Standards update

AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS

CE-030 Maritime structures

AS 4997 is currently being drafted by the Committee.

EM-001 Electric vehicle operation

AS 5732 is in the public comment stage.

FP-002 Fire detection and alarm systems

Resolution of the public comment on the AS 1670.6 revision continues. AS 3786 (an adoption, with modification, of ISO 12239) has moved to ballot stage.

FP-004 Automatic fire sprinkler installations

Progress continues on drafting the revision of AS 2118.6.

FP-018 Fire safety

Progress continues on the revisions of AS 1530.1 (Combustibility test) and AS 1530.4 (Fire-resistance tests).

FP-020 Construction in bushfire-prone areas

Progress continues on the new handbook for Maintenance of construction in bushfire-prone areas (SA HB 208).

FP-022 Fire protection of mobile and transportable equipment

Resolution of the public comment on AS 5062 continues.

LG-007 Emergency lighting in buildings

AS/NZS 2293.1-2018 Amendment 1 has moved to ballot stage.

LG-011 Photoluminescent exit signage

Public Comment on AS 5358.1.1 is being resolved.

ME-002 Gas cylinders

Revisions of AS 2030.1 and AS 2030.5 are being drafted.

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES UPDATE

The TACs met between Tuesday 5 July and Wednesday 27 July 2022, but no minutes were available at the time of writing.

Key topics included lithium-ion battery safety, the suitability of products for the Australian market, and the progression of Australian Standards project proposals.

Subcommittees have been formed to focus on the spacing of sprinkler heads in concealed spaces and managing the risks of lithium-ion batteries, and a Special Interest Group of public testing laboratories and third-party accreditation bodies will focus on evidence of suitability issues.

TAC/1 Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment

TAC/1 progressed with a project proposal for the revision of AS 1851-2012. Interested members of TAC/1 and TAC/4/8/9 are forming a subcommittee to discuss the testing requirements of AS 2419.1 and the ongoing hydrostatic testing of hydrant systems under AS 1851.

TAC/2 Fire detection and alarm systems

Work continued on the Good Practice Guide on Speaker Layout and the Technical Advisory Note on Building Occupant Warning Systems. A workshop was proposed to progress the work on this document and to review feedback received from the initial review by TAC members.

TAC/3/7 Portable and mobile equipment

TAC/3/7 worked on the AS 1851 project proposal and revisions of AS 1841 and AS 1850. Once these revisions are complete a review of AS 2444 can commence.

TAC/4/8/9 Fire sprinkler and hydrant systems, tanks and fixed fire pumps

A workshop of interested parties will be organised to discuss spacing of sprinkler heads in concealed spaces.

The pumpset checklists have been reviewed and final amendments are being made before they are circulated to the TAC for approval.

As discussed under TAC/1, a subcommittee is being formed to discuss the testing requirements of AS 2419.1 and the ongoing AS 1851 hydrostatic testing of hydrant systems.

TAC/11/22 Special hazards fire protection systems

There have been no significant updates on current projects for this TAC.

TAC/17 Emergency planning

IB-11 V2 Evacuation diagrams will soon be published.

Different terminologies for the acronym RACE are currently being collated to form the basis of a technical document, and the TAC has reviewed AS 3745-2010.

TAC/18/19 Passive fire protection

A document on unfilled door frames is in final stages and will be published in the next few weeks.

Discussion on passive training continues, as does contribution to the work of FP-018.

TAC/20 Bushfire safety

A draft of the Bushfire Planning and Design Practice Note on conducting Bushfire Attack Level assessments using method 1 of AS 3959-2018 has been reviewed by the TAC, and a working group formed to develop a document on calculating effective slope.

A Position Statement on Sarking has now been published and is available via the FPA Australia website at www.fpaa. com.au/advocacy-technical/technicaldocuments/position-statements/ps-09-v1sarking.aspx.

NCC UPDATE

The grandfather clause that permitted the use of old test reports issued to earlier versions of AS 1530.4 will remain in the NCC until the NCC 2022 is released. Further information can be found at https://abcb.gov.au/news/2022/noticecorrigendum-ncc-2019-and-ncc-2019amendment-1.

The draft version of the NCC 2022 is now available at https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/ news/2022/weve-released-ncc-2022.

The NCC 2022 will be referencing the following versions of Australian Standards: • AS 2118.1-2017 Automatic fire sprinkler systems, including amendment 2 • AS 2419.1-2021 Fire hydrant installations system design, installation and commissioning • AS/NZS 2293.1-2018 Emergency lighting and exit signs for buildings system design, installation and operation, including amendment 1 2021 • AS 3500-2021 Plumbing and drainage • FPAA101D-2021 Automatic fire sprinkler system design and installation—drinking water supply • FPAA101H-2018 Automatic fire sprinkler system design and installation—hydrant water supply.