First thing’s first: why safety reports are imperative to strata communities
- Written by NewsServices.com
Safety reports are evaluations that are pivotal to pinpointing and reducing the risk of injury in a strata community. While some people would prefer to save the money, the health and safety of strata residents should be top priority, especially when you consider the emotional and financial ramifications of failing to ensure them.
Each Australian state and territory has varying laws regarding OH&S for strata properties and what is needed to ensure compliance is met. This legislation can often supersede the body corporate’s own regulations regarding OH&S in the building.
Reputable body corporate lawyers can assist with issues regarding strata safety, but it’s also important to personally understand your state’s legislation regarding the matter.
For example, in Victoria, the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 stipulates specific obligations, recognising the strata property as a worksite once the contractor steps foot on the site.
Regardless of the state’s legislation, there is a duty of care to ensure that the general site is safe and can be used by owners, tenants, visitors, contractors and other members of the public.
Who should conduct a strata community safety report?
Naturally, owners corporation members aren’t all safety experts, but they are expected to arrange for such a report on behalf of the strata community. Therefore, they have to find the right safety inspector to evaluate the property.
Although the Occupational or Work health Safety assessor doesn’t require specific evaluation qualifications, they should have a working knowledge of how to conduct a comprehensive safety report.
For example, they might choose an assessor with the skills, training, qualification and experience required to conduct an efficient report. Furthermore, the cost for hiring an evaluator should be factored into the owners corporation budget.
Before the evaluation, the owners corporation should consult strata residents about any problems they have encountered on the site. This can provide extra information to the assessor as well as demonstrate owners corporation due diligence on the matter.
Note: You can find a useful template on The Consumer Affairs Victoria website that will help with surveying residents.
Lot owner responsibilities
In regards to strata safety, lot owners have to partake in ensuring the general property is safe and hazard free. Residents should ensure that the external walkways, stairs and internal hallways are hazard free and have clear access.
In the event of an emergency it can be difficult to clearly see your path, and for this reason owners have to ensure there aren’t any hurdles (ornaments, plants etc.) blocking walkways or exits.
Required safety report frequency
There is no legislated frequency for how often safety reports should be conducted, but they should at least be undertaken annually or if important circumstances change in the building, allowing for any new hazards to be identified.
A proactive, efficient approach is vital to ensuring the stata community’s safety. A competent, individual assessor should conduct the safety report, ensuring that the property is easily accessible and not harbouring any potential OH&S hazards on the site.
This all goes a long way to not only ensuring that the strata community is happy and at ease, but it also reduces the risks of any legal or financial problems occurring due to there having been a hazard in the building that could have been spotted through a routine safety report.
At the end of the day, it’s one of the best things the owners corporation can do to ensure the health and safety of its occupants.
