Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance: Make-safe Guidelines

Make-safe Guidelines

If a school site has been damaged in an incident or event that occurred within the boundaries of the school’s site and where that damage presents an immediate health and safety concern for students, staff and/or the community, any school staff member can call the Make-safe provider on 1300 133 468.

Program overview

The Victorian School Building Authorities (VSBA) Make-safe Program assists schools that have sustained damage through an incident or event that occurred within the boundaries of the school’s site, where that damage presents an immediate health and safety concern for students, staff and/or the community.

These guidelines are also applicable to severe incidents of malicious activity, such as vandalism or break-ins.

Examples of works included in the Make-safe Program include:

investigating the source of identified water ingress, which is the result of an active weather event (that is, roof leak/flooding) and conduct water extraction and drying of affected building materials as required
removing fallen trees/tree branches which have fallen on school infrastructure (for example, buildings, playground structures, fencing).

Example of works not included in the Make-safe Program:

investigations and repairs of small burst or leaking pipes with localised impact and associated water extraction and drying works
investigations and repairs of faulty lighting or building maintenance systems.

Schools can refer to the VSBA Urgent Maintenance Response Guide (PDF)(opens in a new window) for general guidance when responding to common urgent maintenance issues.

The Make-safe Program is delivered via a contracted service provider, Programmed Facility Management (PFM), which provides professional services under the program and oversees all phases of the process. This includes liaising with schools to deliver the urgent make-safe and reinstatement work.

The VSBA’s Response Programs Unit oversees the program.

Schools impacted by bushfires can access assistance through the VSBA’s Make-safe Program. As a first step in this process, the unsafe area or hazard should be isolated and managed in accordance with the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy. Following this initial step, schools can call Make-safe on 1300 133 468.
For any other questions about bushfire damage to school infrastructure, please contact vsba.response.program@education.vic.gov.au
Event
One or a combination of any of the following events:
- fire
- flood
- storm
- cyclone/hurricane/typhoon/tornado
- tsunami/tidal wave
- volcanic eruption/earthquake.
The VSBA has discretion to respond to events not listed above that cause physical loss, destruction or damage of school property or infrastructure.
Incident
Any malicious activity that makes a site unsafe. This includes:
- vandalism
- theft of infrastructure critical to safety
- riots
- strikes
- civil commotions
- malicious damage.
The VSBA has discretion to respond to events not listed above that cause physical loss, destruction or damage of school property or infrastructure
Make-safe
Urgent works required to make a school site safe. The works required to make a site safe are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
The Make-safe scope of works does not necessarily include urgent maintenance requirements such as blocked or burst pipes (where there is a small, localised impact), as general maintenance in circumstances with no precipitating incident or event are generally funded through Student Resource Package funding, as outlined in the Student Resource Package – School Infrastructure policy. Schools can refer to the VSBA Urgent Maintenance Response Guide (PDF)(opens in a new window) for general guidance when responding to common urgent maintenance issues.
Other programs, such as the Emergency Maintenance Program may be better suited to assist schools with large or long-term projects requiring specialist assistance, such as major roof repairs, retaining walls, or other structural issues. Schools can refer to the Emergency Maintenance Program Guidelines for further information on support available for these issues.
If schools are unsure if their issue falls within the scope of the Make-safe Program they can contact the service provider on 1300 133 468 for advice. If the issue being reported is not within the scope of the Make-safe Program, the service provider will advise the school. Some examples of out-of-scope issues are:
- gas leaks
- plumbing issues such as blocked or burst pipes
- graffiti
- maintenance based issues such as broken floorboards
- student inflicted damage, such as a broken window that can be isolated.
Reinstatement works
Works required to return a school site to pre-loss condition. Reinstatement works are not guaranteed to be funded by the VSBA and are subject to eligibility criteria. Schools will not be reimbursed for works undertaken without prior approval.
School-funded threshold
The designated dollar threshold ($5,000 plus GST) at which the VSBA may fund reinstatement works. Reinstatement works estimated to cost below this amount are to be funded directly by the school.
Schools
Principals are responsible for maintaining their buildings and grounds. This includes the responsibility for undertaking urgent maintenance and repairs such as a burst water pipe or a fallen tree limb. For advice on how to address urgent maintenance issues and repairs onsite, please refer to the VSBA Urgent Maintenance Response Guide (PDF)(opens in a new window).
Where schools have sustained damage through an incident or event that occurred within the boundaries of the school’s site, and where that damage presents an immediate health and safety concern for students, staff and/or the community, any school staff member can raise a Make-safe request by contacting Make-safe on 1300 133 468. If required, school staff should also isolate the unsafe area until the Make-safe Program can assess it.
VSBA – Response Programs Unit
The VSBA Response Programs Unit oversees the Make-safe Program. Working with the school, the Make-safe Program is responsible for assisting the school in making the site safe for staff, students and the community following an event or incident.
The VSBA may reinstate school facilities to an operational standard in certain exceptional circumstances.
DE Incident and Security Operations Centre
The DE Incident and Security Operations Centre (ISOC) provides an alarm-monitoring function that may trigger awareness of departmental assets being damaged in incidents.
ISOC’s alarm system does not automatically raise a Make-safe request or report an incident.
Additionally, incidents reported in eduSafe Plus, either by the school or by ISOC on behalf of the school, do not automatically raise a Make-safe request.
DE regional offices
Regional offices provide support to schools as required. Regional Offices do not have a direct role in the Make-safe process, but may facilitate communication between schools and the Make-safe Program. Schools or the VSBA may request Provision and Planning Officers (PPOs) to assist in complex situations.

Make-safe Procedure

Immediate action and notification

In an emergency where there is an immediate hazard to students and staff, schools must contact Emergency Services (Fire Brigade, Ambulance, Police) on 000.

Where a school staff member has identified damage caused by an incident or event that occurred within the boundaries of the school’s site, they can contact the Make-safe Program and will likely be asked for the following information:

the name of the person reporting the damage
the nature of the damage
the incident or event that caused the damage
the location of the damage (school/campus, building/area/room(s) and so on).

The Make-safe Program will attend the site to assess the scope of the Make-safe works. When the Make-safe Program is notified of the incident by other parties, the Make-safe Program contacts the school to commence the make-safe process.

The Make-safe Program are required to be on-site within:

4 hours of the agreed scheduled site attendance in metro area
6 hours of the agreed scheduled site attendance in a regional area.

Identification of works

The Make-safe Program will attend the site and determine the works necessary to make the site safe for staff, students and the community. The Make-safe Program will also complete a Make-safe report and submit a quote for any identified reinstatement works to the Response Programs Unit at the VSBA.

Delivery of immediate Make-safe works

The Make-safe Program will complete Make-safe works to eliminate the risk of immediate hazards resulting from the incident or event. For example, the Make-safe Program may:

cordon off dangerous areas
secure hazardous structures
install drying equipment
investigate identified roof leaks.

Once the Make-safe Program have completed make-safe works, the Make-safe Program will issue an email notification to the school that make-safe works are complete. The Make-safe Program will advise the school when the affected areas are safe to reoccupy.

If an area cannot be made safe during the initial works, Make-safe Program will work with the school to minimise disruption. Should a school require portable modular classrooms or facilities due to a make-safe incident, the Make-safe Program may facilitate this process alongside the Modular Classrooms Program.

Reinstatement works

Following the completion of emergency make-safe works, the VSBA will assess the requirements for any reinstatement works that may be required to repair or restore the site to its pre-loss condition.

Reinstatement works may include:

painting and replastering of ceilings and walls
replacing carpet or vinyl
minor roof works, such as replacing skylights or installing flashings.

As part of this process, the VSBA receives a detailed report, scope of works and quote from the Make-safe Program. Based on the eligibility criteria listed below, the VSBA reviews the reinstatement quote and determines whether to fund and coordinate any reinstatement works.

When the VSBA has completed its assessment, the school will be notified via email. The VSBA aims to inform schools of their assessment outcome within 10 business days of receiving the reinstatement quotation. This may vary as works are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Schools are welcome to contact the Response Programs Unit while this assessment is underway to seek an update or request further information.

Financial reimbursements for reinstatement work completed by the school without VSBA approval are not available. All requests for support must be raised through a Make-safe request by contacting the service provider on 1300 133 468.

Eligibility criteria

Where damage to a school facility is severe enough to warrant reinstatement, the VSBA will determine a school’s eligibility to have the work funded by the VSBA based on:

the level of risk to safety of students and staff or the school community
if the damage has been caused by an incident or event that occurred on the school’s site
the school has insufficient funds from all sources (including in reserves) to fund the repair work. Assessment of funds includes:
- the school’s bank balance
- the school’s committed contracted works and
- a base budget requirement calculated by the number of students enrolled in the school
if the minimum cost of the works exceeds $5,000
if the work is urgent, and unable to be addressed in the School Maintenance Plan (SMP) or the Rolling Facilities Evaluation (RFE), Emergency Maintenance Program (EMP) or any other means and
if the site of the works is considered entitled space (works at Special Development Schools (SDS) and Special Schools will not be subject to facility area allocations).

Approved reinstatement works

The approved scope of works is carried out by the Make-safe Program and their sub-contractors. A nominated project manager contacts schools directly to arrange a suitable date to attend the site and commence works. Contractors will make every effort to minimise the impact on school operations while works are being completed.

Declined reinstatement works

Where reinstatement works are declined, schools have several options:

proceed with the proposed scope of works as a school-funded project, which can be arranged through the VSBA and managed by a VSBA project manager
contact your regional Provision and Planning Officer to provide advice for the school moving forward
apply for a financial review if the VSBA has judged the scope of works as being within the school’s capacity to undertake using available funds. Schools apply for this review by replying to the declined reinstatement email and providing documentation to explain the school’s financial position.

Contacts

If a school has been damaged in an incident or event and the school needs assistance to make the site safe, please call the Make-safe Program on 1300 133 468.

Victorian School Building Authority
Response Programs Unit
Email: vsba.response.program@education.vic.gov.au
33 St Andrews Place
East Melbourne 3001

Updated 15 January 2026

Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance

On this page