In 2018, a Brisbane body corporate located in Kangaroo Point pleaded guilty to 21 breaches of the Fire and Emergency Services Act and Building Fire Safety Regulation, regarding fire protection systems, resulting in a $21,000 fine.
During the trial, Carlisle Community Title Scheme 9233 was criticised for failing to heed multiple warning notices the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services provided after their inspectors found numerous compliance issues, such as a locked emergency door and fire risks in the garbage chute. These seemingly small factors could have had a major impact in the event of a fire. For that reason, the QFES Commissioner, Katarina Carroll stated that “Building fire safety standards are in place to protect people in the event of an incident, so it is essential body corporates take their responsibilities seriously.”
Ms Carroll said throughout the trial that the “decision not to remove the lock from a door on a designated evacuation route on the ninth floor would have prevented a safe and timely escape in the event of a fire.” Further, she stated that “insufficient maintenance meant there was a risk a fire could have travelled up the garbage chute and spread to other levels of the building.”
With the welfare of the residents within this building in mind, the magistrate handed down the fine with the intention of prompting Carlisle to rectify the situation, after failing to heed the warning of several notices prior to the trial. This comes after a $30,000 fine was issued to the Metro Community Title Scheme in Townsville.
Now, more than ever, the age of fire safety is upon us. Here at HTC Group, we’ve seen many faulty hydrants, flow failures and other compliance issues and are encouraging business owners, body corporates and other parties responsible for fire protection systems to learn this lesson before it’s too late.
We aim to set our own customer service standard by striking the balance between assured compliance, and minimising defect rectification expenses. If you think it’s time to get your fire safety systems checked, get in contact with our friendly team to find out more about how HTC Group can help you.
