This year we will be verifying that our buildings meet legislative requirements. Some of these items you have heard about before, and some of them may be new to you. Here is how we are going to check up on our buildings.

Asbestos Management Plans

Everyone managing our buildings will have heard about asbestos, but did you know that an asbestos management plan should accompany all building applications to MCPC? That is one way of checking that asbestos management is occurring. Another way is that I will be making contact and asking you for a copy of your plan! 

Talk to me or check out our asbestos webpage if you want asbestos management help.

Building Warrants of Fitness

Local councils manage building warrants of fitness (BWoF) for buildings with specified fire and safety features. BWoF certificates are generally displayed somewhere just inside a building’s entry. BWoF buildings tend to be non-residential (such as churches), and the building features include fire alarms, automated doors, lifts and sprinkler systems. As well as talking with people, I plan on sending a building list to the local councils to get their confirmation on which of our buildings require a BWoF and if the BWoFs are up to date.

Not every building needs a BWoF.

Let us talk if you are unsure, or I will call you if I am sure!

Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) Approved Evacuation Plans

Our buildings need an evacuation plan approved by FENZ if the building:

• can hold 100 or more people.
• is where 10 or more people work.
• is where 6 or more people sleep, unless there are 3 or fewer households.
• is storing certain levels of hazardous substances.
• is used for early childhood, medical, and disabled care services, unless the building is a normal home.

As well as talking with people, I plan on sending a building list to FENZ to get their confirmation on which of our buildings require an evacuation plan and if the plans are up to date.

Any church capable of holding 100 or more people will need a
FENZ approved evacuation plan.

Emergency Response Plans

All of our non-residential buildings require an emergency response plan regardless of whether they require a FENZ approved evacuation plan or not.

I will have to check up on these individually, but it would help if you contacted me and let me know which buildings have an emergency response plan!

All non-residential buildings require an emergency response plan.

Buildings we lease (and in turn if we lease out our building)

Generally, the landlord is responsible for the asbestos management plan, the BWoF, the FENZ evacuation plan approval and an emergency plan for their people.

Tenants are still responsible for an emergency plan for their people, visitors and clients. Tenants should also verify the asbestos status of any building they lease (by viewing the landlord’s asbestos management plan), where they have a responsibility for any building alterations (major, minor, planned, unplanned), particularly when their staff, volunteers and contractors go into that building as part of their work.

I can’t check up on leased buildings unless I know about them; therefore, the lessor will be responsible for working with the landlord regarding these building requirements and keeping our people safe.

Me mahi tahi tātou mo te oranga o te katoa

We should work together for everyone’s wellbeing

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa

Nā Trudy Downes
trudyd@methodist.org.nz
027 457 4196