SR64 New Zealand fire risk data (2007)

Traditionally, the effectiveness of fire safety protection in most countries has been presented in forms such as deaths per million population, while the cost of such protection has been shown as a percentage spent in terms of GDP and as a percentage of building costs. Performances of individual countries have then been compared using similar information available for other countries.

The building practices (culture) and socio-economic conditions of individual countries have a significant impact on the fire risk of those countries and make the national fire risk of each country unique. Figures such as percentage of GDP expenditure and percentage of building costs take no account of these unique features and are thus a poor basis for the assessment of risk in any individual country.

An introductory research and analysis of the fire risk in some occupancies in New Zealand has been carried out. The methodology applied and the recommendations made based on the findings are included in this report.