Is Your Building Still Fit for Purpose?

Why safety inspections should continue long after construction is complete

A building may have been designed, constructed and approved in accordance with relevant regulations, but that does not necessarily mean it will remain safe throughout its lifespan.

According to Ngakoana Boloka of Aon South Africa, the way a building is used can change once it is occupied. “Businesses expand, tenants move in, internal layouts are altered, equipment is installed and spaces may be repurposed. Over time, these changes can affect the building’s original fire protection and safety measures – sometimes without anyone realising that the risk profile has changed. This is why safety is not something that is signed off when a building is handed over, but rather an ongoing process that ensures the building remains fit for its current use.”

From Construction to Occupation

During construction, architects, engineers and contractors work according to approved plans, building regulations and specific safety requirements. Once a building is completed and occupied, the responsibility shifts to the owners, tenants and people operating within the building. Their priority is to run the business. Yet seemingly minor operational changes can have significant safety implications.  

For example:

• A restaurant may move into a commercial property with a correctly designed kitchen extraction system. Over time, grease can accumulate inside ducting if it is not properly cleaned and maintained, creating an increased fire risk.
• An office building may have been designed with fire compartments, fire doors and fire dampers to help contain smoke and flames. If occupants later add partitions, install server rooms, alter ceilings or change the use of particular spaces, these measures may be compromised.

“A warehouse converted into a workshop, an office converted into a high-density storage area, or retail space adapted for food preparation can all introduce risks that were not present when the building was originally designed. This makes post-occupancy inspections an important part of ongoing risk management,” says Boloka.

Maintaining What's Behind the Walls

Fire protection systems are often out of sight, which can make them easy to overlook.

Ducting is a good example. Ideally, kitchen extraction ducting should be designed and installed so that heat, fumes and contaminants are safely discharged without creating additional fire-spread pathways through the building. Where ducting passes through other areas or fire-rated compartments, the appropriate fire-resistant construction, fire stopping, insulation and dampers need to be maintained.

But installation is only the beginning, says Boloka. “Grease accumulation, damaged fireproofing, poorly maintained dampers, blocked filters or alterations to surrounding structures can all affect how effectively the system performs when it is needed. That is why an ongoing maintenance regime is a necessity.”

A building can have all the right safety measures on paper and still present a significant risk if those measures are not maintained. Regular inspections should consider areas such as:

• Kitchen extraction systems and ducting.
• Fire dampers and ventilation systems.
• Fire doors and fire compartments.
• Fire stopping and fire-rated materials.
• Electrical installations.
• Emergency exits and escape routes.
• Fire detection and suppression systems.
• Changes to building layouts or occupancy.
• Storage and equipment that may introduce additional hazards.

The frequency and scope of inspections should reflect the nature and use of the property and the risks associated with its operations. Where appropriate, suitably qualified fire safety professionals, assessors or property surveyors should be involved to identify issues that may not be obvious to occupants.

For property owners and businesses, the objective is not simply to ensure that a building was compliant when it was built. It is to ensure that the building remains safe and fit for its current purpose of use. “Regular inspections, appropriate maintenance and reassessment following significant changes can help identify problems before they become incidents – protecting people, property and business continuity in the process,” Boloka concludes.

Disclaimer

The contents hereof should not be construed as legal advice on any matter. You should not act or refrain from acting on the basis of any content included in this communication without seeking professional legal counsel. This communication does not constitute or create a lawyer-client relationship between us.

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