Your building’s warrant of fitness Aukland– often referred to as a BWOF – is crucial when it comes to ensuring the safety of everyone who enters the building, and for proving that you are following safety requirements. It confirms that all of the systems specified in your building’s compliance schedule have been checked and maintained within the past year. In other words, you’re making a statement that your building is safe to occupy.
How often should your BWOF be updated?
Your BWOF shows that the building is in compliance with the Building Act 2004, and should be carried out once every twelve months.
What happens if your BWOF isn’t updated annually?
Because of the nature of the BWOF’s safety checks, not updating it has the potential to put the building’s occupants at risk. Without an updated BWOF, you won’t know if your building’s systems follow the compliance schedule. This means that occupants could be in danger of harm from, for example, structural issues or fire.
Furthermore, an overdue BWOF could lead to your building facing a BWOF audit, which can be time-consuming. Not only this, but not having a BWOF can result in a substantial fine. Making sure your BWOF is up to date is the easiest way to avoid an unnecessary audit and means you won’t have to pay for failing to secure a BWOF.
What should you do after updating your BWOF?
Once your BWOF is updated, you have a responsibility to display it in the building. It must be placed somewhere all the occupants will be able to see it – for example, on the wall in the reception area, or on the ground floor, near the entrance. You might also want to display your building’s specified systems with your BWOF. This isn’t a requirement, but it can be useful, as it lets people know which systems have recently been checked and maintained.
After you have updated your BWOF, set yourself a reminder to do it again next year. This reduces the risk of leaving it too long and finding out that it’s overdue.
Keeping your BWOF up-to-date is essential when it comes to protecting your building and making sure everyone occupying it is safe. If you need to update your BWOF, we can help. Get in touch with us today to find out more about our BWOF services in Auckland and what we can do for your building.