Essential Safety Measure Audits

Essential Safety Measures (ESMs) are critical fire and life safety systems installed in commercial, industrial, and public buildings to protect occupants during emergencies. These systems are essential for enabling safe evacuation and minimising risk to life in the event of fire or other hazardous situations.

Following the completion of building works and the issue of an Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Final Inspection, the ongoing responsibility for maintaining Essential Safety Measures lies with the building owner. This includes the upkeep, testing, repair, and servicing of all items listed on the permit or certificate, as well as other safety features required under the NCC.

Examples of Essential Safety Measures include (but are not limited to):

• Fire extinguishers

• Fire hose reels

• Fire hydrants

• Sprinkler systems

• Smoke and heat detectors

• Mechanical ventilation systems

• Emergency lighting

• Exit signs

• Exit doors and clear paths of travel to exits

• Fire control centres and occupant warning systems

In addition to maintaining these systems, building occupiers and owners are also responsible for ensuring ongoing compliance with general safety provisions. This includes keeping exit paths unobstructed, maintaining clear access to safety equipment, ensuring tactile ground surface indicators are intact, and ensuring accessible facilities are not encumbered or altered in a way that compromises compliance.

Grimbos Building Surveyors provide comprehensive Essential Safety Measures Audits to assist building owners, facility managers, and occupiers in meeting their obligations under the Building Regulations 2018 (VIC) and relevant provisions of the NCC.

Our audits involve a physical inspection of the site and internal building areas to assess the condition and compliance of ESMs. We then deliver a detailed report identifying code deficiencies, maintenance concerns, or omissions—along with practical recommendations to achieve or restore compliance.

These reports support long-term fire and life safety management by ensuring that buildings remain safe, compliant, and fit for occupancy. They also reduce the risk of enforcement action or liability in the event of an emergency.