Archive for the ‘Occupational Health and Safety’ Category

Here’s how fire safety compliance is controlled …

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Does OH&S or Building Control legislation control fire safety compliance? (Where OH&S is Occupational Health and Safety.) This is an interesting question that just seems to get more complex as you get into it. The key thing is, that if you identify by process of elimination that the Building Control legislation does not apply it will still leave you with a duty for life and fire safety under OH&S legislation in Victoria, Australia.

By fire (and life) safety compliance I mean:

  • Fire (and life) safety requirements for the physical measures of new and existing buildings and structures;
  • Maintenance requirements for safety measures in buildings and structures; and
  • Evacuation policies, processes and procedures for existing buildings.

What’s a practical example of where this sort of ambiguity occurs? (more…)

“The Fire Safety Declaration seeks assurance that all obligations under State, Territory and Local Government have been met”

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Gee … this sounds pretty confronting even before you have to sign the form as a representative of an approved provider. But what does this all encompassing statement mean? In Part A of the 2004 version of the document it got more specific as you went through the questions – Questions 1 A, B and C were all specific to fire safety.

The 2004 declaration gave providers the option to answer yes or no. If the answer was no, qualification as to why and action taken to resolve the issue were requested.

In Victoria (Australia) we have identified two main sources of legislation for fire safety:

  1. The Building Act 1993 and Building Regulations 2006; and
  2. The Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004. (more…)