Description

These regulations are made under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand Act 2017. They aim to ensure that buildings in New Zealand are equipped with appropriate fire safety measures and evacuation procedures to protect occupants in the event of a fire.

The regulations are divided into two main parts.

Part 1: Fire Safety and Evacuation Procedures

This part outlines general fire safety responsibilities for building owners and occupants, including:

• Maintaining means of escape from fire.
• Safe handling and storage of flammable materials.
• Providing and maintaining evacuation procedures.
• Training employees to assist with evacuations.
• Installing and maintaining firefighting equipment.
• Controlling open flames and managing packing/unpacking of goods.

Part 2: Evacuation Schemes

This part applies to “relevant buildings” and includes:

• Requirements for submitting and maintaining approved evacuation schemes.
• Criteria for approval, variation, or revocation of schemes by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ).
• Timeframes for FENZ to respond to applications (within 20 working days).
• Notification obligations for building owners.

Scope

The regulations apply to a wide range of buildings, especially those classified as “relevant buildings”, which include:

• Buildings where 100+ people can gather.
• Workplaces with 10+ employees.
• Accommodation for 6+ people, unless in 3 or fewer household units.
• Buildings storing hazardous substances.
• Facilities for early childhood education, medical/nursing/geriatric care, or disabled care.
• Prisons and holding cells.

Even if a building is exempt from having an evacuation scheme (e.g., due to having a compliant sprinkler system), it must still have a basic evacuation procedure in place and comply with Part 1 of the regulations 1 2.