The Essential Safety Measures (ESM) in a building include the passive and active safety features required in a building, structure or place of public entertainment to protect and safeguard the occupants in the event of a fire or other emergency.
Essential safety measures include all traditional building fire services such as automatic fire sprinklers, fire detection and alarm systems, building occupant warning systems and mechanical services, but also include passive fire safety such as fire doors, fire resisting structures and other building infrastructure items such as means of egress.
An essential safety measure is defined within the Building Regulations (r214) in Victoria as;
essential safety measure means—
- a safety measure specified in column 2 of the table in each Part of Schedule 8 that is required by or under the Act or these Regulations to be provided in relation to a building or place of public entertainment; or
- any other item that is required by or under the Act or these Regulations to be provided in relation to a building or place of public entertainment for the safety of persons in the event of fire and that is designated by the relevant building surveyor as an essential safety measure; or
- any other item that is an essential safety measure within the meaning of regulation 1202 of the Building Interim Regulations 2017 as in force immediately before its revocation; or
- any other measure (including an item of equipment, form of construction or safety strategy) required for the safety of persons using a building or place of public entertainment required to be provided in relation to that building or place by or under the Act, or any previous corresponding Act, before 1 July 1994
Victorian Building Authority ("VBA") also publish a document called a "Practice Note" that provides the Relevant Building Practitioner ("RBP") guidance on the Essential Safety Measures (including maintenance) in a building.
The following list is a summary extract of the typical maintenance requirements for Class 2 to Class 9 buildings as set out in the Victorian Building Authority Practice Note PN-23-2018 - Maintenance of Essential Safety Measures.
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Building Fire Integrity (Doors & Shutters)
- Fire doors (including sliding fire doors and their associated warning systems) and associated self- closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
- Fire windows (including windows that are automatic or permanently fixed in the closed position)
- Fire Shutters
- Solid core doors and associated self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
- Smoke doors and associated self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
Means of Egress
- Paths of travel to exits
- Discharge from exits (including paths of travel from open spaces to the public roads to which they are connected)
- Exits (including fire-isolated stairways and ramps, non-fire isolated stairways and ramps, stair treads, balustrades and handrails associated with exits, and fire-isolated passageways)
- Smoke lobbies to fire-isolated exits
- Open access ramps or balconies for fire-isolated exits
- Doors (other than fire or smoke doors) in a required exit, forming part of a required exit or in a path of travel to a required exit, and associated self-closing, automatic closing and latching mechanisms
Fire Fighting Services & Equipment
- Wall-wetting sprinklers (including doors and windows required in conjunction with wall-wetting sprinklers)
- Fire hydrant system (including on-site pump set)
- Sprinkler system
- Provisions for special hazards
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Lighting
- Exit signs (including directional signs)
- Emergency lighting
Signs
- Signs warning against the use of lifts in the event of fire
- Warning signs on sliding fire doors and doors to non-required stairways, ramps and escalators,
- Signs, intercommunication systems, or alarm systems on doors of fire isolated exits stating that re-entry to storey is available
- Signs alerting persons that the operation of doors must not be impaired
- Signs required on doors, in alpine areas, alerting people that they open inwards
- Fire order notices required in alpine areas
Fire Fighting Services & Equipment
- Fire hydrant valves (including fire service booster connection)
- Fire hose reel system
- Portable fire extinguishers
- Eye Wash Stations
Automatic Fire Detection & Alarm Systems
- Smoke and heat alarm system
- Smoke and heat detection system
- Atrium fire detection and alarm systems
Occupant Warning Systems
- Emergency warning and intercommunication system. Includes
- Building occupant warning system
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