Profile and Services
Essential Services Compliance Pty Ltd specialises in providing a wide range of services to help building owners meet their legal obligations relating to essential services compliance.
We offer the following services:
Annual Essential Safety Measures Report
What is an Annual Essential Safety Measures Report?
When the construction of a building is complete, the building owner is responsible for the maintenance of its safety features or Essential Safety Measures.
An Essential Safety Measure is defined in the Building Regulations 2018 (Part 15 and Schedule 8) and includes such items as exit doors, emergency lifts, emergency lighting, exit signs, fire doors, fire extinguishers, fire detection and alarm systems, fire hydrants, paths of travel to exits, fire windows, fire isolated stairs, fire rated materials, smoke alarms, smoke control systems and sprinkler systems.
The maintenance of Essential Safety Measures ensures that safety systems within a building remain at the required operational level throughout the life of the building. The obligations relating to Essential Safety Measure maintenance are covered in Part 15 of the Building Regulations 2018.
If a building was constructed or altered since 1 July 1994, the list of Essential Safety Measures, including their performance level and type of maintenance required, is included with the building occupancy permit or certificate of final inspection. Buildings built before 1 July 1994 may not have documentation such as occupancy permits, however Essential Safety Measures are still installed in these buildings and are required to be correctly maintained.
Regardless of building age, the law requires that building owners prepare an Annual Essential Safety Measures Report on the buildings Essential Safety Measures. In addition, building owners must keep a record of maintenance checks, safety measures and repair work. These documents must be made available within 24 hours should a council municipal building surveyor or chief officer of the fire brigade request an inspection.
When should the Annual Essential Safety Measures Report be prepared?
An Annual Essential Safety Measures Report must be prepared within 28 days before each anniversary of the relevant anniversary date. Regulations 223 and 224 of the Building Regulations 2018 provide information on anniversary date determinations and Annual Essential Safety Measures Report preparation
What type of buildings require an Annual Safety Measures Report?
All buildings, as defined in the National Construction Code, other than a house or outbuilding are affected.
Our Annual Essential Safety Measures Report services
Our Annual Essential Safety Measures Report audits are conducted in accordance with Building Regulation guidelines and ensure that:
- All Essential Safety Measures installed on site or as listed on the building Occupancy Permit are being maintained and tested to ensure they meet requirements and operate as designed during an emergency.
Annual Essential Safety Measures Report audits can also be used by the Owners Corporation to:
- Ensure that the contractors engaged by the Owners Corporation are fulfilling their obligations as per their scope; and
- Eliminate shortfalls and ensure compliance
All Annual Essential Safety Measures Reports are prepared in accordance with the approved form to ensure compliance.
Essential Services Compliance Audits
Our Essential Services Compliance Audit package provides peace of mind for building owners and includes:
- quarterly routine essential services inspections
- an Audit Inspection Manual; and
- an Annual Essential Safety Measures Report
Quarterly routine inspections are carried out by our trained auditors and form the basis of completing the Annual Essential Safety Measures Report. Through these inspections, Essential Services Compliance Pty Ltd identifies any breaches of the maintenance schedule and any items that are non-compliant. We then offer expert advice to building owners to help redress any non-compliant items.
The key areas of compliance inspections are:
- Mechanical ventilation and air handling systems
- Exit doors and paths of egress
- Building clearance and fire appliances
- Firefighting services and equipment
- Electrical fittings
- Occupant warning systems
- Auto fire detection and alarm systems
- Emergency lighting and signs
- Lifts
- Standby power supply systems
Auditors are required to place inspection report details in the onsite log book supplied by Essential Services Compliance Pty Ltd. Reports are also uploaded to our management software.
To ensure record keeping compliance, contractors are routinely followed up to make sure that all relevant information is being maintained in the onsite logbooks provided.
At the end of each twelve month period, all onsite records are audited to determine whether Essential Safety Measures have been maintained as scheduled. The final Annual Essential Safety Measures Report is then prepared.
Audit Inspection Manuals
An Audit Inspection Manual is provided as part of our Essential Services Compliance Audit package and allows a simple, step-by-step approach to Essential Safety Measures compliance. To prepare the Audit Inspection Manual, each site is independently inspected.
Buildings constructed or altered since 1 July 1994
Each site is independently inspected and reconciled against the original certificate of occupancy or certificate of final inspection. Once this process is completed, an audit inspection manual is prepared and uploaded into our proprietary software. This ensures that our process is automated and streamlined and all required checks and audits are completed when they need to be.
Buildings built before 1 July 1994
For a building built prior to 1994, Essential Safety Measures are determined, in accordance with current legislation (Building Regulations 2018), to ensure they are maintained to fulfil their purpose.
Record keeping compliance
The Audit Inspection Manual is updated once the identified audits, inspections and safety measures reports are conducted, whereby we collect and transpose information into the manual. This information will include, but is not limited to:
- Building details
- Maintenance contractor details
- Inspection frequencies
- Inspection records for 12 months
- The Annual Essential Safety Measures Report
Request a Quote or Report
Speak to one of our friendly consultants today on 1300 66 55 77 or +61 3 9816 4840 for a no-obligation discussion on how Essential Services Compliance Pty Ltd can take care of your essential services needs, including the preparation of your Annual Essential Safety Measures Report.
Please click on a button below to request a quote or place an order for a report.
Request a Quote
Please fill in the form below to request a quote.
Request a Report
Please fill in the form below to place an order for a report. If you would like to arrange a quotation first, please complete our Request a Quote form.
State and Territory Requirements
Each State and Territory has different legislative requirements in regard to essential services compliance. In Victoria, the following acts and regulations apply:
Regulation: Building Regulations 2018
Act: Building Act 1993
Compliance: Annual Essential Safety Measures Report (AESMR)