Application for approval of evacuation schemes

An application by the owner of a relevant building for approval of an evacuation scheme must be made to Fire and Emergency and must:

• contain the information specified in schedule 4(opens in a new tab) of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018; and
• be accompanied by a copy of the proposed evacuation scheme.

The application must be made,

• in the case of a relevant building that is, or is part of, a new building, before (but not earlier than 30 working days before) the date on which the building is first lawfully occupied; or
• in the case of a relevant building that is, or is part of, an existing building, before (but not more than 30 working days before) the date on which the building or part of the building becomes a relevant building

Refer to regulation 18(opens in a new tab).

What needs to be included in your application for approval of evacuation scheme

An application for approval of an evacuation scheme must contain the following information:

• the name and street address of the building;
• the record of title reference and legal description of the land on which the building is located;
• whether the application is for a new or existing building;
• the manner in which the building is used according to the options set out in section 75(1)(opens in a new tab) of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017;
• the name and contact details of the owner of the building;
• the name and contact details of the contact person for the building;
• the use or uses of the building;
• the activities undertaken within the building;
• the number of floors within the building;
• details of the normal occupancy of the building at different times of the day and week:
• the maximum occupancy of the building;
• whether the building has, or is likely to have, occupants who require assistance to evacuate, or notification of the need to evacuate;
• whether the building is required to have an emergency response plan under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015(opens in a new tab);
• if hazardous substances are present in the building in quantities exceeding the minimum amounts prescribed in schedule 3(opens in a new tab) of the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fire Safety, Evacuation Procedures, and Evacuation Schemes) Regulations 2018, the quantities and types of those hazardous substances;
• a description of the fire protection and suppression system of the building;
• how evacuations will be managed where there are occupants who require assistance to evacuate or notification of the need to evacuate;
• details of the matters provided in the evacuation scheme to comply with the requirements of regulations 25(opens in a new tab) to 28(opens in a new tab)(opens in a new tab);
• a copy of the proposed evacuation scheme.

Refer to schedule 4(opens in a new tab).

General matters to be included in evacuation scheme

An evacuation scheme for a building must:

• set out the evacuation procedure for the building that is in place to meet the requirements of regulation 7(opens in a new tab) and any additional requirements related to places of safety.
• include details of any equipment available for assisting any person who requires particular assistance to evacuate the building in a fire emergency or alarm of fire and confirmation that people are trained in its use; and
• include a requirement that trial evacuations of the building be undertaken in the manner set out in regulations 29(opens in a new tab), 31(opens in a new tab), and 32(opens in a new tab)if the building is a building used
  
  • for the purposes of providing early childhood facilities (other than in a household unit); or
  • as an educational institution; and
• for any building other than a building described above, include a requirement that either
  
  • trial evacuations of the building be undertaken in the manner set out in regulations 29(opens in a new tab), 31(opens in a new tab), and 32(opens in a new tab); or
  • the owner of the building
    
    • prepare and implement an evacuation training programme in the manner set out in regulations 33(opens in a new tab) and 34(opens in a new tab); and
    • carry out trial evacuations of the building in the manner set out in regulations 30(opens in a new tab) to 32(opens in a new tab).

Refer to regulation 25(opens in a new tab).

Requirements for evacuation scheme in relation to places of safety

The 1 or more places of safety designated in an evacuation scheme must

• be inside or outside the building, if the building has an automatic sprinkler system; or
• be outside the building, in any other case.

A place of safety inside a building must:

• meet the requirements set out in paragraph (b) of the definition of place of safety in clause A2(opens in a new tab) of the Building Regulations 1992; and
• be a place from which the occupants are able to safely exit the building.

Refer to regulation 26(opens in a new tab).

Requirements relating to provision for place of safety for persons who require particular assistance

An evacuation scheme for a building must either:

• provide for any persons requiring particular assistance to evacuate the building using its means of escape from fire; or
• provide for those persons a place of safety inside the building that meet the requirements set out in paragraph (b) of the definition of place of safety in clause A2(opens in a new tab) of the Building Regulations 1992; and
• be a place from which the occupants are able to safely exit the building.

Refer to regulation 27(opens in a new tab).

Requirements in relation to places of safety inside building

This regulation applies to an evacuation scheme that is designed to enable evacuation in a fire emergency or alarm of fire to a place or places of safety inside the building.

The evacuation scheme for the building must:

• specify how, in a fire emergency or alarm of fire, the building’s occupants and the attending firefighters are notified of the place or places of safety; and
• require certain persons specified in the scheme (whether by name or position held) to remain, in a fire emergency or alarm of fire, with the building’s occupants at the place or places of safety inside the building; and
• specify how, in a fire emergency or alarm of fire, the attending firefighters are notified of whether there are any people at the place or places of safety; and
• require the building’s occupants, in a fire emergency or alarm of fire, to be evacuated from the place or places of safety inside the building to a place or places of safety outside the building if directed to evacuate by a person who is a member of Fire and Emergency personnel or is the person specified in the scheme to remain with the building’s occupants.

Refer to regulation 28(opens in a new tab).

Owners of relevant buildings used for any purpose other than providing early childhood facilities (other than in a household unit); or as an educational institution, must prepare and implement an evacuation training programme. This should clearly demonstrate how the permanent occupants of the building are capable of managing an evacuation of all the occupants from the building in a fire emergency. They must also notify Fire and Emergency, in writing, of the evacuation training procedure.

Requirements for evacuation training programmes

An evacuation training programme must include details of how the permanent occupants are trained and assessed (at intervals of not more than 6 months) in relation to:

• the matters referred to in the evacuation procedure; and
• the use of any firefighting equipment in the building; and
• the use of any emergency equipment in the building for assisting persons who require particular assistance to evacuate the building.

Refer to regulation 33(opens in a new tab).

Building owner must notify FENZ of evacuation training programme

Building owners must notify FENZ, in writing, of the evacuation training programme for the building that has been prepared and implemented in accordance with regulation 33(opens in a new tab).

The notice must be given:

• no later than 30 days after the evacuation scheme for the building is first approved (under section 77(opens in a new tab)of the Fire and Emergency Act 2017); and
• at 6-monthly intervals as from the date on which the first notice is provided under paragraph (a).

The notice must include:

• the name and address of the building; and
• the full name and contact address of the owner of the building; and
• the date on which the evacuation training programme was prepared or amended (as the case may be); and
• an outline of the content of the programme; and
• the full name and contact telephone number of the person responsible for the training of the permanent occupants; and
• the number of permanent occupants who have completed the programme in the 6-month period concerned, whether it was initial or refresher training in each case, and the results of their assessments.

Refer to regulation 34(opens in a new tab).

Building owner must notify Fire and Emergency if certain events occur

The owner of a building that has an approved evacuation scheme must notify Fire and Emergency if:

• the building’s fire detection and suppression system is non-operational for any period of time:
• the means of escape from fire for the building are required to be altered under section 107(opens in a new tab) of the Building Act 2004:
• building work is carried out on the building under section 112(opens in a new tab) or 133(opens in a new tab)of the Building Act 2004 that affects the building’s means of escape from fire:
• the building’s life is extended under section 116(opens in a new tab) of the Building Act 2004:
• the occupancy of the building is changed to the extent that the building’s means of escape from fire are materially affected:
• there are changes to the place or places of safety specified in the evacuation scheme:
• there is a change of purpose or activities within the building:
• the building is no longer required to have an evacuation scheme (for example, the building is demolished or is no longer used in a manner described in section 75(1)(opens in a new tab) of the Fire and Emergency Act 2017).

A notice under subclause (1) must be in writing and be given:

• before the occurrence of the relevant matter in subclause (1); or
• if it is not reasonably possible to comply with paragraph (a), as soon as practicable after the occurrence.

The owner of a building that has an approved evacuation scheme must notify Fire and Emergency:

• if the nominated contact person for the building (whether that is the owner or another person) will be absent from New Zealand for longer than 21 consecutive days; or
• in any case where the owner is not the nominated contact person for the building, if:
  
  • the owner will be absent from New Zealand for longer than 21 consecutive days; and
  • the nominated contact person for the building will also be absent from New Zealand for the whole or part of the period that the owner will be absent from New Zealand.

This notice must be in writing; and must be given before the absence described occurs; and must nominate an alternative contact person for the building during the absence.

Refer to regulation 35(opens in a new tab).