As a building owner, it is your responsibility to ensure that your business is safe for tenants, clients, employees or visitors, depending on the nature of your business. In NZ, building owners are obligated to show just how safe their buildings are by undergoing a compliance inspection and displaying their Building Warrant of Fitness, also known as a BWOF.
In this article, we’ll discuss a bit more about what a BWOF is exactly and which types of buildings require them.
What Is A BWOF?
A BWOF is a certificate that needs to be updated every 12 months. You will receive the certificate upon the inspection of a qualified person who will check that you meet all of the relevant safety standards. These requirements often change from year to year as standards tend to change. All regulations must be met.
If you do not go through this process, you could find yourself in some serious legal trouble. And if your BWOF is older than 12 months, it will be considered outdated and invalid.
When Do I Need To Have A Building Warrant Of Fitness?
According to the NZ Building Act of 2004, all buildings need to have and display a BWOF. The only exception to this is single residential dwellings. So in this case, BWOF rules will apply to restaurants, offices, factories,sum farm buildings, schools, blocks of flats and more. These buildings will need to take place in a yearly BWOF inspection that they are responsible for organizing themselves or appointing an agent (Such as Fireaway Building Compliance)
There may be other times in which you may have to supply a BWOF, including:
- When your building is being renovated
- If your building is vacant
- Any specified systems are decommissioned
- A building consent of any kind has been taken out
Displaying Your BWOF
Your signed BWOF should be publicly displayed in an easily viewable location where any visitors to the building can see it. This gives all visitors the peace of mind that all of your systems are fully functional, and it allows inspecting authorities to view it easily. It should be framed or laminated to prevent any damage to the certificate.
Are you looking to get a Building Warrant of Fitness in NZ? Here at Fireaway, our IQPs can conduct the inspection and issue you with the certificate should you be compliant. Contact us today for any additional information.