The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has joined forces with the National Fire Industry Association (NFIA) to highlight the significance of regular and current fire protection inspections in commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.
Fire protection work has been recognised in each state in Australia as essential work that must continue even under strict COVID-19 restrictions, according to the ICA and NFIA.
However, the upheaval of the past 18 months and the recent lockdowns in the country have made it more difficult for fire protection professionals to access buildings because of social distancing requirements and government restrictions.
“Regular checks for fire protection safety and maintenance are essential to ensuring the safety of occupants and the asset of the owner, but we know from talking to our members that these programs have unfortunately been disrupted because of COVID lockdowns and restrictions,” said NFIA CEO Glen Chatterton.
“By failing to undertake legally required regular inspections, testing, and maintenance, business or property owners could be open to hefty financial risk, fines, safety breaches, and litigation.”
The ICA and NFIA are reminding building owners and managers to remain up to date with fire protection safety and maintenance checks for commercial, industrial, and residential buildings.
ICA CEO Andre Hall explained that building fire safety maintenance checks by inspection and testing are a requirement of many commercial and strata-title building insurance policies, so failure to conduct routine fire protection safety maintenance may affect insurance coverage.
“Regular and current fire protection inspections are an essential component of building occupant and building infrastructure safety,” Hall continued.
“People who live, work, or visit a building expect it to be safe, but this can only be assured if fire protection professionals are able to regularly inspect, test, and certify fire-related safety equipment, which are important components of a building's risk assessment.”
Chatterton added: “We're asking building owners and managers to accommodate fire inspection professionals to allow them to carry out their essential safety checks and repairs to protect the building and its occupants in case of fire.”
