What is an Annual Safety Measures Report (AESMR)?
An AESMR is a statement attesting that:
The owner of the building has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that each ESM is operating and has been maintained in a state that enables the ESM to fulfil its purpose; and
Each ESM has been inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the law.
It is a component of building safety compliance in Victoria. The audit of all the ESMs and fire protection systems is provided to fire authorities (FRV and CFA) and municipal authorities (Municipal Building Surveyor).
When should the AESMR be undertaken?
The AESMR should be conducted within 28 days of the ‘anniversary date’ of the building's Occupancy Permit (OP) or Maintenance Determination (MD). This ensures that any potential safety issues are identified and rectified in a timely manner, maintaining compliance with regulations and providing peace of mind to building owners and occupants.
Scheduling the AESMR around the anniversary helps streamline the process and ensures that all necessary safety checks are performed consistently every year.
Legal requirement for commercial buildings
Commercial building owners are required by law* to ensure that the safety features of their buildings are in good working condition. This is achieved by checking the Essential Safety Measures (ESM) on a regular basis, as shown on the building's Occupancy Permit (OP). Then, annually, a report is compiled in the prescribed form, recording the year's compliance. This is called an Annual ESM Report (AESMR).
The AESMR is important because it must be made available to the Fire Authority or the Municipal Building Surveyor within 24 hours of being requested. Failure to do so may result in fines, prosecution or both.
*Building Act 1993 and Building Regulations 2018.
Occupancy Permit and Maintenance Schedule
An OP is issued after a building and a final inspection is completed and before a building may be occupied. It states the location in the building where the OP must be displayed at all times and includes the ESM Maintenance Schedule (MS).
The MS details the ESMs of the building and how often they must be inspected and tested. These may be 3-monthly, 6-monthly or yearly. They may be tested or inspected in accordance with an Australian Standard, engineering report, specifications or visual.
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