If you’ve found yourself new to building safety and property management, you might be surprised how often some terms like BWOF and IQPs come up.
You might ask ‘Wait, what the heck is a BWOF?’
BWoF is an acronym that stands for Building Warrant of Fitness.
A BWoF certifies that a building’s specified systems have been properly inspected to ensure that they are working properly. A building’s compliance schedule statement that is put on display in public view assures this.
When a property undergoes a compliance schedule you can expect that every specified system in the building is bound to be tested and inspected throughout.
Now, what are Specified Systems?
Buildings have built-in functional safety systems made to provide ease of access and ensure everyone’s safety, such as smoke alarms, escalators, elevators, sprinkler valves, and ventilation systems. These are just some basic examples, but there are many types of specified systems, some far more complex and require more attention to maintain.
That said, these specified systems are listed down in detail in a compliance schedule. The local council will oversee the IQP reports and the approval of your Compliance Schedule. For your reference, these safety requirements are fundamentally discussed in detail under the Building Act 2004.
To note, the Compliance Schedule happens within the first year of your building being built or retrofitted, it is included with the application for building consent, and requires a set of documentation which outlines the following:
- The type of system you intend to have installed.
- Where the specified systems will be installed inside the building.
- The name and year of the performance standard of the system. This means the specified system will be check against the performance standard of its time. Like if it was manufactured during the 80s or 90s, and then it will be evaluated based on the performance standard of its day.
When you’ve met the conditions of the initial Compliance Schedule, the following year you’ll be then required to now get an annual BWoF.
Here’s another acronym which you should be familiar with IQP, this stands for Independent Qualified Person.
IQPs are skilled professionals who are certified and familiar with various specified systems. They are the ones that carry out the inspections, report logs and maintenance checks required for a successful BWoF. They come in as a neutral party, they can’t be bullied to do things in a favour of a property owner’s BWoF outcome. They are there to give a straightforward independent report on specified systems to ensure it is working optimally and not a danger to the public. To an IQP, safety will always be their utmost priority.
Now that you know that a BWOF has far-reaching effects on public safety. Its time to take your next Compliance Schedule seriously- get the required and competent IQP on board. You need an IQP to consult with and give you the best advice possible on the state of your specified systems.
In Auckland, Fireco has a network of professional contractors and AuckIand IQPs. We can match your needs with an IQP that is specialized on your type of specified systems.
Stay on schedule when it comes to Auckland BWOF. Call us at 0800 101 232 or email us at info@fireco.co.nz
