What is a Management In Use Plan?

The purpose of a Management In Use (MIU) Plan is to enhance the safety of occupants and to facilitate the upkeep of the essential fire safety systems, and is developed for use by the building manager(s) & operational staff to ensure compliance with the building Fire Engineering Report and safety regulations and standards.

As part of the requirements of AS 3745-2010 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities, an emergency plan needs to be developed and maintained for each facility.  The standard states that the emergency plan shall document the organisational arrangements, systems, strategies, and procedures relating to the response and management of emergencies. This should include emergency prevention.

Emergency prevention is defined as “the measures taken to eliminate the incidence of emergencies”.

Examples of emergency prevention are the implementation of suitable policies and procedures, regular maintenance and servicing of appliances, alarm systems, plant, and equipment; training in the safe use of installed equipment; correct storage practices; good housekeeping measures such as the reduction or removal of excessive fuel loads.

Fire Protection Systems and Equipment Maintenance is a crucial part of keeping a building safe and in compliance with Australian Standards. Regular maintenance may need to be carried out as frequently as monthly, whilst some equipment may need to be tested every year or longer. It is important business owners & managers ensure the fire protection systems & equipment passes regular inspection as per the Australian Standard AS 1851-2012. Detailed records of all maintenance and testing procedures that are carried out on these systems & equipment need to be recorded & maintained as per the standard.

The Management In Use (MUI) Plan sets out maintenance recommendations for the installed fire protection systems & equipment to comply with the set of rules and regulations of AS 1851-2012 and to ensure building owners are compliant in meeting the safety standards imposed on fire protection systems

A Management In Use (MIU) Plan should also include procedures to ensure that general housekeeping is undertaken to maintain the egress paths and exits clear in order to allow unimpeded travel.

Procedures that include the building manager(s)/occupants undertake regular inspections of emergency exits and paths of emergency egress within the facility.  Inspections are to include:

• checking that hallways & thoroughfares, common areas and vehicular access ramps, are clear of obstructions, refuse & debris
• checking that emergency doors are clear of obstruction, operating correctly and are not wedged in an open or closed position
• checking that all fire protection systems and equipment are accessible, clear of obstruction and in working condition
• checking that stairways are clear of materials, debris & refuse
• checking that the floor surfaces of the hallways, lobbies and stairways are clear of spills and other slip hazards
• checking the effective height of stored commodities within storage cages or like, maintain 500mm clearance space required for effective sprinkler operation

Reference also is made to the relevant fire safety precautions and procedures – as detailed in AS 1851-2012 – that must be followed during the shutdown and maintenance of essential fire safety systems (e.g., sprinklers, smoke detection, fire alarm etc.).

Contact our team today to develop a MIU Plan for your workplace, or review your current MIU plan, to ensure compliance with the building fire and safety regulations and standards.