The Catholic Education Office arranges and funds a contractor to visit schools to carry out Building Warrants of Fitness (BWOFs). This process is carried out to ensure schools are complying with the requirements of the Building Act.
WSP (www.wsp.com) are the current diocesan contractors for the Independently Qualified Person (IQP) to check and issue Building Warrants of Fitness (BWOFs).
WSP issues each school with a manual describing the features schools need to regularly maintain (and test where appropriate) such as lifts, fire alarms, and fire doors. Time is spent with the school caretaker or person responsible for completing the checks to ensure they are conversant with all the necessary tasks.
If the contractor (WSPl) identifies something that is not working properly, they will ensure the appropriate remedial work is actioned. If the work required to correct the problem is a maintenance item (for example, repairs or replacement batteries), the proprietor will invoice the Board of Trustees for the cost of the repair, which needs to be met from the Board’s operational funding. If it is a capital upgrade, the Proprietor will meet the costs involved in correcting the problem. If the remedial work needs to be done urgently and involves substantial costs, it may mean delaying other projects in the Proprietor’s published 12-Year Property Programme.
It is important to remember that it is a legal requirement to prominently display your school's BWOF, for example, in the administration area.
Here is an Introduction to Building Compliance & Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF)