When building owners and managers think about fire and life safety, attention often focuses on the physical building—fire detection systems, sprinklers, exit signage, and evacuation routes. These elements are essential, designed by engineers and required by the Building Code of Australia.

But fire and life safety doesn’t end when construction finishes and occupants move in. How a building is used, managed, and maintained throughout its operational life determines whether those carefully designed safety systems actually protect people when emergencies occur.

This is where Management in Use Plans come into focus. These critical documents bridge the gap between building design and operational reality, ensuring that fire and life safety is actively managed, not just assumed.

For Australian building owners, managers, and occupiers, understanding Management in Use Plans is essential for both compliance and genuine safety outcomes.

What Is a Management in Use Plan?

A Management in Use Plan (sometimes called a Fire Safety Management Plan or Management Statement) is a documented plan that specifies how fire and life safety will be managed during building operation. It addresses the ongoing activities, procedures, and responsibilities needed to maintain safety, going beyond the passive protection provided by building design.

The need for Management in Use Plans arises because buildings change over time in ways that affect safety. Occupancy patterns shift. Uses evolve. Systems age. Without active management, the gap between designed safety and actual safety grows.

Management in Use Plans are particularly important for buildings where the Building Code of Australia allows alternative solutions or performance-based design. When buildings don’t strictly follow prescriptive building code requirements, management measures often form part of how safety performance is achieved.

When Are Management in Use Plans Required?

Several circumstances trigger Management in Use Plan requirements.

Performance solutions and alternative solutions under the Building Code of Australia often rely on management measures to achieve required safety levels. When fire engineers propose solutions that depart from deemed-to-satisfy provisions, the certifier typically requires a Management in Use Plan documenting how those solutions will be maintained.

Existing buildings undergoing change of use may require Management in Use Plans to address how new uses affect fire and life safety. The new use might create different occupancy patterns, different fire loads, or different evacuation challenges.

Building upgrades and modifications that affect fire safety systems or evacuation provisions may trigger Management in Use Plan requirements or updates to existing plans.

Regulatory requirements in some jurisdictions mandate Management in Use Plans for certain building types or circumstances. Requirements vary between states and territories, so local requirements should be verified.

Occupier or insurer requirements may mandate Management in Use Plans even where not strictly required by regulation.

Key Components of Management in Use Plans

While specific requirements vary, Management in Use Plans typically address several core areas.

Building information provides context for the plan, including building description and location, building classifications under the Building Code, occupancy characteristics, and fire and life safety systems installed.

Alternative or performance solutions documentation describes solutions that depart from deemed-to-satisfy provisions and the management measures required to support them. This is often the most critical section, as failure to implement required management measures could invalidate the alternative solution.

Evacuation management addresses how evacuation will be managed, including evacuation procedures, warden arrangements, evacuation diagrams, and procedures for occupants requiring assistance.

Fire safety systems management covers ongoing management of installed systems, including inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements, responsibilities for maintenance activities, and record-keeping requirements.

Training requirements specify what training is needed and who requires it, covering warden training, general occupant awareness, and specialised training for specific roles.

Management responsibilities clearly assign who is responsible for various activities, including roles of building owners, managers, occupiers, and contractors.

Review and update requirements establish how the plan stays current, including review schedules, triggers for updates, and responsibilities for maintenance.

Management in Use Plans and Alternative Solutions

Alternative solutions under the Building Code of Australia frequently rely on management measures. Understanding this relationship is crucial for building owners and managers.

When a fire engineer designs an alternative solution, they must demonstrate that it achieves at least equivalent safety to the deemed-to-satisfy provisions. Management measures often form part of how this equivalence is achieved.

For example, an alternative solution might permit reduced corridor width if combined with enhanced warden arrangements to ensure rapid evacuation. Or extended travel distances might be acceptable if combined with more frequent evacuation drills and enhanced occupant awareness training.

If the management measures specified in an alternative solution are not implemented and maintained, the building may not achieve its required level of safety. This can have serious consequences.

Regulatory compliance may be compromised, as the building may no longer meet Building Code requirements. The AS 3745 compliance framework often interacts with these requirements, particularly around emergency planning and warden arrangements.

Insurance implications may arise, as insurers may decline claims if required management measures weren’t in place.

Legal liability increases significantly, as failure to implement required safety measures creates exposure to negligence claims.

Certificate of Occupancy validity may be affected in some circumstances.

For buildings with alternative solutions, the Management in Use Plan isn’t optional—it’s a condition of the building being legally occupied and used.

Essential Safety Measures and Management in Use Plans

Management in Use Plans interact with Essential Safety Measures (ESM) requirements. ESM requirements establish minimum standards for maintaining fire and life safety systems in buildings.

Essential Safety Measures typically include exit signs and emergency lighting, fire detection and alarm systems, sprinkler systems, fire hydrants and hose reels, fire doors and other fire-resisting elements, and mechanical ventilation and smoke control systems.

Building owners must maintain these systems to specified standards, conduct regular inspections and testing, and provide annual statements confirming maintenance compliance.

Management in Use Plans should align with and reference ESM requirements. The plan should specify who is responsible for ESM maintenance, how maintenance schedules will be managed, and how compliance will be documented.

Implementing Management in Use Plans

Effective implementation transforms Management in Use Plans from documents into genuine safety management.

Assign clear responsibilities for plan implementation. Building owners have ultimate responsibility, but operational duties are often delegated to building managers or assigned to occupiers. Ensure everyone understands their role.

Integrate with operational systems to make plan requirements part of normal operations, not separate activities. Link maintenance requirements to existing maintenance scheduling. Incorporate training requirements into staff development processes.

Establish monitoring to verify plan compliance. This might include scheduled compliance audits and inspections, audits of maintenance records, observation of procedures, and feedback from occupants.

Document compliance through maintained records of required activities, including completed maintenance, training delivered, drills conducted, and inspections undertaken.

Review and update regularly. Plans should be reviewed at specified intervals and updated when circumstances change. Changes in building use, occupancy, or systems should trigger plan review.

Common Management in Use Plan Challenges

Organisations commonly encounter challenges implementing Management in Use Plans.

Unclear responsibilities occur when multiple parties—owners, managers, occupiers, contractors—are involved without clear assignment of duties. Ensure the plan explicitly assigns responsibility for each requirement and that responsible parties acknowledge their duties.

Loss of institutional knowledge happens when key people leave and understanding of plan requirements is lost. Document requirements thoroughly and ensure multiple people understand the plan and its origins.

Disconnect from operations means plan requirements aren’t integrated into normal activities. Embed plan requirements in operational procedures and systems rather than treating them as separate activities.

Inadequate resources occur when budget constraints or other limitations prevent plan requirements from being met. Plan requirements should be costed and resourced appropriately. If resources are inadequate, plan developers should be consulted about implications.

Failure to update means plans don’t reflect changed circumstances. Establish clear review schedules and update triggers, and assign responsibility for maintaining currency. The Emergency Compliance Fundamental Guide provides a useful reference for benchmarking your approach against established expectations.

Management in Use Plans for Different Building Types

Different building types present different Management in Use Plan considerations. Commercial office buildings typically have relatively straightforward requirements focused on evacuation management and fire safety systems maintenance. Multi-tenant buildings require clear coordination between occupants, well-defined responsibilities, and consistent communication to ensure safety procedures are effectively implemented.

Ultimately, an effective Management in Use Plan must be tailored to the specific characteristics and risks of each building type. By recognising these differences and adapting strategies accordingly, organisations can ensure safer environments, improve compliance, and enhance overall emergency preparedness for all occupants.

If you’re unsure whether your building requires a Management in Use Plan, or whether your existing plan adequately addresses your facility’s circumstances, get in touch with the First 5 Minutes team to discuss how a tailored plan can bridge the gap between your building’s design and its day-to-day operational safety.