Safer Buildings - Spotlight on BWoF
Citycare Property BWoF Compliance Specialists, Maureen Dial in Auckland, and Bianca Channon in Christchurch, work diligently to make sure the more than 340 buildings we manage nationwide for our clients are maintained correctly and have a current Building Warrant of Fitness (BWoF).
We’re all familiar with the concept of a ‘WOF’ for our vehicles and a BWoF is similar - a compulsory annual process to ensure buildings that have specific lifesaving systems installed are operating correctly. Many of these buildings are complex with multiple systems that are interfaced with each other such as fire alarms, access control and HVAC systems. Citycare Property checks and maintains these throughout the year and co-ordinates the BWoF process on behalf of clients.
According to Bianca Channon, Citycare Property BWoF & Compliance Specialist, BWoF management is a real team effort with the Workforce Planning and Operational, contract teams, Independent Qualified Persons (IQP’s), contractor networks and of course our clients working together to keep our buildings compliant and our building users safe.
To make this task even more challenging, some of our clients have tenant installed systems which must be factored into the process, which means gathering information and records on systems from our clients’ tenants, and sometimes subcontractors. Bianca says “The big whammy is that for some campuses we manage, the majority of BWoF expire on the 1st of June! For one client this equates to 112 buildings.” With the 2023 round of BWoF out of the way, the team will now focus on improvement processes. This might include joint review sessions with clients to develop plans and improve processes further.
BWoF management is a nuanced specialty skill, which the Citycare Property team bring years of experience to, ensuring the places kiwis live and work are safe and compliant.