Under section 223 of the Building Regulations 2018, the owner of a building must prepare an AESMR each year. The owner can also have the AESMR prepared by an ‘agent’ on their behalf.
First, let’s talk about what it is NOT . . . . . .
The AESMR is not:
- A statement that 100% of ESM in the building is necessarily compliant at that particular point in time
- A separate physical audit of all ESM in the building, nor an audit of the fire contractor/s in place
Compliance of the Building vs Compliance of the Owner
The AESMR is a statement in relation to the owner complying with their ESM obligations. The format of this compliance statement under the regulations is that:
“…the owner has taken all reasonable steps to ensure that each essential safety measure in the building or place – (i) is operating and has been maintained in a state that enables the essential safety measure to fulfil its purpose; and (ii) has been inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with the Act and these Regulations.” (Building Regulations 2018, Section 224(f)).
To be compliant, the owner needs to have taken “all reasonable steps” to ensure that all ESM are appropriately maintained and operational. Other important information included in the AESMR is a table of all ESM on site (which should match the OP if one is in place) and details of who has maintained them over the previous 12 months.
Chris Chatham
Linkfire
