Fire safety compliance and AFSS preparation

Many buildings come with a list of fire safety measures that need to be kept working and on record. Compliance is the steady work behind that list: getting each measure inspected, writing down what was found and fixing what is wrong, so the fire safety paperwork can be completed when it falls due. For many NSW buildings that paperwork is the annual fire safety statement, often shortened to AFSS.

This page is for building owners, strata committees and property managers between the Central Coast and Newcastle. If you have been handed a folder, or no folder at all, and told the fire safety side is now yours, we can help you get on top of it.

What’s included

• Site walk-through. We go through the building with your list of fire safety measures and note the condition of what we find.
• Inspection and testing. For the equipment we service, we inspect it, test it and record the result.
• Defect list. Every fault is written up with its location, a photo where that helps and a plain-English priority.
• Repairs. We fix the defects that fall within our work and tell you who is needed for the others.
• Record keeping. Reports, defect lists and repair notes are kept in order so they are easy to find and hand over.
• Clear scope. We tell you in writing which measures we can look after and which need to go to someone else.
• Follow-up. Open defects stay on our list until they are closed.

How it works

1. Call or message. Tell us about the building and send what paperwork you have, such as the list of measures, past reports and any letters from council.
2. Site visit. We walk the building, compare what is there with what is on the list and inspect the measures within our scope.
3. Defects and repairs. You get a defect list with priorities. We quote the repairs we can do and carry them out once approved.
4. Records and handover. We give you an ordered set of records and a short note of what is still open and who needs to deal with it.

What we can do and what we cannot

The rules on who may assess and sign off each fire safety measure are set by the NSW Government, and they differ from one measure to the next. A single building can need more than one specialist.

Before we start, we tell you in writing which parts of your list are ours to do and which need an accredited practitioner. The NSW Government publishes the rules if you want to read them yourself.

How we set priorities

A long defect list is hard to act on, so we sort it. Each item is marked in plain English: fix now, fix soon or keep an eye on it.

“Fix now” means the item would not do its job in a fire, or it is blocking the way out. “Fix soon” means it works today but is on its way out. “Keep an eye on it” is wear that we will check again at the next visit.

Each line says where the problem is, what it is and what we suggest. If the budget is tight, the work can be staged in that order.

Who this suits

Strata committees where the job is shared between volunteers. Property managers with a calendar full of due dates. Owners of a shop, a block of units or a small industrial building who want to be told plainly where things stand.

If regular servicing is all you are after, see maintenance. If you are unsure which you need, get in touch and describe the building.

Common questions

In an emergency, get out and call Triple Zero (000). This site is general information, not advice for your building. For what applies to your premises, talk to us on site.