PREVENTING WINTER FIRE HAZARDS
Winter is well and truly upon us and statistics show that almost half of unit fires are started in the kitchen and 58% of all fire fatalities occur in winter. With winter well and truly here, let’s take the time to brush up of safety measures and be prepared if you haven’t already to reduce the risk of fires occurring which can lead to loss of property, major burns and even worse, the loss of a life.
In this article we provide tips on how to be prepared and compliant from a Body Corporate Committee member view, and tips as a resident to prevent fire hazards within your unit.
This winter, ranging from the addition of a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket to keep handy in your kitchen through to information on evacuation planning.
There are many areas of being prepared which can be completed as an individual and as a community. Here we break down the ways you can be prepared in both circumstances.
As a Committee Member
- Complete a Fire Safety Audit – The report will detail the current level of compliance/non-compliance of safety practices and equipment maintenance including images, references to standards and recommendations to assist you with achieving compliance.
- Submit an Occupiers Statement – An Occupiers Statement must be submitted annually to the Qld Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) and is a declaration that all prescribed fire safety installations located within your building have been maintained in accordance with the relevant standards.
- Prepare a Fire and Evacuation Plan – A Fire and Evacuation Plan is a comprehensive written document detailing the policies and procedures of the building when responding to and managing fire and other emergencies. Determine, if required for your building Here. It is developed following a thorough inspection of your building and will be tailored to the specific requirements of your site. Your Fire and Evacuation Plan must be reviewed annually.
- Conduct Evacuation Practice and Training – Generally referred to as an evacuation exercise, this annual requirement is designed to test the effectiveness of the emergency procedures outlined in the Fire and Evacuation Plan and ensure that building occupants are aware and become familiar with the emergency procedures. Also included in the service is specific instructions for those persons responsible for carrying out emergency procedures.
- Appoint a Fire Safety Advisor – A Fire Safety Advisor is required to be appointed where your building is more than 25 meters in effective height or where there are 30 or more workers on site. A qualified and experienced Fire Safety Advisor should be appointed to your building and be available to provide advice to you at all times.
- Display Evacuation Diagrams – A building must display evacuation diagrams in common areas to outline the process to follow in the event of a fire or other emergency and direct people out of the building to a designated emergency assembly area. If a unit is being used for short-term accommodation, an evacuation diagram must also be displayed inside the unit. Various finishes are available to suit the design and materials of your building and the evacuation diagrams are subject to a separate quotation being provided.
As a Resident/Lot Owner
- Review the Fire and Evacuation Plan – Determine if required for your building Here. If there is, then ensure it is current and obtain a copy of it paying attention to where the assembly area is, what firefighting equipment is on site and most importantly, what evacuation routes/paths of travel to use.
- If you are considering having any form of heating elements installed ensure you use equipment that is approved to Australian Standards and will be installed by a licensed and insured electrician.
- Never leave your cooking unattended and always keep watch (particularly when cooking with any volume of oil). Keep a fire extinguisher and a fire blanket to handy in your kitchen is a great safety addition.
- Make sure the smoke alarms in your unit have been serviced and tested. You can read more about compliance requirements Here. If you have a tenant in your unit, we recommend contacting your rental agent to confirm the inspection and servicing of your smoke alarms have been completed.
- Check your electric blankets to see if there are frayed cords before placing them on your bed, if you’re not comfortable with it, throw it out.
- If you’re using a portable heater, ensure its kept away from flammable materials such as curtains, blinds, tablecloths and bedding.
- If you need to hang wet clothes in front of your heater, make sure they are positioned at least 1 meter away.
- If you use a clothes dryer, ensure that the filter is lint free every time you use it.
- Always ensure any candles are extinguished or any other open flames are out before going out or going to bed.
- Store any matches, cigarette lighters or candle lighters in cool, secure places and out of reach of children.
- Avoid the use of portable gas heaters on your balconies. The use of this type of equipment could lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide in the unit which could have a fatal consequence.
Should you require further guidance about fire safety compliance specific to your strata scheme, or on a personal basis please get in touch or leave a comment below.
This article was contributed by Sean Albert – General Manager, Strata Compliance Solutions
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The Fire Door to our Unit was never sealed thoroughly when installed when the building was built. The door sticks fast during wet weather. There has been several times I have been unable to exit our Unit (once when there was a false alarm, fire alarm going off). Multi times we have had to put our shoulder into the door to enter the Unit from the outside passage.
I contacted the builder multi times, the Strata Manager and the Body corp. advising all three of the issue.
Have been ignored by the builder. Strata Manager advised they would pass information onto Body Corp. Body Corp advised it would be fixed. (Was told by the secretary of the Body Corp he would buy me a pair of scissors to cut up a sheet so I could go over the balcony in the event of a fire IF I was unable to get out the door.)
My first complaint was in March 2022, three months after moving into the unit.
Just recently 5th July 2023 the AFSEQ inspected our Unit Fire door and advised the door required replacement. He sent a quote for this replacement to the Strata Manager who in turn advised us that he would forward the quote onto the Secretary of the Body corp. A building advocate has submitted a defect claim with QBCC, 19/07/2023. Still have not heard anything from the Builder or the Body Corp. My only hope is there is NO FIRE IN OUR APPARTMENT BUILDING.