The Building Act 2004 requires New Zealand businesses and property owners to have annual compliance checks of their safety systems in buildings to ensure its safe and continuous operation.
A building warrant of fitness (BWoF) is required 12 months after the date of issue of your compliance schedule statement and code of compliance certificate. You have to get your Form 12 before your BWOF will expire.
It shouldn’t be complicated. A building warrant of fitness (Form 12) and the relevant certificates of compliance (form 12A) should be presented to council on each anniversary of your compliance schedule.
What’s the difference between a BWOF and Compliance Schedule?
A building warrant of fitness (BWoF) is a legal statement signed by the building owner stating they have fulfilled the compliance requirements of the building for the previous 12 months.
On the other hand, a compliance schedule lists the specified systems within a building and the procedures required to keep them in good working order, helping to ensure the building is safe and healthy for people to enter, occupy or work in.
In order to get a BWoF, you need to fulfill the requirements of the compliance schedule on time.
Why should NZ businesses be BWoF compliant?
Compliance affects us all. It affects the whole community and even public trust and safety. It is a matter that business owners and property agents should take seriously. Failure to comply with any of these regulations could compromise safety and result in significant business risk. More importantly it could result in loss of life. Non-compliance in building warrant of fitness and compliance schedule statements can result in high penalties – up to $20,000.
The Importance of Specified Systems
Every building has a specified system in place. You may not be aware of it, but life safety devices that have moving parts are present in your property. The simplest and most common example would be an elevator, or the a fire sprinkler system.
Anything with a moving mechanical, analog, digital or electrical part such as gears, wires, pipes, and circuits are bound to breakdown over time. A building may last 3 decades to half a century or more and in between those years, any mechanism in place will require repairs. To make sure these repair works are monitored and recorded, compliance schedules are set in place. This ensures continuity in safety and maintenance of these specified systems.
With hundreds of people visiting a building or property on any given day, safety compliance is paramount. Installed specified systems are crucial for safety in any commercial, retail or business property.
How do you make sure your specified systems are working?
You may call a safety consultant, or a trade professional to do assessment and repairs before you call in an IQP to do an independent compliance review for the required annual compliance schedule.
Specified systems have analog and digital components, and if not well-maintained can have disastrous results. It may cause accidents, injury and harm to anyone using them at any given time.
What is an Independent Qualified Person (IQP)?
By definition, an IQP is a building specialist with the territorial authority to inspect, maintain and report on a building’s specified systems.
An IQP is thoroughly ‘independent’ and uninfluenced in their assessment by any external or internal organisation. They do their assessment, as required by the law and its guidelines. More importantly, they do it in the interests of safety. IQP’s know the importance of their compliance schedule testing and inspection. Furthermore, such professional and licensed compliance inspectors have no financial or vested interest in the building or whoever owns the property.
Moreover, IQPs will supply and archive the necessary documentation attesting compliance. They will only sign such documents if the systems are in good operational condition.
To get your compliance schedule underway, you will need an IQP to assess your specified systems or life safety systems in your property.
Be in good hands.
We have a network of IQP and fire safety specialists to ensure your business meets safety BWOF regulations.
If you’re in need of building compliance and BWoF maintenance services, or looking for an IQP near you to do the appropriate and independent testing. Contact us today! Call Fireco NZ at 0800 101 232 or email info@fireco.co.nz
