Industries & Occupations
What are essential safety and health features and measures?
Essential safety and health features include fire and smoke detectors, fire fighting equipment, exit doors and exit signs, emergency lighting, fire escapes, smoke alarms and warning systems and emergency evacuation procedures.
Examples of essential safety and health features include
Building features
- the buildings fire integrity (fire proof walls and floors are intact and not compromised by illegal penetrations for plumbing, ducting or cabling)
- means of safe egress (escape from building) paths of travel to exists are clear, exit signs, fire doors and emergency lighting to assist occupant movement
- fire fighting services and equipment (including fire extinguishers, fire hose reels, hydrants and sprinkler systems)
- air handling systems (to prevent the spread of smoke to other parts of a building)
- automatic fire detection and alarm systems (fire and smoke detectors and connection to a (monitored) alarm)
- building occupant warning systems (fire alarms and emergency warning systems)
- passenger lifts (warnings not to use in case of a fire; or an emergency lift in certain types of buildings)
- standby power supply systems (for operation of an emergency passenger lift)
- mechanical ventilation and hot water, warm water and cooling water systems (to prevent growth of moulds, fungus and bacteria including deadly Legionella bacteria)
- glazed assemblies (including glass doors and windows, revolving doors, shop fronts)
- balustrades (to ensure they are firmly anchored and do not have broken or missing sections)
- balconies (to ensure that timber or masonry balconies are adequately supported and that fixings have not become corroded or cracked)
- refrigerated chambers, strong rooms and vaults (to ensure that persons cannot become trapped inside)
Plumbing features
- on-site waste management systems including septic tanks and packaged treatment plants
- backflow prevention devices (to prevent contamination of drinking water supplies)
- thermostatic mixing valves or tempering valves (for temperature control in certain buildings)
Essential safety and health measures are safety and health strategies and management procedures. They include
- building clearance (open space around large isolated buildings kept clear to allow access by fire brigade appliances)
- classification and use of the building (the use of a building must not be changed without due process as the new use may pose a greater risk to building occupants)
- emergency evacuation procedures (fire drill, notification of safe assembly areas)
A full list of the prescribed features and measures are found in Schedule 4 (page 14) of the Director of Building Control's Specified List.
