If you own a large building then you are legally required to submit an Annual Fire Safety Statement to both the fire brigade and the local council. To complete the statement you will need to engage a Competent Fire Safety Practitioner to certify that adequate fire safety measures are being taken in the building. Specifically issuing an Annual Fire Safety Statement will confirm that all of the essential fire safety measures have been examined and can still perform at the same standard as when they were first designed. The CFSP must also confirm that they have examined all the ways of reaching the building exits, including the doors, and noted the status of each route.

Taking care of your doors

Checking your fire doors is a vital part of the tests for your Annual Fire Safety Statement. Smoke and fire doors are effectively passive fire protection devices that have been built into the structure of your building to confine the fire to one compartment and stop it spreading throughout the structure. Fire doors can be anything from the front door of your unit to the fire escape door through which your staff will exit in an emergency.

Australian building codes set the frequency with which fire doors will need to be tested and inspected. Depending on the type of fire doors you have fitted to your building, they might need to be inspected either annually or semiannually. You will need to check your building paperwork to find out which regulations apply in your case.

Completing your Annual Fire Safety Statement

To complete your Annual Fire Safety Statement you will need to work with a company who can provide Competent Fire Safety Practitioners to visit your site and examine every aspect of your fire safety including your doors. Look for a company that has experience in checking buildings which are used in a similar way to yours so that they will know exactly what to look for and what needs to be done to complete all of the needed paperwork and ensure that your building remains compliant. If you fail to fulfil all of your responsibilities and submit your paperwork for your Annual Fire Safety Statement when it is needed you could leave yourself open to heavy fines. Alternatively, there could be limitations placed on the way in which you can use your premises. To find out exactly what you need to do, talk to your local fire safety company today.