Commercial and industrial building requirements
The owner of the building is responsible for looking after a building or a renovation for the life of the building. This includes checking and looking after its essential safety measures.
Safety measures make sure the people in the building, people in the next buildings and people on the street can be safe in a fire or another emergency.
By law, safety measures in a building must exist and must always work. They must be checked and looked after regularly.
Essential safety measures
The Victorian Building Authority includes essential safety measures information and explains how and when to maintain essential safety measures.
Essential safety measures include:
- air-conditioning system
- exit doors
- early warning system
- emergency lifts and lighting
- emergency lighting
- emergency power supply
- emergency warning system
- exit signs
- fire control centre
- fire curtains and doors
- fire extinguishers
- fire detectors and alarm system
- fire hydrants
- fire isolated stairs
- fire rated materials
- fire windows
- mechanical ventilation
- passage ramps
- path of travel to exits
- smoke alarms
- smoke control systems, and
- sprinkler systems.
Building safety inspections
Council inspects buildings to check their safety systems.
Fines apply if safety systems do not meet the legal standards.
Fines are up to $10,000 for individuals and $50,000 for companies.