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What is a fire safety schedule, and how does it drive your AFSS?

The fire safety schedule is the master list of a building's essential fire safety measures. It defines exactly what the annual statement has to certify.

A fire safety schedule is the document that lists all of the essential fire safety measures that apply to a building, together with the minimum standard of performance each measure must meet. It plays a key role in making sure a building's fire safety measures are installed and maintained to a minimum performance standard, and it is the reference point for both the fire safety certificate and every annual fire safety statement afterwards.

Where the schedule comes from

A schedule is created or updated when a development consent, complying development certificate, or fire safety order requires fire safety measures. It is issued by the consent authority or certifier as part of the approval. From that point on, the schedule defines the building's fire safety obligations.

The schedule is not static. Building work, a change of use, or a fire safety upgrade order can all change which measures apply and to what standard, which means the schedule is amended and future statements certify against the new version.

How it drives the annual statement

The AFSS has to address every measure on the current schedule, at the standard the schedule specifies. If a building's schedule lists a sprinkler system, a fire hydrant system, emergency lighting, exit signage and fire doors, the accredited practitioner assesses each of those against its listed standard, and the statement certifies each one. Nothing on the schedule can be skipped.

This is why the schedule matters for compliance planning. If you do not have a current copy, get one before the assessment: the practitioner needs it to know what to inspect, and the statement is only valid if it addresses the right list. The owner is also required to keep a copy of the schedule and the current statement displayed in the building.

Sources

• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 (NSW).
• NSW Planning Portal, fire safety certification.

This is general information, not legal or compliance advice. Confirm current requirements and figures with your council and the FPAA register.

Keep reading

• What is an annual fire safety statement (AFSS)?The AFSS is the yearly document that certifies a NSW building's essential fire safety measures still perform. Here is what it covers and who it applies to.
• AFSS vs fire safety certificate: what is the difference?They sound similar and cover the same measures, but a fire safety certificate is a one-off at the end of building work, while the AFSS repeats every year.
• Who can sign an annual fire safety statement in NSW?A common point of confusion: the accredited practitioner assesses the measures, but the owner signs the statement. There is a specific rule about who cannot sign.