Stairs
Stairs in and around homes Good stair construction is essential for safe access and movement in and around your home. The Building Code of Australia (BCA) sets the minimum standard for stair construction. Stairs must fall (pardon the pun) within a regulated slope gradient depending on the distance between riser and the depth of the […]
Safety Awareness Training
Some of the areas that will be covered in the course are: · Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Law · Duty of Care requirements · Safety and Health Representatives and Committees · Resolution of Workplace Issues · The Right to Refuse Work · Applying Workplace Policies and Procedures · Reporting and Documentation Requirements How much […]
Smoke Alarms
Smoke Alarms – Are they all the same? Hard-wired smoke alarms (installed by a licensed electrical contractor to mains power) are compulsory in all new homes and new leases for rental properties since October 2009. They are required to be installed on the sale of an existing home if not already provided. They are a […]
Skylights – Fire Protection
Fire separation for buildings as detailed in the Building Code of Australia (BCA) should be considered when planning placements of skylights. The BCA places limitations on the location of skylights near property boundaries and adjacent adjoining buildings to reduce the likelihood of fire spread between buildings. Generally the provisions are based on nominated distances from […]
Safety Management Plan (Residential)
WorkSafe WA has introduced mandatory site-specific safety management plans for domestic construction as from 1 October 2008. Where five or more persons are working or are likely to be working simultaneously on a domestic construction site, you will need to have a site-specific occupational health and safety management plan prepared before work commences. The plan […]
Glass and Accidents
Unfortunately, there have been a number of accidents in family homes causing serious injury and even death due to incorrect types of glass installed. Although traumatic for the victim, it is also an issue for the owner of the property when it is leased to tenants. Houses constructed before the mid 1970’s often used […]
Crime Prevention
There are practical things that you can do to make your home less likely to be burgled or vandalised. For existing homeowners, this is also particularly important as holiday seasons approach when many families are away and the home may be unoccupied for a long period. The first thing is that you should ensure that […]
Children and Safety at Home
The family home is the place where young children are most likely to be injured. However there are a number of things that you can do around the home to reduce the risk of injury to small children. Some of these things can be included in the original design, while others can be retrofitted […]
Bushfire Prone Areas
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Aged Residents and Housing
Designing and building housing for older people is becoming very important as the Australian population ages. Each year one in three every older Australians will suffer a fall, with around 5 to 10 per cent of these falls causing an injury which requires medical attention. Many of these falls around the home are preventable. Sensible […]