Buildings

The management of the fire risk starts at the time the building is constructed or refurbished. There are many stakeholders including architects, project managers, building surveyors and engineering consultants. They all play their part in making the building safe for the public, tenants, and centre staff. The building must be compliant with the building codes and be as safe as possible. However, this is not to say that there have not been issues after the completion when the building is occupied and is in full use.

Building project managers

Issues relating to developing new enclosed shopping centres

Enclosed shopping centres are completed to the required building regulations and the building code in force at the time of construction. The owners or developers engage project managers to oversee the project from the design to the opening of the centre. The configuration of the centre depends upon the needs of the tenants, especially the major tenants, and this has a major impact on the evacuation process. The number of entry/exit points is determined according to the expected number of people passing through the centre. The buildings are required to conform to environmental rules, especially in the area of energy conservation. Major tenants tend to have areas close to entry/exit points and close to car parks.

102 Refurbishment of enclosed shopping centres

Enclosed shopping centres need to be kept up to date and be attractive to the customer. This requires constant upgrades in the form of new tenants and upgrades to existing tenants. The refurbishments can also involve completely new sections including new food courts and other areas that attract customers. The refurbishments can bring new fire risks and may not be compatible with the older parts of the centre. The refurbishments are normally conducted while the main shopping centre is open. This can cause higher fire risks due to equipment being used close to occupied tenancies. The area being refurbished is normally closed off to the public; however, there are dangers as construction workers move around the site and use equipment. There was a major fire during the refurbishment of the Myer Burke Street store in Melbourne in 2008 (www.theage.com.au).

Building surveyors

The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors is the governing body representing building surveyors in Australia. This body is the peak body both in Australia and overseas. The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (www.aibs.com.au) website defines the building surveyor as follows:

Building surveyors are responsible for making sure buildings are safe, energy efficient, accessible and meet all legal requirements. They evaluate and access plans, conduct inspections, and issue building permits, such as occupancy permits.

The project managers on behalf of the owners/managers appoint building surveyors. They take their instructions from the owner/manager via the project manager. The building surveyor has an important role to play in the building process. The objective of the building surveyor is to work with the project manager and advise on any building issues that may conflict with the building code. The building surveyor has the responsibility to issue the occupancy permits for all commercial buildings including enclosed shopping centres. They are required to follow all the required building codes and ascertain that the building follows the building codes in full. This includes all fire prevention and safety requirements. The building surveyor is still subject to the needs of the enclosed shopping centre owner/manager and must be commercially astute to know what those needs are. There will always be issues that may conflict with the building codes or other regulations. It is the role of the building surveyor to make sure the building is not compromised by the needs of the owner/manager. The use of surveyorsin the construction industry is important due to risks and potential litigation. They are involved

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in all types of buildings from office complexes, warehouses, hotels and shopping centres. The other services that building surveyors are involved with include property legislation advice, handling of planning applications and building inspections. The major objective of the building surveyor is to ensure the building conforms to the building code. The building code consultations are undertaken with all the stakeholders involved with the enclosed shopping centres. This includes the architects, project managers, surveyors and engineers. Surveyors advise the project managers of issues arising from the proposed development or refurbishment. This is relayed to the owners/managers for further consideration. Surveyors are able to issue occupancy certificates and they are responsible for ensuring the building conforms to the building codes. Only one interview was required as they all follow the same professional guidelines and professional competency.

Consulting engineers in fire safety

The objective of engaging the consulting engineers is to advise the stakeholders of the current fire regulations (www.scifire.com.au) and how they apply to commercial buildings. Fire regulations are state-based and therefore the building is required to conform to those regulations. Such engineers advise the building surveyor if any changes are required to meet the regulations. They are an important part of the process in the early stages of the building construction or alterations. The consulting engineers work with both the architects and building surveyors to obtain the best outcome for the owner or client. The consulting engineers build simulations of people movements. This is to make sure that the entry/exit points are sufficient to allow safe passage of people. However, this is undertaken before the construction of the building. There is a potential problem when the commercial building undergoes major changes to the tenancies. The changes may bring more people movement and, therefore, increase pressure on the entry/exit points.