SANS 10400 stands for South African National Standards and is the Code of Practice which details how the National Building Regulations should be applied. Each section stipulates the deemed to satisfy requirements for the applicable area. For example Part T will stipulate the deemed to satisfy requirements for Fire Protection.

There are 23 sections in total. These are: Part A - General Principles & Requirements, Part B - Structural Design, Part C - Dimensions, Part D - Public Safety, Part E - Demolition Work, Part F - Site Operations, Part G - Excavations, Part H - Foundations, Part J - Floors, Part K - Walls, Part L - Roofs, Part M - Stairways, Part N - Glazing, Part O - Lighting and Ventilation, Part P - Drainage, Part Q - Non-water-borne Sanitary Disposal, Part R - Stormwater Disposal, Part S - Facilities for Disabled Persons, Part T - Fire Protection, Part U - Refuse Disposal, Part V - Space Heating, Part W - Fire Installation, Part X & XA - Energy Usage.

SANS 10400 specifically is not mentioned in the National Building Regulations, the NBR makes mention of Standards and SANS 10400 is included in those.

This is the part of the SANS 10400 requirements that deals with energy usage in buildings. We need to decrease energy usage in the South Africa so in 2011, this new part was added to the existing SANS 10400 document.

It covers Hot water supply, Energy Usage, Design Assumptions and Building envelope requirements.

No the new Energy Performance Certificate for buildings is a requirement of the National Energy Act 34 of 2008.

This is a certificate which gives a commercial, entertainment, educational and community buildings a rating based on the amount of energy it consumes per square meter. It is a legal requirement to obtain one and display it

This is a current requirement but building owners have been given until December 2022 to ensure that these certificates are obtained and displayed prominently

Privately owned buildings of more than 2000 square meters.

An Approved Inspection Authority will carry out assessment and inspection and issue the certificate.

R5 million and / or up to 5 years imprisonment.

You must have the asbestos identified by an Approved Inspection Authority and listed onto a register as to what type of asbestos it is, the condition of the material and where it is located.

No, you must also have an asbestos risk assessment carried out to determine level of risk and a hazard classification issued for the type of asbestos found. You will also need to have an Asbestos Management Plan which must detail the arrangements for maintenance and removal along with arrangements for incidents and emergencies which result in accidental exposure.

Yes, your asbestos register (inventory) and risk assessment must be reviewed every two years and your asbestos management plan must be reviewed every 8 years, or sooner if you make changes to your risk assessment or register.

Yes, all employees who are at risk of accidental exposure must receive asbestos awareness training, given by a competent person, which must be a minimum of two hours long and detail the risks associated with accidental exposure and the control methods as per the risk assessment. This is different to the training required for people who work with asbestos.

Only when work is to be carried out on any ACM in your building.

No, all asbestos must be disposed of as hazardous waste within three months of being removed from the building.

No, once damaged asbestos containing materials must be removed and disposed of as hazardous waste.

Fifty years.

There is no maximum amount, the court can issue any fine it deems appropriate to the level of risk.

This is a current requirement as is required at present, a DEL Inspector may issue a Contravention Notice or a Prohibition Notice should they find that this is not in place for your workplace.

All ACM must be labelled by May 2022.

The purpose of the emergency evacuation diagram is to provide all the important information in one easily obtainable place in the event of an incident. Best practice for evacuation diagrams is described in BS ISO 23601 : 2009 and states that the diagram should incorporate the following: All escape routes, Location of all fire fighting equipment and alarms Location of emergency equipment and evacuation aids Location of refuge and assembly points The point of location of the user (You Are Here) Location of stairs and lifts

A legend detailing what each symbol refers to as well as Safety Instructions and Notices such as the contact numbers for local police, fire and ambulance services.

All evacuation diagrams should be created in colour to allow for emergency equipment to be quickly and easily identified. The background of the diagram should be white and text should be black in color, The You Are Here marking should be shown in blue, Emergency equipment should be shown in red and green as appropriate to normal identification Directional arrows and escape routes should be shown in green.

You should include the following: Plan designer, Name of the facility, Floor designation, Date of plan design and revision number, Plan number.

Yes, this is dependent on the size of the facility and the level of detail to be illustrated but these are as follows: 1 : 250 for large sized facilities, 1 : 100 for small to medium sized facilities, 1 : 350 for plans displayed in individual rooms (such as in a hotel)

Yes, evacuation plans should be A3 size unless they are displayed in individual rooms where they can be reduced to A4

Plans should be displayed at the reception area of your building to assist visitors to easily identify an evacuation route and/or emergency equipment. They must be positioned where building occupants can learn the means of escape and at strategic points of the escape route. These can include: On every floor at primary entry points, Near lifts and stairs, In every individual room in hotels, At training points such as meeting rooms, cafeterias, open plan areas, etc. At principal junctions and intersections.

Yes, if you provide work for someone and remunerate them for that work, you are seen as an ‘employer’ in terms of the OHS Act and all requirements will apply.

Yes, domestic workers are seen as an ‘employee’ in terms of the OHS Act and the employer must ensure the appropriate measures are in place to ensure their health and safety.