Buildings posing low risk to human life or the environment, or a low economic cost, should the building fail. These are typically small non-habitable buildings, such as sheds, barns, and the like, that are not normally occupied, though they may have occupants from time to time.

Ancillary buildings not for human habitation

Minor storage facilities

Backcountry huts

Buildings posing normal risk to human life or the environment, or a normal economic cost, should the building fail. These are typical residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.

All buildings and facilities except those listed in importance levels 1, 3, 4, and 5

Buildings of a higher level of societal benefit or importance, or with higher levels of risk-significant factors to building occupants. These buildings have increased performance requirements because they may house large numbers of people, vulnerable populations, or occupants with other risk factors, or fulfil a role of increased importance to the local community or to society in general.

Buildings where more than 300 people congregate in 1 area

Buildings with primary school, secondary school, or daycare facilities with a capacity greater than 250

Buildings with tertiary or adult education facilities with a capacity greater than 500

Health care facilities with a capacity of 50 or more residents but not having surgery or emergency treatment facilities

Jails and detention facilities

Any other building with a capacity of 5 000 or more people

Buildings for power generating facilities, water treatment for potable water, wastewater treatment facilities, and other public utilities facilities not included in importance level 4

Buildings not included in importance level 4 or 5 containing sufficient quantities of highly toxic gas or explosive materials capable of causing acutely hazardous conditions that do not extend beyond property boundaries

Buildings that are essential to post-disaster recovery or associated with hazardous facilities.

Hospitals and other health care facilities having surgery or emergency treatment facilities

Fire, rescue, and police stations and emergency vehicle garages

Buildings intended to be used as emergency shelters

Buildings intended by the owner to contribute to emergency preparedness, or to be used for communication, and operation centres in an emergency, and other facilities required for emergency response

Power generating stations and other utilities required as emergency backup facilities for importance level 3 structures

Buildings housing highly toxic gas or explosive materials capable of causing acutely hazardous conditions that extend beyond property boundaries

Aviation control towers, air traffic control centres, and emergency aircraft hangars

Buildings having critical national defence functions

Water treatment facilities required to maintain water pressure for fire suppression

Ancillary buildings (including, but not limited to, communication towers, fuel storage tanks or other structures housing or supporting water or other fire suppression material or equipment) required for operation of importance level 4 structures during an emergency

Buildings whose failure poses catastrophic risk to a large area (eg, 100 km²) or a large number of people (eg, 100 000).

Major dams

Extremely hazardous facilities

safeguard people from an unacceptable risk of injury or illness caused by fire,

protect other property from damage caused by fire, and

facilitate firefighting and rescue operations.

Fixed appliances using controlled combustion and other fixed equipment must be designed, constructed, and installed in buildings in a way that reduces the likelihood of illness or injury due to fire occurring.

The maximum surface temperature of combustible building materials close to fixed appliances using controlled combustion and other fixed equipment when operating at their design level must not exceed 90°C.

Fixed appliances using controlled combustion and other fixed equipment must be designed, constructed and installed so that there is a low probability of explosive or hazardous conditions occurring within any spaces in or around the building that contains the appliances.

Buildings must be designed and constructed so that there is a low probability of injury or illness to persons not in close proximity to a fire source.

Buildings with a building height greater than 10 m where upper floors contain sleeping uses or other property must be designed and constructed so that there is a low probability of external vertical fire spread to upper floors in the building.

Clause C3.2 does not apply to importance level 1 buildings.

Buildings must be designed and constructed so that there is a low probability of fire spread to other property vertically or horizontally across a relevant boundary.

• (a) materials used as internal surface linings in the following areas of buildings must meet the performance criteria specified below:

Clause C3.4 does not apply to detached dwellings, within household units in multi-unit dwellings, or outbuildings and ancillary buildings.

• (b) floor surface materials in the following areas of buildings must meet the performance criteria specified below:

• (c) suspended flexible fabrics and membrane structures used in the construction of buildings must have properties resulting in a low probability of injury or illness to persons not in close proximity to a fire source.

Buildings must be designed and constructed so that fire does not spread more than 3.5 m vertically from the fire source over the external cladding of multi- level buildings.

Buildings must be designed and constructed so that in the event of fire in the building the received radiation at the relevant boundary of the property does not exceed 30 kW/m² and at a distance of 1 m beyond the relevant boundary of the property does not exceed 16 kW/m².

External walls of buildings that are located closer than 1 m to the relevant boundary of the property on which the building stands must either:

• (a) be constructed from materials which are not combustible building materials, or

• (b) for buildings in importance levels 3 and 4, be constructed from materials that, when subjected to a radiant flux of 30 kW/m², do not ignite for 30 minutes, or

• (c) for buildings in Importance Levels 1 and 2, be constructed from materials that, when subjected to a radiant flux of 30 kW/m², do not ignite for 15 minutes.

Firecells located within 15 m of a relevant boundary that are not protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system, and that contain a fire load greater than 20 TJ or that have a floor area greater than 5,000 m² must be designed and constructed so that at the time that firefighters first apply water to the fire, the maximum radiation flux at 1.5 m above the floor is no greater than 4.5 kW/m² and the smoke layer is not less than 2 m above the floor.

Buildings must be designed and constructed with regard to the likelihood and consequence of failure of any fire safety system intended to control fire spread.

Buildings must be provided with:

• (a) effective means of giving warning of fire, and

• (b) visibility in escape routes complying with clause F6.

Buildings must be provided with means of escape to ensure that there is a low probability of occupants of those buildings being unreasonably delayed or impeded from moving to a place of safety and that those occupants will not suffer injury or illness as a result.

The evacuation time must allow occupants of a building to move to a place of safety in the event of a fire so that occupants are not exposed to any of the following:

• (a) a fractional effective dose of carbon monoxide greater than 0.3:

• (b) a fractional effective dose of thermal effects greater than 0.3:

• (c) conditions where, due to smoke obscuration, visibility is less than 10 m except in rooms of less than 100 m² where visibility may fall to 5 m.

Clause C4.3(b) and (c) do not apply where it is not possible to expose more than 1 000 occupants in a firecell protected with an automatic fire sprinkler system.

Means of escape to a place of safety in buildings must be designed and constructed with regard to the likelihood and consequence of failure of any fire safety systems.

Buildings must be designed and constructed so that there is a low probability of firefighters or other emergency services personnel being delayed in or impeded from assisting in rescue operations and performing firefighting operations.

Buildings must be designed and constructed so that there is a low probability of illness or injury to firefighters or other emergency services personnel during rescue and firefighting operations.

Buildings must be provided with access for fire service vehicles to a hard-standing from which there is an unobstructed path to the building within 20 m of:

• (a) the firefighter access into the building, and

• (b) the inlets to automatic fire sprinkler systems or fire hydrant systems, where these are installed.

Performance requirements in clauses C5.3 to C5.8 do not apply to backcountry huts, detached dwellings, within household units in multi-unit dwellings, or to outbuildings, and ancillary buildings.

Access for fire service vehicles in accordance with clause C5.3 must be provided to more than 1 side of firecells greater than 5,000 m² in floor area that are not protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system.

Buildings must be provided with the means to deliver water for firefighting to all parts of the building.

Buildings must be designed and constructed in a manner that will allow firefighters, taking into account the firefighters' personal protective equipment and standard training, to:

• (a) reach the floor of fire origin,

• (b) search the general area of fire origin, and

• (c) protect their means of egress.

Buildings must be provided with means of giving clear information to enable firefighters to:

• (a) establish the general location of the fire,

• (b) identify the fire safety systems available in the building, and

• (c) establish the presence of hazardous substances or process in the building.

Means to provide access for and safety of firefighters in buildings must be designed and constructed with regard to the likelihood and consequence of failure of any fire safety systems.

Structural systems in buildings must be constructed to maintain structural stability during fire so that there is:

• (a) a low probability of injury or illness to occupants,

• (b) a low probability of injury or illness to fire service personnel during rescue and firefighting operations, and

• (c) a low probability of direct or consequential damage to adjacent household units or other property.

Structural systems in buildings that are necessary for structural stability in fire must be designed and constructed so that they remain stable during fire and after fire when required to protect other property taking into account:

• (a) the fire severity,

• (b) any automatic fire sprinkler systems within the buildings,

• (c) any other active fire safety systems that affect the fire severity and its impact on structural stability, and

• (d) the likelihood and consequence of failure of any fire safety systems that affect the fire severity and its impact on structural stability.

Structural systems in buildings that are necessary to provide firefighters with safe access to floors for the purpose of conducting firefighting and rescue operations must be designed and constructed so that they remain stable during and after fire.

Collapse of building elements that have lesser fire resistance must not cause the consequential collapse of elements that are required to have a higher fire resistance.

The objective of this provision is to:

• (a) safeguard people from injury or illness resulting from inadequate identification of escape routes, or of hazards within or about the building,

• (b) safeguard people from loss of amenity due to inadequate direction, and

• (c) ensure that people with disabilities are able to carry out normal activities and processes within buildings.

Objective F8.1(c) applies only to those buildings to which section 118 of the Building Act 2004 applies.

Signs must be provided in and about buildings to identify:

• (a) escape routes,

• (b) emergency-related safety features,

• (c) potential hazards, and

• (d) accessible routes and facilities for people with disabilities.

Requirement F8.2 does not apply to detached dwellings, or within household units in multi-unit dwellings.

Signs must be clearly visible and readily understandable under all conditions of foreseeable use, including emergency conditions.

Signs identifying potential hazards must be provided and located so that people encounter the signs before encountering the potential hazard.

Signs to facilitate escape to a place of safety must be provided and

• (a) be located to identify the escape routes, and

• (b) continue to meet the performance requirements in clause F8.3.1 during failure of the main lighting for the period required by performance F6.3.4 and performance F6.3.5.

Signs must be provided and located to identify accessible routes and facilities provided for people with disabilities.

Accessible routes must be identified with the International Symbol of Access.