ESSENTIAL SAFETY MEASURES AND PASSIVE FIRE PROTECTION SPECIALIST

We Assist Our Clients In Meeting Their Legal Obligations

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Passive essential safety measures

Passive ESM represents building elements that require to have fire-resisting properties. Maintenance of these elements prescribed as a condition of the occupancy permit and carried out per applicable edition of the standard AS 1851.

ESM Group provides inspections of the following passive ESM:

  • Building elements required to satisfy prescribed fire-resistance levels
  • Materials and assemblies required to have fire hazard properties
  • Elements required to be non-combustible, provide fire protection, compartmentation or separation
  • Fire doors (including sliding fire doors and  their associated warning systems) and associated  self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
  • Fire windows (including windows that are automatic or permanently fixed in the closed position)
  • Solid core doors and associated self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
  • Fire protection at service penetrations through elements required to be fire-resisting with respect to integrity or insulation, or to have a resistance to the incipient spread of fire
  • Fire protection associated with construction joints, spaces and the like in and between building elements required to be fire-resisting with respect to integrity and insulation
  • Smoke doors and associated self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
  • Proscenium walls (including proscenium curtains)

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Evacuation routes and exits

Means of egress can be described as the evacuation routes for the occupants during an emergency.

ESM Group provides inspections of the following means of egress:

  • Paths of travel to exits
  • Discharge from exits (including paths of travel from open spaces to the public roads to which they are connected)
  • Exits (including fire-isolated stairways and ramps, non fire-isolated stairways and ramps, stair treads, balustrades and handrails associated with exits, and fire-isolated passageways)
  • Smoke lobbies to fire-isolated exits
  • Open access ramps or balconies for fire-isolated exits
  • Doors (other than fire or smoke doors) in a required exit, forming part of a required exit or in a path of travel to a required exit, and associated self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms

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Annual Essential Safety Measures Report

AESMR can be described as a mandatory annual compliance statement completed by the owner or on behalf of the owner. The requirement to prepare AESMR is annually and is mandated under Regulation 223 of The Building Regulations 2018.

Under regulation 225, the owner must make available within 24 hours upon request by the Municipal Building Surveyor or chief officer the AESMR within the last 10 years, maintenance schedules, maintenance determinations and records of all inspections, testing, maintenance, and repairs of any ESM.

We work with our clients to assist with identifying any shortfalls within the required records and ensure the AESMR is accurate.

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Independent Witnessing of the System Interface Testing

The System Interface Test(SIT) was previously known as the Full Function Fire Test(FFFT)  and represents the simulation of a real fire scenario, to verify how the multiple systems of the building will react in a real emergency.

SIT testing confirms that active ESM systems such as sprinklers, automatic fire detection and alarm, stair pressurisation, electronic access controls, and others will talk and work together as per the original design. The communications and functions between the systems are usually represented as a Fire Matrix document. The fire matrices are unique for each building.

The matrix can be explained as input and reactions. Example, input – Smoke detector activated on level 9, reaction- notify fire brigade, activate emergency warning system, unlock the fire stair electronic locks, start stair pressure fans, stop non-essential fans.

ESM Group can facilitate or independently witness the testing and verification of the Fire Matrix.

Consulting and training

ESM Group has experience assisting their clients with Building Notices, Defect Liability Period inspections and staff training. Contact us for more information.