There’s a new profession in the construction industry

When it comes to fire safety in the construction of a building, there’s long been the Building Code etc, and more recently Australian Standards in all areas of fire safety, but unfortunately for the community, none, little or poor regulation around the trades and standards of workmanship when it comes to passive fire. 

But with passive fire supposedly now accounting for around 2 – 4% of a building’s construction, and figures at around 30 – 40% of all litigation in construction, it’s not just an add on to a trade any more.

The passive fire industry - in the US - can trace its lineage back to the 1970’s in the nuclear industry when it was mandated that openings in fire-rated barriers had to be sealed with materials capable of restricting the passage of fire, and then became the norm with notable fires such as the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Courses for trades attempted to include a little about the topic, but tradesmen such as plumbers, plasterers, and electricians were there to build walls, install plumbing, and run cables – not to understand the intricacies of the spread of fire and smoke, and how a hole in a slab can cause a fire to spread and potentially cause deaths.

And if something gets a little tricky – like new works in an older building – new construction methods etc, then who's to know what to do there?

There are of course fire engineers and building certifiers, but fire engineering when it comes to a building is very high level. Their role is generally to clarify what is required, but the how is quite a separate issue.

Then there are the trades, as I mentioned above, who will try, but their expertise is in their specific trade, and then there’s the unskilled who are attempting it for a contractor.

So there’s a new profession forming - somewhere in between the two.

New because it’s a relatively ‘new’ niche in construction, and like any profession, requiring learning derived from research, significant education in the field, training and ongoing professional development. With changing technologies and methodologies in construction, and new products entering the market requiring testing and compliance with legal requirements, there’s a need for a professional with a deeper understanding of this niche industry.

Typically a professional in passive fire could be similar to a building certifier but specialising, or a very experienced construction manager or builder. The knowledge around buildability, benefits of a full QA passive fire process which includes proper sequencing, reducing reworks, etc. are indicative of high end consulting in this niche ‘professional’ area.

Presently it can be plasterers, non specifically skilled trades with little or no qualifications in this area, and there’s an awful lot of rework costs, very minimal regulation, and most importantly little focus on life safety. 

Why not become a passive fire professional and help lift the game.