MINC Services ensure balustrade safety compliance with property services franchises

Balustrade compliance is a vital aspect of building safety, and MINC Services property services franchises are well equipped to ensure building managers and owners are aware of the condition and conformance of their balcony balustrades.

The property services franchises can ensure that balustrades meet Australian legislation, which currently sets out minimum design and performance criteria.

These criteria include:

• minimum effective heights
• maximum permissible openings; and
• limitations on horizontal or near horizontal elements that may facilitate climbing.

Balustrade deterioration is also a major contributor to balustrade incidents. Corrosion of floor and wall plates, detachment of balustrade panels from floors and walls and the corrosion of balustrade sections is often difficult to identify without a professional safety audit.

MINC Services maintenance franchises can carry out balustrade safety audits to minimise these risks and provide recommendations and options for achieving a satisfactory level of conformance.

A typical audit conducted by the property services franchises will include a comprehensive assessment of the:

• condition of the balustrades
• conformance of the balustrades relating to existing legislation; and
• integrity and strength of the balustrade via comprehensive load testing.