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COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATION · ESM AUDIT AND AESMR VICTORIA

Independent sign-off for simpler buildings. All year, not just at audit time.

Quarterly site visits, independent contractor monitoring, and a signed Annual Essential Safety Measures Report. For smaller residential buildings that need compliance done properly, without the complexity of a full formal audit.

 

 

Is this the right service for your building?

This service suits your building if:

  • Smaller residential building — generally up to around 20 lots

  • Simple ESM systems — extinguishers, hose reels, smoke detectors, emergency lighting

  • Contractor services ESM items once or twice a year

  • You want independent AESMR sign-off without a full formal audit 

You may need a different service if:

  • Larger or more complex building with multiple contractor scopes

  • Building has a fire indicator panel, sprinklers, or mechanical ventilation

  • Your contractor currently holds the AESMR and you want to keep it that way

  • You need a formal on-site audit with a full written audit report or your contractor currently prepares your AESMR

What Compliance Certification includes

  • Four site visits per year

    Scheduled around your certification date — one per quarter, with the final visit approximately four weeks before sign-off. Each visit covers a full paths of travel inspection and a visual check of ESM items on site: tags current, equipment accessible, nothing obviously missed. We let your strata manager know if anything needs attention. 

     

  • Quarterly contractor monitoring

    We obtain your contractor's service records each quarter and check them against the ESM items on your Occupancy Permit. Servicing completed, defects recorded correctly, nothing falling through the cracks. It is the independent check your contractor cannot provide for themselves. 

     

  • Quarterly Contractor Performance Report

    Your strata manager receives a written report every three months: paths of travel status, contractor servicing summary, any defects identified, and a certification readiness verdict. A clear documented record throughout the year, not just at sign-off. 

     

  • AESMR preparation and sign-off

    At year end, Focus BRC prepares and signs the Annual Essential Safety Measures Report on behalf of your Owners Corporation. The AESMR is a statutory attestation that the building's essential safety measures have been maintained and are functioning as required. Focus BRC signs only when the building is in a certifiable condition. If a critical defect is identified during the year, it must be rectified before sign-off. 

Managing a building well is a team effort

A strata manager handles the day-to-day: communication, finances, maintenance coordination, contractor relationships. The OC committee provides oversight and makes the decisions. Other specialists - building managers, legal advisors, accounting auditors - are brought in when their specific expertise is needed. ESM compliance is one of those areas. Assessing whether safety systems have been properly maintained requires technical knowledge that most committee members and managers would not be expected to have. It belongs with a qualified, independent specialist. 

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Where Focus BRC fits

We are the compliance specialist on your building's team. We do not maintain, repair, or replace safety equipment.  That is your contractor's role. We do not manage the building or the OC's affairs. That is your strata manager's role. What we bring is the technical knowledge to assess whether the work has been done correctly, and the independence to say so honestly. When we sign the AESMR, we are taking professional responsibility for that assessment. There is no financial interest in the outcome, only in getting it right. 

What this looks like in practice

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A written record of your building's compliance, every quarter

Four times a year, a Quarterly Contractor Performance Report is prepared for your building: paths of travel status, contractor servicing summary, any defects identified, and a certification readiness verdict. It goes to your strata manager, and it gives everyone responsible for the building a clear documented picture of where things stand — without waiting for the annual sign-off to find out. 

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Independent eyes on the building, four times a year

Every quarter, a Focus BRC auditor visits the property. They walk the paths of travel, check that ESM items are tagged and accessible, and notice anything worth flagging. It is not a duplication of your strata manager's role — it is a specialist compliance lens, applied by someone whose only job on site is to assess. Anything that needs attention is communicated promptly. 

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A defensible position if questions are ever asked

When your AESMR is signed by an independent specialist — someone with no connection to the contractor who performed the servicing — the document carries weight that a self-assessment cannot. If an incident occurs, if an insurer asks questions, or if a committee member wants to understand the compliance history, there is a quarterly record of independent oversight to point to. For everyone with responsibility for this building, that record matters. 

Compliance Certification at a glance

Best for

Smaller residential buildings with straightforward ESM systems — typically up to around 20 lots

Focus BRC holds AESMR

Yes — Focus BRC prepares and signs the AESMR on behalf of the Owners Corporation

Site visits

4 per year, scheduled against your certification date — quarterly paths of travel inspections plus ESM visual checks

Contractor monitoring

Quarterly review of contractor service records against your Occupancy Permit ESM schedule

Quarterly reporting

Contractor Performance Report delivered to your strata manager every quarter

Certification readiness

Readiness verdict issued every quarter — no surprises at sign-off

Optional add-ons

Building Risk Review — broader OH&S and insurance risk assessment at each site visit. Commercial Pack — formal notification to commercial lot occupants of their individual ESM obligations.

Pricing

From $133 per quarter — based on building size and location. Contact us for a specific quote.

 Build your compliance programme 

These services can be added to any Compliance Certification engagement. We'll flag which ones are relevant for your building during your free compliance review.

Building Risk Reviews

During each quarterly site visit, our auditor completes a Building Risk Review checklist alongside the paths of travel inspection. We look at exposures that fall outside the formal ESM framework but represent real liability for the OC: car park condition, lighting, signage, slip hazards, and general building maintenance flags.

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Passive Fire Inspections

Independent inspection of passive fire systems incl fire doors, penetrations, and barrier integrity. Often overlooked in standard ESM servicing and a common source of non-conformances at certification.

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Commercial Packs

In buildings with commercial lots, individual tenants carry their own ESM obligations under Victorian law. Most occupants are unaware of this. The Commercial Pack provides formal written notification to each commercial lot occupant of their specific obligations, creating a documented record that protects the OC if questions arise later about where the compliance boundary sits.

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Start with a free compliance review.

We'll assess your building, confirm whether Compliance Certification is the right fit, and give you a specific quote. No obligation.