As with a Fire Safety Certificate (FSC) application, if you are planning:

• To construct a new building (New Construction)
• Add floor area to your premises (Extension)
• Change all (or part) of your existing building (Material Alteration)
• Change the function of all (or part) of your premises (Material Change of Use)
  
  

Then you are likely to require a DISABILTY ACCESS CERTIFICATE (DAC) for these works.

As part of Building Regulation requirements, any proposed works should be accessible and usable by all persons, regardless of their abilities. To meet this requirement, it is strongly recommended that a DAC is applied for at the same time as the FSC to ensure the overall design works from both a fire safety and an accessibility perspective. The design for each of these key elements of the Building Regulations must work in harmony together and should be considered carefully early-on in the project.

A Disability Access Certificate (DAC) application outlines the approach that is proposed to show that the building will be accessible for all building users, including wheelchair users. The DAC typically addresses all aspects of a building and its surroundings, such as:

• Designated parking spaces for wheelchair users or users with additional needs
• Suitable approach routes to the building entrances, i.e. as level as possible and wide enough to accommodate a range of users
• Suitable entrance doors to allow all users easily gain access to the building
• Sufficient and appropriate toilet/WC or showering facilities (sanitary facilities)
• Appropriate corridors and doors within the building to all users easily negotiate the facilities on offer.
  
  

There are multiple elements of a building to be considered to meet the requirements of Part M (Access and Use) of the Building Regulations and to prepare a DAC application.

Local Authority Fees: The application fee to the Local Authority for a DAC application is a flat fee of €800 regardless of building type, and this is reduced to a fee of €500 if the DAC is lodged at the same time as the FSC application.

Gillick Fire Safety are very experienced in DAC applications for all building types, including how best to merge already existing areas of a premises with new proposed areas of works.

If you are planning works to your premises, then give us a call to discuss how best to make your building user friendly and compliant.