Getting out of a building to safe refuge in event of emergency is one of the most important things we can do. It can often times mean the difference between life and death. Egress, exits, evacuation routes and exit travel distance requirements are peppered throughout the Building Code of Australia.

We came across a residential flat building this week that was built in the 1990s and fire upgraded in the last 10 years.

One of the Council requirements to fire upgrade the building was to reduce the exit travel distance to the road or open space from the rear of the building.

This is what they came up with.

This timber paling boundary fence is a ‘fire door’? This is a ‘door’ that leads to a neighbouring property (not in the same ownership) and then to open space.

We enquired how this worked and if there were any easements over the neighbouring property or right of foot way on title but there weren’t any.

There are a number of ways to rectify this issue. What would you suggest?

At Certifiers 2U we have professional accredited certifiers that can deal with these issues. Our accredited certifiers range from grade A1 to A4 so we have you covered.

Considering a building upgrade? Connect with us today and avoid issues like this one.

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Fire safety measures, essential services, emergency equipment, fire safety service equipment. However they are described they are very important.

They are important in assisting occupants exit buildings safely which is one of the main objectives of the Building Code of Australia. They need to installed correctly and in NSW they need to be maintained in accordance with their installation standard.

So for portable fire extinguishers the installation standard is AS2444 and they need to be maintained to this standard. Here they are installed in a manufacturing situation.

The extinguishers must also be fit for purpose. We ensure these measures are correct as part of our inspection process.

Any questions about fire safety? We are here to help. We have A1 Accredited Certifiers. Certifiers 2U can help you with your fire safety needs.

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Pool fencing. It is important to keep up to date with pool fencing requirements. We have seen many changes over the years under the NSW Swimming Pools Act and Regulation and AS1926. Here we have a sloping site where the fencing steps down the slope. Can you see the clear sheeting under the fence to ensure there is a gap less than 100mm to ground? There appears to be more pool fencing changes on the way. Stay informed of the changes. Connect with Certifiers 2U today.

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A new weekly post from the team at Certifiers 2U. Yes this is another timber frame in a residential building.

This time we can see this a different type of roof frame. Here we have rafters and a ridge beam in yellow and something else connected with to the rafters in green.

Any guesses for what these are and what they do?

Yes that is correct they are collar ties. Collar ties stop the roof from spreading due to the downward forces and the low pitch of the roof. It is also important to connect each collar tie at each end to the rafters with at least 2 connectors as this is a weak point in the roof frame.

Due to excessive stress loads the collar ties can shear off more readily if there is only one connection each end.

Call us today for advice, troubleshooting, consultancy and certification on 0266805424.

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