Fire in the hole

Fire and smoke walls help protect buildings and their occupants. But as Sean McGowan reports, the improper penetration of these walls for services can render them ineffective, and even increase the unpredictability of fire and smoke spread.

Fire and smoke walls are one of the key passive fire protection features for protecting both buildings and their occupants.

Used to create compartments within buildings that help to restrict fire and smoke to the compartment of origin, they are able to minimise the damage and risk caused by a conflagration. Ultimately, they save lives.

But fire and smoke walls are only as good as their weakest point. Penetrations made through these walls can create a breach, and, if the penetration is not completed correctly, can cause them to be ineffective. unavoidable, but it is the treatment of the penetration that is vital to the integrity of the fire and smoke wall.

“Many service providers pay little attention to fire walls and make penetrations in ways and locations that make their work easier or cheaper, without considering the ramifications,” says Paul Waterhouse, NSW state manager at the Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA Australia).

He says if fire and smoke protections are not reinstated, the consequences can be fatal. these features to allow for services can provide opportunities for flames and smoke to spread to other compartments.”

Improper penetrations can allow fires to grow more quickly than expected, and make both the spread of fire and smoke more unpredictable.

This puts occupants in much greater danger. They may be exposed to fire and smoke from unexpected sources, and have less chance of evacuating a building safely.

GOOD PRACTICE

The Fire Protection Association of Australia (FPA Australia) published two Good Practice Guides in March 2018 aimed at assisting all stakeholders involved in with the protection of openings created by service penetrations.

GPG-06 Fire Resistance provides guidance and information on the general requirements for fire-resisting construction under Volume 1 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA). It details why such fire resistance is required.

GPG-07 Protection of openings for service penetrations in fire resisting building elements provides guidance and information on the requirements of Clause C3.15 of Volume 1 of the Building Code of Australia (BCA), and details the options available for the protection of service penetrations.

The FPA Australia board recently decided to allow access to full copies of these documents to non-FPA Australia members.

To access your copy, visit www.fpaa.com.au or email technical@fpaa.com.au

A GROWING PROBLEM

According to Brett Fairweather, M.AIRAH, mechanical engineering consultant with It’s Engineered, the improper penetration of fire and smoke walls is an all too common occurrence – and a problem the construction industry needs to address.

“Near enough is never good enough when it comes to the fire safety in buildings,” he says.

CHANGING BEHAVIOUR

In 2019, the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) held a series of workshops as part of its “harms based regulatory approach” pilot program that seeks to enhance the VBA’s capability to identify harms, understand the contributing factors and decide on where best to focus regulatory activity.

During these workshops, improper service penetration of fire and smoke walls in class 2 to 9 buildings was identified as a harm requiring priority action.

The VBA has since partnered with BehaviourWorks Australia – a leading behaviour change research enterprise at Monash University – to carry out research on reducing the occurrence and impact of improper penetrations.

One idea that came up was prototyping – a highly recommended practice for large scale installations.

Completing one example that everyone understands and agrees to makes it easier to repeat that penetration technique for the rest of the installation.

The smoke control effectiveness of curtains, shutters or dampers is dictated by the quality of the sealing strips around the edges of the closing elements.

“These errors in construction are made worse whenever installers are willing to look the other way and provide certification that everything is OK.”

With new laws recently passed in New South Wales that will help to hunt down defects and pursue those responsible, it is hoped that such practices will become a thing of the past.

“The rules are laid out pretty clearly now in the relevant regulations, codes and standards, and there is no excuse for failing to learn or ignoring these rules,” says Fairweather.

“They exist to protect building occupants and the community, and those people are relying on us to know what we are doing and to do it properly.”

CALL YOURSELF PROFESSIONAL

If you’re involved in the design, installation or commissioning of HVAC&R systems that are penetrating compartment boundaries, you must be familiar with all aspects of the construction rules from state regulations, the National Construction Code (NCC), and the referenced Australian Standards.

“Beyond just knowing the rules though, everyone involved should be appropriately qualified and experienced for the work they are responsible for,” says Fairweather.

Even beyond the construction phase, the installation needs to be ready to withstand the scrutiny of fire safety practitioners who inspect and endorse fire safety system performance.

“So if you are not comfortable, seek training to improve your knowledge or just focus on other work that you are great at.” and what to do when they come across them as part of their installation or service/maintenance work.

“Experience or training in the use of relevant passive fire protection systems, such as fire collars and firerated sealants, would be particularly helpful,” he says.

As well as familiarising themselves with building plans, HVAC&R practitioners should also talk to the designers and builders to identify where the risks are and what requirements have been specified to prevent the spread of fire and smoke.

LEARNING CAN SAVE LIVES

Although industry bodies like the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) are undertaking research on changing behaviour in the construction industry, HVAC&R professionals should know their responsibilities.

AIRAH offers a number of courses that speak to the issues associated with fire and smoke wall services penetrations, with particular emphasis on responsibilities.

For installers and those performing ongoing maintenance, AIRAH’s Essential Safety Measures course should be considered. Those involved in the detailed design, installation and commissioning of fire and smoke dampers should consider completing AIRAH’s Smoke Control and Fire Dampers course.

These courses are regularly updated in line with the latest codes and standards – with more content added as new information comes to light.

Waterhouse says the installation of systems should be planned carefully, and designs discussed with project stakeholders.

“Where the installer finds a need to deviate from those designs, it should only be done following further consultation with the design and building teams,” he says.

PAY ATTENTION

According to Fairweather, most of the improper services penetrations he comes across relate to errors in design and/or installation.

While he says designers are responsible for knowing what is necessary and then coordinating systems to achieve the necessary protection, those practitioners involved in the installation of systems must pay careful attention – particularly when coordinating services.

“Installation requires paying careful attention to design details and the instructions of manufacturers providing fire and smoke stopping products,” Fairweather says. “Poorly coordinated penetrations, in particular, can become big problems to fix after the work is done.”

Common errors include the incorrect size, position or clearance of the penetration, or the fire protection product being applied to the penetration.

And as is almost always the case, quick fixes are rarely the correct solution.

“If you are unsure of a detail in an installation, ask someone who should know until you understand it yourself,” says Fairweather.

EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBLE

Anyone who has anything to do with fire and smoke walls has a responsibility to know how their work affects the fire protection integrity of these walls. And this is particularly so for anyone who sees them as a barrier to the installation of their own services and products.

It is usually the spread of toxic and obscuring smoke that causes occupant deaths, not the heat and radiation of the fire itself.

When you see something that is not quite right – no matter the area of the

construction – speak up

ESSENTIAL SAFETY MEASURES UNDER SCRUTINY

The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) recently announced new initiatives to boost the compliance and performance of essential safety measures (ESMs).

ESMs include air-handling systems for smoke control and fire and smoke dampers, as well as things like smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.

According to the VBA, the Victorian Statewide Cladding Audit has revealed many deficiencies in the design, approval, installation and maintenance of ESMs in apartment and public buildings since it began in December 2017.

“Through expert analysis of these buildings, responses to fire events such as the NEO200 building fire, and enforcement programs run in partnership with local councils, the VBA has gained unparalleled insight into the performance and compliance of ESMs across the state,” the VBA says. related to ESM maintenance, the VBA has seen firsthand the impacts that sub-standard installation and maintenance can have on public safety and confidence in our built environment.”

In response, the VBA has been working closely with industry to establish Victoria’s first ESM Enhancement Program – a set of initiatives to address public safety, enhance practitioner competency with wet systems, and to promote the importance of effective and compliant ESMs.

AIRAH, the Fire Protection Association of Australia, National Fire Industry Association, AMCA, and the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia are all involved.

To give industry and building owners an early preview of some core themes of the Enhancement Program, the VBA has recently produced a guide to the roles and responsibilities associated with ESMs. “The success of a HVAC&R installation relies on the expertise of the HVAC&R practitioners and their ability to thoroughly coordinate their work with all associated parts of the construction,” says Fairweather.

When you see something that is not quite right – no matter the area of the construction – speak up, and recommend that someone else has a closer look.

You will not only be meeting your obligations under law, but you could well be saving lives. ■

GETTING ACCREDITED

AIRAH has supported FPA Australia in developing questions for the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS).

The FPAS currently offers accreditation for the routine service of passive fire protection in the form of fire seals and collars to AS1851-2012. It also has categories for accredited practitioners (fire safety) in NSW for the annual assessment of fire seals protecting openings in fire-resisting components of the building.

AIRAH is working with FPA Australia on the future development of training for practitioners managing penetrations in fire walls, as part of future broader reform.

But beyond industry organisations, there are also many fire safety product manufacturers and installers who can be valuable sources of information and technical expertise.