New Zealand: fire safety

“Law” is a binding rule. “Official guidance” is not law, but inspectors expect it. “Chef Hygiene default” is a value the app checks against where no rule gives a number.

• LawIn every building the escape routes are kept clear, exit doors unlocked and free of blockages, and smoke and fire doors kept closed; the owner has an evacuation procedure with information for the people inside (Fire and Emergency New Zealand evacuation regulations 2018, regs 5 to 7).
• LawA building where 100 or more people gather, or 10 or more people work (and some others, like early childhood centres and buildings with sleeping accommodation for 6 or more), needs an evacuation scheme approved by Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ Act 2017, s 75 and 76); some buildings with sprinklers can be exempt. Trial evacuations every 6 months are the law for schools and early childhood centres; other buildings with a scheme hold 6-monthly trials, or train and assess staff at least every 6 months and hold trials when FENZ asks, and report the results to FENZ.
• Chef Hygiene defaultExtinguishers, the fire alarm, exit signs, hood fire suppression and electrics: Chef Hygiene suggests dates you can change. They come from the Building Code, which we did not check for intervals.
• Official guidanceEmergency: 111 for police, fire and ambulance.