The Australian government takes the safety of its workers very seriously, which is why they have come up with legislation mandating emergency preparedness across all sectors of society. For example, they have implemented Fire Safety procedures, which are then governed by various Regulations and Australian Standards.
AS3745 is designed with the objective of ensuring occupants’ safety before, during and after the emergency situation. Not only does it aim to keep people safe in the facilities, it also aims to further enhance safety measures by providing a framework for emergency planning, and by ensuring that ongoing maintenance and skills retention activities are correctly conducted.
Each state has different requirements when it comes to the emergency planning obligations of building owners, managers and occupiers. Broadly, however, the Regulations and Australian Standards are the following:
- Australian Standard 3745 – 2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities;
- Australian Standard 4083 – 2010 Planning for emergencies in Health Care Facilities;
- Australian Standard 1851 – 2012 Maintenance of Fire Protection Equipment;
- Other Australian Standards that deal with specific requirements
- State Workplace Health and Safety legislation and codes of practice
- State Fire Safety Regulations (such as the Queensland Building Fire Safety Regulations 2008)
- State Fire and Rescue / Fire Brigade acts
- Building Codes of Australia
Among the considerations factored in the legislative requirements are the following:
- Type of construction
- Building classification
- Building use
- Number of storeys
- Floor area, capacity and volume
- Type of occupancy
- Fire safety systems and procedures
As such, the building owners, managers, and occupants themselves are obligated to be familiar with the applicable policies and regulations necessary for them to exercise proper emergency safety.
For more information on Regulations and Australian Standards visit this blog article Australian Standards.
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