Information Collection
2. By making a submission to this consultation you agree to the collection of the information you provide in your submission; and the use and disclosure of the information you provide in your submission as outlined above.
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(Required)
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Publish response
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Publish response anonymously (this will remove personal identifiers including, name and organisation)
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Do not publish
Principle 1- Installation and testing, certification and maintenance of nominated fire safety systems is regulated
9. Do you agree that the installation and testing, certification and maintenance of the fire safety systems listed in Attachment A should be regulated?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
If No/Unsure, please provide alternative approaches
Maintenance of all installed fire safety measures within a building should be regulated
10. Are there any additional fire safety systems not captured in the list?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
If Yes/Unsure, list the other fire safety systems
access panels, doors and hoppers to fire-resisting shafts
automatic fail-safe devices
automatic fire detection and alarm systems
automatic fire suppression systems
emergency lifts
emergency lighting
emergency warning and intercommunication systems
exit signs
fire control centres and rooms
fire dampers
fire doors
fire hose reel systems
fire hydrant systems
fire seals protecting openings in fire-resisting components of the building
fire shutters
fire windows
lightweight construction
mechanical air handling systems
perimeter vehicle access for emergency vehicles
portable fire extinguishers
safety curtains in proscenium openings
smoke alarms and heat alarms
smoke and heat vents
smoke dampers
smoke detectors and heat detectors
smoke doors
solid core doors
standby power systems
wall-wetting sprinkler and drenching systems
warning and operational signs
11. Do you agree that fire extinguishers and/or mechanical air handling systems do not require a declaration of installation compliance unless where requested by the statutory building surveyor?
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Yes
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Ticked
No
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Unsure
If No, provide alternative suggestions on how these systems should be regulated for installation, testing and certification.
Declaration of compliance for all installed fire safety measures within a building should be requested
Principle 2- Installation and testing of fire safety systems is undertaken by registered practitioners
12. Do you agree with the recommendation that the fire system installer or plumber must test the installed fire safety systems and provide a Declaration of Installation Compliance?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
Principle 3 – Certification of fire safety systems is mandatory and is undertaken by independent and registered practitioners
13. Do you agree that the certification of the fire safety systems listed in Attachment A, should be undertaken by an independent and registered fire systems installer or plumber?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
14. Should the independent certification be undertaken by a fire systems installer or plumber with a Certificate IV qualification or should any additional qualification requirements be left to the discretion of the individual jurisdiction?
Provide comment
Would be nice to have it audited by a Cert IV and or diploma qualified inspector to ensure they have a higher understanding of the systems installed and the potential high level interfacing with other installed systems.
15. Are the requirements for an independent fire systems installer or plumber adequate to ensure no conflict of interest and independence exists between the original fire systems installer or plumber and independent fire systems installer or plumber?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
If No/Unsure, please provide further comment.
I think this is dependent on who actually engages the "independent auditor" is it the owner/customer or the company that installed the system as there could be a conflict of interest that arise
16. Should the independent fire systems installer or plumber be independent of the entity (e.g. company or business) that performed the installation or can it be another employee from the same entity?
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Can be from the same entity
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Must be independent of the entity that performed the installation
17. Do you agree that the owner or building approval applicant should engage the independent fire systems installer or plumber, ensuring they are competent and registered as per the NRF?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
Principle 4 – Statutory building surveyor is responsible for inspecting certified fire safety systems prior to issuing an occupancy approval or final certificate
18. Do you agree on the role of the statutory building surveyor in relation to visual inspections of certified fire safety systems installation?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
If No/Unsure, please provide alternative suggestions
Building surveyor may not have enough fire specific knowledge to ensure system compliance
19. Should a fire safety designer (fire safety engineer) undertake the inspection of fire safety systems involving Performance Solutions prior to occupancy approval or should this be the role of the statutory building surveyor?
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Fire safety designer (fire safety engineer)
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Statutory building surveyor
Further comment
Engagement of at least diploma qualified fire systems designer / assessor
Principle 5 – Routine maintenance of essential fire safety systems is regulated, undertaken by registered practitioners and reported to the building regulator annually
20. Do you agree that the occupancy approval should state which fire safety systems must be maintained and to which standard and maintenance interval?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
Provide comments
The essential fire safety measure / system that has been installed have listed the BCA year, relevant clauses and Australian Standards it complies too and the maintenance standards. This would hopefully close the gaps that can arise between the the systems still complying in the future and that they are being maintained. In some states they require annual sign off that they are maintained but not that they are still compliant with the original installation and vice versa.
21. Do you agree that the maintenance of specified fire safety systems should only be undertaken by registered fire systems installers or plumber?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
If No/Unsure, please provide further comment.
There are various qualifications that exist within the national qualification framework for the installation, inspection and testing of fire systems which should be recognised and be adopted into a registered / licencing scheme.
22. Do you agree that annual maintenance statements should be prepared and lodged with the state or territory building regulator for Class 2-9 buildings?
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Yes
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No
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Unsure
If No/Unsure, please provide further comment.
The essential fire safety measure / system that has been installed have listed the BCA year, relevant clauses and Australian Standards it complies too and the maintenance standards. This would hopefully close the gaps that can arise between the the systems still complying in the future and that they are being maintained. In some states they require annual sign off that they are maintained but not that they are still compliant with the original installation and vice versa.
Comments
23. Do you have any further comments?
Comment
No