FM Audit- Fire Safety Signage

Facilities Management (FM) would like to advise key contacts and affected building users that, as part of our ongoing fire safety and compliance improvement programme, we are reviewing and updating all fire safety signage across UC buildings.

Maintaining clear, visible, and effective fire safety signage is a critical part of FM’s commitment to workplace safety and legislative compliance. These signs play a vital role in guiding evacuation paths and informing behaviour during emergencies. However, over time, signage can become damaged, outdated, or faded.

As part of this review, FM is conducting a full audit to identify and remove ineffective signage, replacing it with compliant alternatives where necessary. In some cases, signage may be relocated to a safer and more appropriate position.

We are taking a phased approach to ensure staff are informed of any changes to evacuation routes or egress paths. These improvements will be coordinated with warden training.

What you can do:

• Familiarize yourself with any new signage in your work area.
• Participate in training sessions and trial evacuations as they become available.

Improving our fire safety signage is not just about compliance—it’s about ensuring everyone’s safety.

Please refer any enquiries to fmassist@canterbury.ac.nz

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to maintaining a safe workplace.

A temporary closure of the entrance to  Ernest Rutherford 412 (teaching space) will be in place 7:00 AM Monday, 1 December until 5:00 PM Tuesday, 2 December.

FM contractors will be completing remedial fire protection work in the ceiling above the entrance, and the work area and access point will be cordoned off during this period.

Please direct all enquiries to fmassist@canterbury.ac.nz.

Facilities Management (FM) advises key strategic contacts and /or affected building users of a planned heating and cooling outage affecting Tupuānuku Student Accommodation between Monday 1 December and Friday 5 December.

Affected Buildings:

• RE50 – Tupuānuku Student Accommodation
• Tupuānuku Energy centre.

Facilities Management Contractor (Southbase) will be completing improvements to the Controls for the heating and cooling system in the energy centre that services Tupuānuku. During this time, air conditioning will be unavailable.

The domestic hot water will run off the backup electric elements while the work is being completed, and we do not expect this to impact on the availability of hot water in Tupuānuku.

What do you need to do?

• Note that heating and cooling will be off between 1–5 December.
• Advise staff and students to dress for variable weather conditions.
• Consider alternative campus spaces with cooling, such as the Library, Undercroft, or cafés.

Please direct any enquiries to fmassist@canterbury.ac.nz

Thank you for your consideration as we undertake these required upgrades.