevant fire safetyengineer must confirm that the interim works havebeen satisfactorily implemented and if a buildingpermit has been issued an Occupancy Permit orCertificate of Final Inspection must be provided bythe relevant building surveyor.

11. Assessment of Compliance with BCAPerformance Requirements


General11.1 This section describes minimumrequirements for performing and documentingthe assessment of a fire safety strategy against theperformance requirements of the BCA 1996.

11.2 It should be noted that the relevant firesafety engineer also needs to consider other firesafety matters in order to satisfy the fire safetyprinciples and objectives nominated in theseguidelines. For example, reference should bemade to sections 5 and 6 of this guideline andGuideline 7.1 Fire Risk Management Policy andProcedures.

11.3 In order to comply with the BCA 1996, it isnecessary to demonstrate compliance with theperformance requirements. The BCA 1996 deemsthat a building solution (fire safety strategy)satisfies the performance requirements if it can beshown that the strategy either:

i) Complies with the performance requirements

or

ii) Is shown to be at least equivalent to thedeemed-to-satisfy provisions.

11.4 A combination approach is also permittedwhereby it is necessary to identify variationsfrom the deemed-to-satisfy provisions and thenassess compliance of the variations against theperformance requirements or show equivalencywith the deemed-to-satisfy provisions for thosespecific variations.

Quantification of PerformanceRequirements11.5 The performance requirements in the BCA1996 are generally not expressed in readilyquantifiable terms.

For example, performance requirement CP1states:

CP1 A building must have elements whichwill, to the degree necessary, maintainstructural stability during a fire appropriate to:

(a) the function or use of the building; and(b) the fire load; and(c) the potential fire intensity; and(d) the fire hazard; and(e) the height of the building; and(f) its proximity to other property; and(g) any active fire safety systems installed in the

building; and(h) the size of any fire compartment; and(i) fire brigade intervention; and(j) other elements they support.

11.6 While the performance requirementsgenerally recognise the interaction between firesafety sub-systems by use of terms such as, ‘tothe degree necessary’ and ‘appropriate to’; avalue judgement as to what is an acceptable levelof risk is required.

11.7 Since it is not possible to totally eradicatethe risk to life from fire in buildings, a pointneeds to be identified where the adverse effectsof additional fire safety provisions outweigh thereduction in risk achieved.

11.8 It needs to be recognised that there areindividual differences in risk perceptions,attitudes and values and these impactsignificantly on the ‘human equation’ in thedecision making process when determiningcompliance with the performance requirements,which are not readily quantifiable. For thisreason, it is required that the relevant fire safetyengineer’s organisation and relevant buildingsurveyor’s organisation are independent andboth organisations confirm that the performancerequirements of the BCA 1996 have beensatisfied.

11.9 The relevant fire safety engineer andrelevant building surveyor can derive someguidance in determining acceptable levels ofperformance from the deemed-to-satisfyprovisions of the BCA 1996 even when notformally adopting an equivalency approach. Thebuilding surveyor is, therefore, required toprovide a regulatory assessment defining specificvariations from the deemed-to-satisfy provisions.


However, it is the responsibility of the fire safetyengineer as part of the design process to identifyany solutions, if required, to address thevariations. Additional guidance may be derivedfrom the Australian Building Codes Board(ABCB) companion document to the BCA 1996,which presents useful background to thederivation of various deemed-to-satisfyprovisions.

11.10For example, the deemed-to-satisfyrequirements can infer appropriate levels ofredundancy and reliability for a fire safetystrategy in addition to expected levels ofperformance and suitable safety factors.

11.11 It should, however, be noted that thedeemed-to-satisfy solutions are required toaddress worst case building configuration andmay, therefore, be overly conservative for specificbuilding configurations.

11.12The depth of analysis required will dependon the magnitude and complexity of thevariation from the deemed-to-satisfy solution andperceived risk. The analysis may be based on anessentially qualitative discussion (expertjudgement) or a detailed quantitative analysis or,more usually, a combination of both. Forbuildings providing overnight accommodationfor clients/patients, a quantitative analysis mustbe provided.

11.13The final report must include an assessmentagainst each fire-related performancerequirement clearly indicating how compliancehas been demonstrated having regard for thenominated factors.

12. Final Report


12.1 When undertaking fire safety audits and firerisk assessments, quantitative analysis must beundertaken on all buildings containingclient/patient overnight accommodation. Theneed for quantitative analysis of other buildingsshould be nominated as a recommendation in theinterim report.

12.2 Risk may be considered to be thesummation of the product of the probabilitiesand consequences of all potential outcomes of afire.

12.3 It is not practical or economical to considerall potential outcomes. Therefore it is oftennecessary to simplify the analysis.

12.4 Normally a Level 2 analysis, as defined inthe Fire Code Reform Centre Fire EngineeringGuidelines, is appropriate for determining theadequacy of a fire safety strategy. A Level 2analysis is essentially a deterministic study,which in itself will not give an indication of risk.However, when defining credible scenarios foranalysis the reliability of fire protection systemsand the probability of events must be considered.This can be achieved by, for example, analysis ofthe global fire safety system (that is, the entirefire safety strategy) with one or more componentfailures supplemented by sensitivity analysis ofkey parameters and consideration of reliability ofequipment.

The prescriptive deemed-to-satisfy requirementsof the BCA 1996 can be used as a guide todetermine appropriate levels of redundancy andas a benchmark for the analysis.

Note:

Issues such as fire spread via openings can beevaluated by calculation without necessarilycarrying out a Level 2 analysis.

12.5 The relevant fire safety engineer mayrecommend a more detailed analysis such as aLevel 3 analysis as defined in the Fire CodeReform Centre Fire Engineering Guidelines toevaluate specific issues. Under suchcircumstances, approval of the PCG should besought.

12.6 The risk assessment shall take a holisticapproach to fire safety and consider effectivenessof fire prevention methods and fire managementprocedures, in addition to traditional forms offire protection systems. The risk assessment mustaddress hazards such as arson as far aspracticable by, for example, the enforcement ofsecurity measures.

12.7 The general principles of the Fire CodeReform Centre Fire Engineering Guidelines, as aminimum, shall be adopted. In particular, thereporting requirements shall be satisfied.

These are summarised below:• Objectives of the study.• Description of the building and its type of

occupancy.• Results of the consultative process:

• Parties involved in the consultative process.• Fire safety objectives.• Results of the hazard identification.• Basis for selecting fire scenarios for analysis.• Acceptance criteria.• Trial concept designs.• Redundancies between and within

sub-systems.and• Influence of fire safety management.

• Evaluation of quantitative analysis andquantitative analysis results:• Assumptions.• Engineering judgements.• Risk assessment methodologies and

calculation procedures.• Validation of methodologies.• Sensitivity analysis.• Evaluation of risk assessment results

against acceptance criteria.

• Identification of final conceptual fire safetystrategy:• Fire protection measures to be provided.• ‘Management in use’ issues integral to the

design.

• References:• Drawings.• Design documentation.• Technical literature.

12.8 Due to the specialised nature of facilitiesowned or occupied by the Department of HumanServices or by Department funded agencies,particular attention shall be paid to the occupantcharacteristics. It should be noted that the defaultparameters given in the Fire Code Reform CentreFire Engineering Guidelines current at the time ofpreparation of this guideline, may not beapplicable to certain Department facilities.

12.9 In addition to the requirements in (12.7) thefinal report shall include:• The contents of the interim report.• An extension of the qualitative fire risk

assessment, if required.• Regulatory assessment by the relevant

building surveyor identifying variations fromthe deemed-to-satisfy provisions.

• Glossary of terms.• List of variations from the BCA 1996 deemed-

to-satisfy provisions.• Evaluation against the performance

requirements of the BCA 1996.• Itemised costings for the required fire safety

precautions.• Indication of the priority for the works on a

scale from 1 (highest priority) to 3 (lowestpriority).

12.10 The prioritisation should be based on thelevel of risk reduction having regard for cost,anticipated speed of implementation,practicability, current level of risk andbenchmarks such as the building regulations.

Unless otherwise notified, the fire safety engineermay assume the following implementationtiming for priority 1 to 3 works:

Priority 1: within two years.

Note:

This is consistent with the period that theBuilding Regulations allowed for retrospectiveinstallation of smoke detection in residentialproperties.

Priority 2: two to five years

Note:

This is consistent with the period that theBuilding Regulations allow for retrospectiveinstallation of automatic fire sprinkler systemin high risk facilities such as supportedcommunity-based houses.

Priority 3: more than five years.

Except in extreme cases, not all works should beallocated as Priority 1 to enable the Departmentto best allocate funds across all its facilities.

The facility should establish and maintain aprogram for the implementation of Priority 2 and3 works.

12.11 A statement of compliance, with theBuilding Regulations , the BCA 1996 and relevantDepartment of Human Services guidelines, shallbe provided by both the relevant fire safetyengineer and the relevant building surveyor.

12.12 The relevant building surveyor may issuea Form 13 as defined in the Building Regulations.It is noted that a Form 13 should not be providedby the relevant fire safety engineer or otheremployee of the same or a related company sincethey are the designers of the fire safety strategy.

Note:

Both the fire safety engineer and the buildingsurveyor shall document in their reports thebasis on which they have determinedcompliance with the BCA 1996 in sufficientdepth to enable a third party to understand thelogic behind their decisions.

12.13 It is expected that the final report will fullydocument the fire safety audit and fire riskassessment process and that it should alsoundergo an internal review process by theorganisation responsible for its preparation.


12.14 To help ensure that all issues identifiedduring the audit/risk assessment are adequatelyaddressed, a quality matrix must be included inthe final report comprising, as a minimum, thefollowing entries:• Brief description of issues requiring action or

further investigation.• Section(s) in the report that identify and

describe an issue• Brief descriptions of required measures to

address the issue(s).• Section(s) in the report identifying measures

to address an issue.



13. Fire Safety Plan

13.1 The conceptual fire safety strategy for afacility shall be described in a fire safety plan,which must detail the fire safety policy for thefacility. This shall be prepared by the relevant firesafety engineer and provided as a separatedocument.

13.2 The document is to provide senior staff andother professionals with a clear understanding ofthe fire safety strategy for the site and what isrequired to ensure it is correctly implementedand maintained.

13.3 As a minimum it must include:• A description of the conceptual fire safety

strategy for the site including both physicaland human measures.

• Recommendations for preserving theeffectiveness of the fire safety strategy:• During future building alterations.• During changes in management and

occupant characteristics by adequatemaintenance of the fire protection systemand training of staff.and

• By providing a long term strategic plan forfire safety that is consistent with the sitemaster plan.

• For each physical fire safety provision/fireprotection system, as a minimum, a generaldescription of the system together with therelevant design standards andmaintenance/testing standards and regimesrequired to be implemented must be specified.

• For each human/management measure, ageneral description shall be provided togetherwith methods for implementing andmaintaining the measures with reference torelevant standards and other publicationsshall be provided.



14. Implementation of Priority 1-3 Building Works inExisting Buildings14.1 Implementation of the fire safety upgrademay involve engineers and building surveyorsnot involved in the initial audit. In thesecircumstances, the following procedures must befollowed:• The implementation team must identify all

matters in the fire audit/risk assessmentreport and conceptual design that theyconsider ambiguous or open to interpretation.They should then request, in writing,clarification on specific issues from therelevant fire safety engineer who undertookthe audit and risk assessment.

• Upon receipt of any clarifications, the designteam shall document the upgrades andprovide statements that the design is in fullcompliance with the fire safety upgradestrategy. A similar statement shall also beprovided from the building surveyor who iscommissioned for the implementation phase.

• Any variations from the conceptual designmust be documented and submitted to theoriginal relevant fire safety engineer.

• The relevant fire safety engineer must thenprepare a supplementary report assessingthese variations. If the implementation teamincludes a building surveyor who is qualifiedand registered to undertake performancebased assessments, the supplementary reportmay be submitted to them for approval.Alternatively, the original relevant buildingsurveyor can be approached to issue a Form13.

• The tender documentation shall be submittedto the facility management and the relevantfire safety engineer who undertook theoriginal audit and risk assessment. Theyshould then review the documentation and,subject to general compliance, provide acomment that the documentation generallycomplies with the specified fire safety strategy.It should be noted that this review is not adetailed review, for example, to assesscompliance with standards, quality assuranceissues, the adequacy of commissioningrequirements and the like.

• The fire safety upgrade design team inconjunction with the building surveyor who iscommissioned for the implementation phaseshall document fire precautions to be taken


during building works to minimise, as far aspracticable, fire and other risks. They shallalso liaise with the facility to ensuredisruption is minimised.

Note:

Under regulation 2.2 of the BuildingRegulations certain matters are required to bereferred to reporting authorities such as theChief Officer of the relevant fire brigade ifthey vary from deemed-to-satisfy provisions ofthe BCA 1996. It is the responsibility of the firesafety upgrade design team to refer such items.

14.2 Tenders must be called following approvedtendering procedures, unless the works arecarried out under existing contracts.

14.3 A building permit may be required forworks relating to fire safety and essentialservices.

14.4 Upon completion, both the relevant designengineer(s) and the building surveyor mustconfirm that the works have been satisfactorilyimplemented and an Occupancy Permit orCertificate of Final Inspection must be providedby the building surveyor.

14.5 The documentation works supervision andquality assurance measures applied by thedesign engineer(s) and building surveyor shallbe sufficient to ensure correct installation of theworks.

14.6 The implementation team shall ensure thatthe consent from the relevant reportingauthorities are obtained prior to building permitsbeing issued.


15. Implementation of Priority 1-3 Human Measures

15.1 The implementation of human measureswill be the responsibility of the facility.

15.2 Human measures generally relate to themanagement of a facility and do not normallyrelate to capital works.

15.3 Further guidance can be obtained from theDepartment of Human Services Fire andEmergency Response Procedures and TrainingFramework.

15.4 Human measures play an important role inthe fire safety strategy for most Department ofHuman Services facilities. Implementationprograms must be developed, implemented andsubsequently maintained.

15.5 The relevant fire safety engineer should becommissioned to review the implementation ofany recommendations made during the firesafety audit and risk assessment process.



16. Fire Audit and Risk Assessment Process for New BuildingsWorks Incorporating Overnight Client Bed-Based Accommodation16.1 Figure 4 shows an example of the capitalinvestment process for typical Department ofHuman Services facilities.

16.2 Where required, the relevant fire safetyengineer and building surveyor should becommissioned during the planning andevaluation phase to provide preliminary inputinto the master plan through to schematic designand design development phases.

16.3 The fire safety engineer’s role shall bedirected towards identifying cost-effective firesafety strategies that are consistent with thefunctional use of the building.

16.4 Where required, a desktop fire audit shouldthen be undertaken by the relevant fire safetyengineer followed by a risk assessment based onthe available documentation at one of thefollowing stages:• Schematic design• Design development• Contract documentation.

It is preferable that the risk assessment isperformed at the schematic design or designdevelopment stage to minimise the need formajor changes to the design documentation. Thetiming of this work will vary depending,amongst other things, on the detail provided inthe schematic or design development design andthe time available.

16.5 The scope, depth and methods described forauditing, carrying out risk assessments, assessingcompliance with the BCA 1996 and preparing firesafety plans for existing buildings shall beapplied to new buildings together withcertification requirements except that:• A desktop audit on design drawings will be

undertaken rather than a physicalinspection/audit.

• Interim works and the prioritisation of workswill not be required unless the new buildingworks are part of a redevelopment.

16.6 The design team members preparing tenderdocumentation shall provide statements that the


design is in full compliance with the fire safetystrategy defined by the relevant fire safetyengineer. The relevant fire safety engineer shallthen review the tender documentation andprovide a statement, subject to generalcompliance, that the documentation generallycomplies with the fire safety strategy.

16.7 The building surveyor shall carry out asimilar review and issue a building permit.

16.8 Throughout the construction phase, anyproposed changes to the fire safety strategy shallbe notified in writing to both the relevant firesafety engineer and building surveyor. The firesafety engineer shall then prepare asupplementary report assessing the effects of thevariations. The supplementary report shall thenbe submitted to the building surveyor, who, ifsatisfied that the design satisfies the BCA 1996,relevant regulations and relevant Department ofHuman Services guidelines, may approve thevariation.

16.9 The design team involved in managing theconstruction phase shall report, in writing, onthe degree of compliance with the fire safetystrategy, BCA 1996 and Building Regulations.Any variation must be assessed by the relevantfire safety engineer in a supplementary reportand submitted to the building surveyor.

16.10 The building surveyor shall undertake afinal inspection and issue an Occupancy Permitwhen they are satisfied that the works have beenadequately carried out.

16.11 The relevant fire safety engineer shallparticipate in the post-occupancy review. Inparticular, an assessment of the human factors,such as emergency procedures, training and thelike, shall be undertaken as well as anexamination of physical factors, such as fireprotection equipment.

16.12 The relevant fire safety engineer shallprepare a post-occupancy review reportidentifying any non-compliance andrecommending corrective actions.

Note:

If the building surveyor does not have thequalifications required by the Building ControlCommission to make performance-basedjudgements, arrangements should be made for a

From 13 to be provided by either a fire safetyengineer or an appropriately qualified buildingsurveyor who is not part of the design team andis not employed by the same organisation as thefire safety engineer or related organisation.


Figure 4: The Capital Investment Process

Proposal PhaseService Plan

Business Plan

Facility Operation Post Occupancy Review

Design DevelopmentContract

Documentation

Approval in PrincipleApproval of Project BriefSubmission in response

to Project BriefInitial NegotiationsFinal Negotiations

Design DevelopmentWorking Drawings

Construction Commissions

Tender ConstructCommission

Planning BriefMaster Plan

Functional BriefFeasibility Study

Schematic DesignValue Management Study

Investment Evaluation Report

Planning and Evaluation Phase

Documentation Phase

Implementation Phase

Operating Phase

Building that facilitate effective,efficient and economic service delivery

Activities in ProcessPublic Sector Private Sector

17.1 It is the responsibility of the fire safetyengineer undertaking the consultancy works toformulate a fire safety strategy that would satisfythe Department of Human Services objectives.

17.2 It is the responsibility of the relevantbuilding surveyor to check that the objectiveshave been satisfactorily addressed and that theupgraded building is fit for occupation once thenominated works have been undertaken.

17.3 It is the responsibility of the implementationteam and facility to ensure that the capital worksand human measures respectively are fully andcorrectly implemented.


17. General Responsibilities

Documents

Capital Development Guideline7. Administration of the Fire Risk Assessment Process 13 8. Fire Safety Audit 15 9. Interim Report 19 10. Interim Fire Safety Precautions 21 11. Assessment