Fire Safety Advisor training is now mandatory in Queensland for many licensed premises. Club Training Australia is an approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO) who has the identified Fire Safety Advisor competencies within its scope.

There has been several changes to the Building Fire Safety Regulations that will impact upon licensed clubs; these come into full force on 1 July 2009.

There is a requirement for all clubs employing more than 30 staff for 40 or more shifts a year to have a Fire Safety Advisor (FSA). This role can be either sub-contracted or can be a trained staff member or manager.

A Fire Safety Adviser is one who has completed an approved building fire safety course.  An approved building fire safety course consists of 8 units of competency in Workplace Emergency Response: PUAWER001A to PUAWER008A and must be delivered by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) who has the identified competencies within its scope.

The role of the Fire Safety Advisor is to advise the occupier on matters of fire safety and either organise or conduct fire training for staff. There are 3 levels of staff training. All new employees must receive general training within 2 days of commencement. This training can be conducted by any competent person. All employees must receive First Response training within 1 month of commencement and at 2 yearly intervals there after, this training must be done by either the Fire Safety Advisor or a Registered Training Organisation. All staff expected to perform the role of a warden must receive Co-ordination training before commencing the role, this training must be done by either the Fire Safety Advisor or a Registered Training Organisation.

The training requirement can be an obstacle when outsourcing the Fire Safety Advisor as then training must be conducted monthly in order to fully comply and can prove expensive.

The other option is to have a team member trained. This training is a 3 day course currently conducted by Club Training Australia in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast however can and will be conducted in other locations as demand exists. The cost of this course is normally $850, though we have a special running right now for $700. Once passed competent trainees will receive certification as an Fire Safety Advisor. There are many others offering the 8 units of competency required for the Fire Safety Advisor however only a limited number have approval to give the certification as an Fire Safety Advisor so ensure you check before enrolling.

Once qualified the staff member will be able to conduct the training and provide the assistance necessary to the building occupier.

Frequently asked questions

Who is responsible for appointing a Fire Safety Adviser?

If you are the owner, or a business or person, that is occupying, or managing a building in Queensland you have legal obligations to ensure the safety of any person in that building in the event of a fire or other emergency. 

It is the building occupier's responsibility to appoint and train a Fire Safety Advisor for buildings that are classified as high occupancy.

How are ‘High Occupancy buildings' defined?

High occupancy buildings include:

Class 2, 3, 5, 6, 7b, 8, 9a or 9b buildings that are workplaces where 30 or more workers are normally employed.  
Class 2 or 3 buildings that are more than 25 metres in height. 
Licensed premises that have been identified by the Commissioner as at risk of overcrowding.

What is a Fire Safety Adviser?

A Fire Safety Advisor is person who holds a building fire safety qualification for an approved building fire safety course, issued within the last 3 years

The approved building fire safety course comprises 8 units of competency in Workplace Emergency Response within the Australian Quality Training Framework.  They are:

PUAWER001A - Identify, prevent and report potential workplace emergency situations  
PUAWER002A - Ensure workplace emergency prevention procedures, systems and processes are implemented  
PUAWER003A - Manage and monitor workplace emergency, procedures, equipment and other resources  
PUAWER004A - Respond to workplace emergencies  
PUAWER005A - Operate as part of an emergency control organisation  
PUAWER006A - Lead an emergency control organisation  
PUAWER007A - Manage an emergency control organisation  
PUAWER008A - Confine small workplace emergencies

Where can a Fire Safety Adviser attend training?

The Fire Safety Advisor qualification must be gained through a Registered Training Organisation (RTO).  Any RTO which has the above-identified competencies within its scope may deliver the approved qualification.  Club Training has these competencies and is authorised to deliver the approved qualification.

What duties can a Fire Safety Adviser undertake?

A Fire Safety Advisor is required to:

Provide or arrange - First response evacuation instruction
Provide or arrange - Evacuation coordination instructions

Does the Fire Safety Adviser have to be a person on staff?

There is no requirement for the Fire Safety Advisor to be a person on staff.  However, it is recommended that where practical the Fire Safety Advisor is an existing staff member.  Some reasons for this recommendation are:

• The occupier and staff have an easily accessible point of contact about fire safety matters
• The Fire Safety Advisor is likely to have familiarity with the occupier's buildings and knowledge of protocols and fire safety arrangements internal to the organisation
• The Fire Safety Advisor is more easily accessible for coordination of fire safety arrangements
• The Fire Safety Advisor may easily be made aware of changes within the building or staff appointments or changes within the organisation
• Attending fire officers and licensed contractors engaged to maintain the fire safety installations for the organisation have a point of contact
• The Fire Safety Advisor may, on behalf of the occupier, liaise with other Fire Safety Advisor‘s in a multi-tenanted building to ensure that evacuation plans and procedures are coordinated

Occupancies with Workplace Health and Safety Officers may choose to nominate and train those persons as the Fire Safety Advisor.

How many Fire Safety Advisers should the occupier appoint?

A Fire Safety Advisor can be appointed for more than one building.

For example, a university may have one or more Fire Safety Advisor's to cover its campus, or a company which has suites of offices in one or more buildings in any city or town may appoint one or more Fire Safety Advisor's to cover those buildings.

When considering how many Fire Safety Advisor's to appoint for high occupancy buildings, assessment should be made of the workload of the Fire Safety Advisor to be effective in this important workplace role.

If I have a Fire Safety Adviser do I still need Building Fire Wardens?

A Fire Safety Advisor is one who has been trained in fire safety and workplace emergency response.

Having a Fire Safety Advisor does not mean that building fire wardens are no longer required.  A Fire Safety Advisor is not necessarily building-specific and so may not be present in the building if a fire occurs.  However, Building Fire Wardens are building-specific.

What is the timeframe for appointment of a Fire Safety Adviser?

Under the transitional provisions contained in the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008, existing high occupancies have until 1 July 2009 to appoint and train Fire Safety Advisors.

New high occupancies established before 1 July 2009, must appoint and train a Fire Safety Advisor by the later date of either 1 July 2009 or 1 month after the occupation of the new building. 

If a Fire Safety Advisor ceases to act as the Fire Safety Advisor, or the Fire Safety Advisor's building fire safety qualification is no longer current, the occupier must appoint a person to the Fire Safety Advisor role within one month of the change.

Where can I go for more information?

If you require further information regarding Fire Safety Advisors or the Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008,  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .