Draft Qld Building Plan - mandatory Building Certifier fire wall inspections ... is that a good idea?
The current Draft Queensland Building Plan proposes that Building Certifiers perform mandatory inspections on fire rated party walls in Class 1a buildings (townhouses, duplex). This review is an acknowledgment that the industry is currently doing this badly and sadly we fully agree.
The standard of fire wall installs has greatly improved in Queensland with the introduction of compulsory licencing through the QBCC however, disturbingly the training is minimal and from the many inspections we do, the repeated non-compliance (minor and major) shows a lack of care.
The potential liability for costly rectification is scary, although just as important is life safety and property valuations. From our perspective these mandatory inspections are a great idea, however, there are a few more issues for the industry to consider, discuss and address:
Building certifiers need a vast cross section of knowledge across the full building process, expecting understanding of and access to the vast array of manufacturers systems is a specialty that will require considerable upskilling.
The limited time spent upfront in collaboration with builder, certifier, and plastering contractors on systems choice, test reports, performance, buildability, and cost must be addressed.
Low skill levels and knowledge from some companies who are currently self-certifying non compliant installs, unaware of the potential legal ramifications.
A QBCC licence does not necessarily imply a “competent person”. This licence class requires the introduction of CPD training to keep abreast of changes.
The large volume of inspection work this would create for building certifiers, additionally, some systems would require multiple inspections to view the staged method of installation
The additional costs incurred in the process, passed on and paid for by who?
An alternative thought to this proposal is the use of a “competent person” – a well-trained wall & ceiling passive fire certifier who could carry out these inspections on behalf of a building certifier or builder and provide an independent and reliable Form 16 certificate (a regulatory requirement in Queensland)
This same approach should be for all fire rating works regardless of building class where containment is the backbone of fire protection.
Regardless of any upcoming changes, I’d suggest the use of a third party passive fire certifier to provide training, inspection and certification is the path to ensure compliance and peace of mind. This is what we do.
If you’d like more information on our services contact us 1800 PASSIV