Safety Service

A safety service is term defined in Australian Standard AS/NZS 3000:2018 (A3) that describes as;

1.4.104   Safety service
A system or component that operates to identify an emergency, or is intended to operate during an emergency, and is primarily associated with the safety of persons evacuating a building, fire-fighting operations or fire suppression. Safety services include the following:

1. Fire detection, warning and extinguishing systems.
2. Smoke control systems.
3. Evacuation systems.
4. Emergency lifts.

NOTE: For the definition of a ‘fire safety system’ refer to the National Construction Code (Australia) and ‘essential service’ in the New Zealand Building Code.

Clause 7.2 of the Standard goes on to describe the following safety services;

1. fire detection systems;
2. warning / evacuation systems or sound systems and intercom systems for emergency services;
3. extinguishing systems;
4. smoke control systems;
5. lifts used for the safety of persons;
6. fire-and smoke-control equipment;
7. fire hydrant booster pumps;
8. pumps for automatic fire sprinkler, water spray or deluge systems;
9. pumps for hose reel systems;
10. air-handling systems intended to exhaust and control the spread of fire and smoke;
11. central system emergency evacuation lighting complying with Australian Standard AS 2293 series.

There are a couple of examples of items of equipment or systems in the Standard that do not affect the operation of safety services such as;

• pumps for 'jacking' of water pressure maintenance, where the failure of which does no deprice the fire hydrant system or sprinkler system an adequate water supply;
• pumps for fire hose reels where the hose reels are not the only fire-extinguishing system within the building, e.g. when used with a sprinkler system.
• smoke alarms installed in single private residences.