Newsletter of Fire Protection Association Australia
NSW Draft Fire Safety Reforms New Year Consultation Sessions FPA Australia has welcomed the NSW Government’s release of the draft Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation Amendment in relation to provisions for fire safety in the design, construction and approval of new buildings and building works. FPA Australia labelled the changes, led by Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, the Hon Victor Dominello MP, ‘world-leading’ and among the most significant steps to improving fire safety in the state’s history. “These are world-leading changes that will have a lasting impact on the management of fire risks in our built environment. The most significant part of the reforms is the shoring up of the crucial role played by competent Fire Safety Practitioners. Individuals must be
properly trained and credentialed through the proposed co-regulatory accreditation framework. It is essential that any work undertaken on buildings for life or fire safety purposes is done by competent practitioners. Peoples’ lives depend on it. We never want a repeat of an incident such as we witnessed with the tragic loss of Connie Zhang in the 2012 Bankstown fire – a catalyst for much of the reforms,” said Mr Williams.
In This Issue NSW Draft Fire Safety Reforms New Year Consultation Sessions Reinstatement of Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) to Benefit All
FPA Australia believes there is no better administrator of industry accreditation than the industry itself and already operates the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) which has several thousand accredited practitioners.
New FPA Australia National President
FPA Australia will be holding consultation sessions on the draft reforms in Albury, Sydney, and Newcastle in the week beginning 16 January 2017. Further details will be posted on the FPA Australia website events page at
www.fpaa.com.au/events See full article here.
Fire Protection Industry Awards 2016 See the full winners list – page 7
Corporate Platinum Members
Summer 2016/17
Safe Disposal and Decommission of Cylinders Fire Australia 2017 Final Days for Free FPAS Transitional Accreditation More AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1 Seminars Thai Pyrogen Deaths a Lesson for Australia Fire Protection Industry Awards to Get Bigger in 2017 NSW Golf Day New & Upgraded Members New FPAS Recognised Businesses
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Reinstatement of Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) to Benefit All Re-establishing the Australian Building Construction Commission (ABCC) will reduce lost working days and will increase productivity and employment, says FPA Australia. FPA Australia advocated the return of the ABCC for the benefits it would bring to a vital sector of the Australian economy. “The Fire Protection Industry in this country contributes significantly to the economy. This will only improve if the construction industry is able to perform at peak levels,” said FPA Australia CEO Scott Williams. The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill was passed on 22nd November. Then on 30th November, the Senate passed the second of the major industrial relations Bills – the Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013. The Building and Construction Industry (Improving Productivity) Bill 2013, will be followed by the Building and Construction Industry (Fair and Lawful Building Sites) Code 2014 (the “Code”). The Bill will apply to all building industry participants that wish to tender for Commonwealth funded building work. In passing the Bill, the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) will be re-established as the workplace relations regulator in the building and construction industry. The Code sets out the particular requirements that building industry participants must comply with.
Some Elements of the Bill (a) Building Work – the definition of “building work” has been expanded to include transporting or supplying goods to building sites, including resource platforms, where work is, or may be, performed; (b) Unlawful industrial action and picketing – unprotected industrial action or unlawful picketing can give rise to a Grade A civil penalty (up to $180,000 for a Union or Corporation and up to $36,000 for an individual); (c) Coercion and Discrimination – it will be unlawful to do something (or threaten to do something) intending to coerce another person, including: • to employ or not employ a person • to engaged or no engage a contractor • to allocate or not allocate duties or responsibilities relating to building work (d) Investigating Powers – the Bill as originally drafted conferred on the ABCC the power to issue examination notices. However, the Senate has amended that aspect to essentially maintain the status quo by providing that examination notices be issued by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on application by the ABCC on
the grounds that the ABCC believes that a person (a) has documents/information relevant in a suspected contravention; (b) is capable of giving relevant evidence; and (c) a person can be required to produce documents/information, or attend before the ABCC to answer questions relevant to an investigation. (e) The Code – it had been the intention that Enterprise Agreement content would apply to Enterprise Agreements made after 24th April 2014. However, the Senate amendments allow the Code to cover entities 2 years from the passage of the Bill (November 2018). Unregistered Agreements: The Code also prohibits Code-covered entities from making or implementing an agreement that will not be registered or lodged or otherwise approved under the Fair Work Act. “When the ABCC was in operation we saw less days lost to industrial activity and more people employed. FPA Australia believes its members will see increased opportunities and benefits in its return and this will flow through in the form of better employment prospects, revenue and ongoing viability of our members’ businesses,” said Mr Williams.
New FPA Australia National President Chris Orr was appointed as the new Fire Protection Association Australia (FPA Australia) National President at the Association Annual General Meeting on 3 November in Sydney. Mr Orr was previously FPA Australia’s Senior Vice President in 2015/2016 and has a Master of Fire Safety Engineering, a Diploma in Design for Bushfire Prone Areas and sits on a number of Standards Australia committees.
He takes over from Mr Trevor Voevodin who steps down from the role of National President after four years but assumes the role of Association Senior Vice President. Rhondel Johannessen becomes Junior Vice President while Bill Lea remains FPA Australia Treasurer. Our other Board members are Graeme Thom Director, Alan Wilson Director, Graham Harris Director, Hank Van Ravenstein Director and Patrick Conway Director.
Fire Australia 2017 Fire Australia 2017 is shaping up as the largest event ever held by FPA Australia and combines for the first time three distinct areas in the fields of fire and life safety. As well as focusing on key topics related to all sectors within the fire protection industry, FPA Australia is partnering with the Society of Fire Safety in 2017 to include a dedicated Fire Safety Engineering stream throughout the conference. In addition, a HazMat stream will once again feature at the conference.
You cannot afford to miss the opportunity to raise your brand profile, showcase your new products and grow new business. The FREE tradeshow will be the biggest exhibition of its type that specializes on showcasing products and services for the fire protection and hazardous materials sectors attracting over 1000 visitors from a variety of professions from across Australia, New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region. With free entry, a huge display of products and services from national and international businesses plus the chance to win prizes and giveaways, the event will be extremely
attractive to anyone with an interest in fire protection and hazardous materials. If you would like to be a speaker or sponsor the event or even participate as an exhibitor at the tradeshow, now is the time to secure your position as these options are limited and do sell out. To download the exhibition & sponsorship brochure, visit www.fireaustralia.com.au. For further information and to secure your exhibition space contact the Events Team at FPA Australia on (03) 8892 3184 or email events@fpaa.com.au.
Safe Disposal and Decommission of Cylinders The Fire Protection Industry (ODS & SGG) Board is aware of incidents where cylinders were being decommissioned negligently or accidently and there was a release of scheduled extinguishing agent into the atmosphere which can be harmful to the environment. If there are reasonable grounds to believe a person has caused an unlawful discharge of a scheduled extinguishing agent, individuals and/or body corporates will be issued an infringement notice. There are a number of key things that need to be remembered when decommissioning cylinders to ensure the safety of people, protection of the environment and to reduce avoidable discharges. Typical reasons why a system may be decommissioned include; the protected space is no longer used as it was originally intended and no longer requires a gas suppression system; a tenancy has ended; a facility is being moved or decommissioned; a room is being expanded and a larger system is required or that the facility is changing to a different suppression agent.
• the cylinder(s) condition should be assessed prior to moving;
Decommissioning a system with scheduled extinguishing agent in it requires an Experienced Agent Handling Licence (EAHL). An EAHL covers tasks such as decommissioning of the connected panel, disconnecting actuators and ancillary devices, disconnecting cylinders and ensuring that safety caps are installed and that cylinders are stored and transported in a safe manner. Many of the same risks involved in installing a system are present when decommissioning a system and it is extremely important to ensure that a similar level of planning and risk assessment is undertaken prior to starting work. Some additional things to consider are: • whether decommissioning/isolating panels affects other functions or panels on site;
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• actuators/electrical connections should be removed and safety caps should always be in place prior to removing bracketing; • appropriate moving equipment should be in place; and • whether it is necessary to pre-arrange appropriate Dangerous Goods transport or plan how to safely store cylinders until appropriate transport arrives. Once cylinders are safely secured for transport, they can be shipped to a licenced facility capable of ensuring that the agent is reclaimed from the cylinder(s) and ideally recycled. You can get more information on licencing and licenced companies at:
www.fpaa.com.au/ozone
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Final Days for Free FPAS Transitional Accreditation The number of days left to take advantage of the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) free transitional accreditation offer to members is dwindling fast and will close on 31 December. The Inspect and Test free transitional accreditation and heavily subsidised training offered to members is part of the Association’s 2020 Vision for the fire protection industry – working towards all fire protection technicians being trained, competent and accredited by the year 2020. The initiative was launched in January 2016, and we have accredited thousands of people. The Association wants to thank every individual and business that has taken advantage of the program so far. For those members who have not taken advantage of the free transitional accreditation offer, you have until 31 December to do so. Any new applications received after 1 January 2017 will be charged the standard $200 (2 year) fee. The current program for training subsidies will remain in place until 31 December 2019. Becoming an FPAS Recognised Business is an important step on our journey toward a truly professional industry. Any Corporate Member who registers their business for FPAS by 31 December 2016 will have 90 days to ensure each individual completes and submits their accreditation application. For information on how to register your company for FPAS or to apply for individual accreditation, simply login to the CONNECT Platform. For any FPAS enquiries please contact us on 03 8892 3131 or email fpas@fpaa.com.au
More AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1 Seminars FPA Australia will hold more AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1 Seminars due to the high level of interest shown by the Fire Protection Industry. As the FPA Australia AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1 Seminar panel wrapped up the recent national tour in Brisbane on 7 December, venues and dates were being organised for Hobart and Darwin, with additional dates to be held in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to reach those who missed out in November and December. FPA Australia General Manager Technical Services/ Deputy CEO Matthew Wright says the interest indicates how vital and necessary the change was. The seminars, sponsored by Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers and which were held in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, provide a full briefing on how Amendment 1 to AS 1851-2012 should be interpreted. “It’s clear the industry needs and wants clarification on baseline data requirements associated with AS 1851 so we are pleased we’re able to organise more seminars,” said Mr Wright. The additional seminars are expected to be held in late January or early February, 2017. Details will be available on the FPA Australia Events website once dates and venues have been arranged.
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Mario Apela and Richard Duerden of Australian Essential Services attended the AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1 seminar in Victoria and said it was good to have the opportunity to hear first-hand how Amendment 1 would affect their work. “It’s a pivotal point and the seminars are a great chance to get a better understanding,” said Richard. “There’s a message there to property owners too, that they’re part of the process (in record keeping).” Leigh Climes of Fire Alarm Essentials agreed that the clarification was long awaited. “It’s good to know the detail. It has been a grey area for some time so it’s great to get a better explanation. These sessions are very useful,” he said. FPA Australia is completing a Good Practice Guide following the publication of Amendment 1 to AS 1851-2012 and is in the process of transitioning to new updated AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1 log books which are expected to be available in early 2017.
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Thai Pyrogen Deaths a Lesson for Australia The tragic death of eight people following the accidental triggering of a Pyrogen
extinguishing system in a Thai bank
earlier this year should not happen in Australia so long as the necessary Standards are adhered to. Executives from the fire systems company involved now face charges. Pyrogen systems have been sold and installed in Australia for over 20 years. Pyrogen is a specific brand of a type of product, known as a Condensed aerosol fire extinguishing agent. This bulletin is intended to provide guidance in relation to the Australian Standard for such systems and recommendations to ensure locally installed systems have the required safety features, required by AS 4487, incorporated to minimise the possibility of a similar incident occurring in Australia. Whilst the incident in Thailand related to a specific brand of condensed aerosol, it should be noted that different brands of condensed aerosol products have different chemistry and as a result different toxicology profiles. At least one condensed aerosol product has a sufficiently safe toxicological profile to be US EPA SNAP listed and approved for use in occupied spaces. For more information about the specific approvals and toxicological information of individual brands of condensed aerosols, enquiries should be directed to the relevant manufacturer or supplier.
Australian Standard Requirements Australian Standard AS 4487 Condensed aerosol fire extinguishing systems – requirements for system design, installation and commissioning and test methods for components, provides guidelines for these types of systems. It details the potential safety hazards associated with condensed aerosols and specifies safety precautions and features to be incorporated in condensed aerosol systems to minimise the risk of exposing people to a discharge of condensed aerosol. The safety hazards and precautions detailed in AS 4487 include: • Potential hazards of aerosol extinguishing systems include noise, reduced visibility, high temperature, turbulence, potential toxicity, and skin or eye irritation to persons in the protected space and other areas where the aerosol may migrate.
• Determination for use of an agent in spaces that are normally occupied or normally unoccupied shall be based on an evaluation of the adverse effects(s) caused due to accidental exposure to the aerosol.
Recommendations for Pyrogen Systems
• In any proposed use of aerosol where people may enter the protected enclosure or be close to the protected risk, suitable safeguards such as personnel training, warning signs, predischarge alarms and system isolate switches shall be provided. Means of ventilation after fire shall be readily available.
Land Based Systems
• Aerosol generators shall be installed in such a manner that they will not potentially cause injury to personnel. Condensed aerosol shall not directly impinge on areas where personnel may be located. In addition to the above warnings, AS 4487 specifies that the following safety features be incorporated into condensed aerosol systems: • Predischarge alarm and discharge time delay and sufficient time to allow evacuation prior to discharge. • Automatic/manual switch, to allow the system to be placed in manual mode when the protected enclosure is occupied. • System isolate switch to prevent discharge of the system during maintenance activities. • Exit routes and emergency lighting and adequate direction signs to minimize travel distances from areas which may be occupied. • Outward-swinging self-closing doors which can be opened from the inside, including when locked from the outside. • Continuous visual and audible alarms at entrances and designated exits inside the protected area and continuous visual alarm outside the protected area which operate until the protected area has been made safe. • Appropriate warning and instruction signs. Warning Notices must be provided at all entrances to the protected enclosure. • Means for prompt natural or forced- draft ventilation after discharge.
If you have a Pyrogen system installed in your facility or service a facility with such a system installed, it is strongly recommended that:
• An audit of their system be conducted to ascertain its compliance to the requirements of the current edition of AS 4487 (land based systems) • The system is upgraded to incorporate the important safety features specified in AS 4487 or replaced with an alternative fire extinguishing system. Whilst it is not a specific requirement of AS 4487, it is recommended that dual-stage detection and control systems be installed (where appropriate) in conjunction with condensed aerosol extinguishing systems so as to minimise the possibility of accidental operation.
Marine Systems • An audit of their system be conducted to ascertain its compliance to the requirements of the current edition of the NSCV (National Standard for Commercial Vessels) • The system upgraded to incorporate the important safety features specified in the NSCV or replaced with an alternative fire extinguishing system. NOTE: When conduction service on any condensed aerosol system, it is essential that the aerosol generators are electrically disconnected prior to undertaking any service activities which could cause an unintended discharge of the system.
Fire Protection Industry Awards to Get Bigger in 2017
Following the huge success of the inaugural Fire Protection Industry Awards in November, FPA Australia CEO Scott Williams has promised the 2017 event will be bigger still. “The response from industry has been overwhelmingly positive. This is something the industry has wanted for a long time and it’s great that the first event has been received so well,” said FPA Australia CEO Scott Williams. “We are already planning for the 2017 event in Melbourne to be even more spectacular.”
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“Thanks go to our Principal Partners Tyco Fire Protection Products and Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers; our Welcome Partner Kidde and our Award Category Partner Wormald for their great support,” said Mr Williams.
Platinum Members
FPA Australia also celebrated the contribution made by its Platinum members in 2016/2017 – Brooks Australia, Chubb Fire & Security, FlameStop Australia, Alan Wilson Insurance Brokers, Kidde, Wormald and Tyco Fire Protection Products. For a full description of the Awards and the 2016 winners click here.
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Peter Johnson & David Graham (ARUP)
2016 Award Winners Harry Marryatt Company of the Year Award 1-49 employees Bushfire Prone Planning
Andre Mierzwa
Harry Marryatt Company of the Year Award 50+ employees ARUP Barry Lee Technical Excellence Award Andre Mierzwa of FM Global Young Achiever Award for the most outstanding young leader in the industry Daniel Rhodes of Territory Fire Service and Training Simon Hill
A.V. Viscogliosi Outstanding Service Award David Isaac Meritorious Service Awards Grahame Douglas and Simon Hill
David Isaac
Daniel Rhodes
Grahame Douglas & Kathy Nastov (Bushfire Prone Planning)
Neil Zouaoui (DIS)
New Members
After a 2015-2016 financial year that showed strong growth not just in membership but also in FPAS Accredited Members and FPAS Recognised Businesses, the trend continued in October and November. FPA Australia would like to welcome our latest members.
NSW Golf Day
Individual NSW
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the NSW Golf Day at Riverside Oaks Golf Resort overlooking the Hawkesbury River and the Cattai National Park. It was a spectacular day in a spectacular location and a great opportunity to catch up with friends and industry colleagues.
Mr Greg McQuillan Mr John Gardner Mr Jeremy Hyde Mr Raj Kumar Mr Ron Scott Mr Peter Price Mr Stuart Gosbell
Our winners from the day:
Mr Benjamin Trattles
Best Team Scratch Score McGrath Mazda Best Team Net Score Independent Pipe Nearest to the Pin Lance Stenczyk Longest Drive Jim Young Survival Ball Repipe Beat the Pro DIS
NT QLD Mr Craig Dyne Mr Jari Hellsten Mr Jason Watkins Mr Paul Bergman Mr Wing Lun Arnold Kwok
SA Mr Kyle Smith Mr Michael Gloyn
VIC Mr Andrew Hill Mr Ilias Varas Mr Jeffrey Johnson Mr Mohamed Zufry Abdul Jabbar Mr Beejay Calixto Balangue Mr Greg Aspinall Mr Peter Findlay Mr Ron Vuillermin Ms Ngoc Mai Nguyen
WA Mr Adam Byrnes Mr Horst Prumm Mr Philip Dyet Mr Shane Bowbridge Mr Terrence Maher
Professional WA
Mr James Davidson
Corporate Bronze (1-4 staff) NSW
ADP Fire Protection Ahsen Industries P/L All Fire Services Bluecomm Group P/L Central Essential Fire Standards Eurobodalla Fire Service Fire Detection Consultancy LSC Fire Pty Ltd Residential Safety Solutions Wheeler Industries Zircon Fire Compliance Pty Ltd
QLD Australian Fire Technologies Pty Ltd Midas Fire Pty Ltd Miller Group Company P/L Tropical Fire Protection Pty Ltd
SA Ardent Fire Protection Work Life Smart Systems Pty Ltd
VIC Alio Fire Protection P/L Ashes Fire Group Basic Engineering Christian Safety Services CVE Fire & Safety Equal Access Pty Ltd Fire Risk Consultants Fire Sealed Pty Ltd Militem Fire & Essential Services Pyro Tech P/L Regional Fire Testing Runnymede Fire Services Smoke Alarm Specialists XWB Consulting
Upgraded Members
New Members (continued) Corporate Bronze (continued) WA Ace Fire Barrier Passive Fire Protection Pty Ltd Bushfire Protection Solutions P/L Chelis Group Natural Area Consulting Management Services Perth Training Institute Pty Ltd Prolek Pty Ltd Rader SS
Corporate Silver (5-14 staff)
Corporate Gold (15+ staff)
Atak Group Services Guardian Safety Solutions Ikon Fire & Safety Maintenance Pty Ltd Nationwide Security Systems
QLD A1 Passive Fire Pty Ltd
TAS Engineering Solutions Tasmania Pty Ltd
VIC InterActive Products Roar Fire Systems Trilec Services
(5-14 staff) NSW
NSW All Aussie Fire Pty Ltd Corporate Energy Services Pty Ltd Credible Building Technologies Repipe Connection Sydney
WA Strategen Environmental
Organisation Bronze (1-14 staff) NSW
Strata Compliance Services Pty Ltd
NSW
Corporate Silver
VIC Online Permit Solutions Pty Ltd
Organisation Silver (15+ staff) NSW
Zokal Safety Australia Pty Ltd Survival Solutions (Aust) Pty Ltd All Fired Up Australian Bushfire Solutions
QLD Ipswich &District Fire Equipment Services Acktion Fire Pty Ltd Factor Fire
VIC Melbourne Fire & Maintenance Weingott Electrics Sonnenschutz Shutters Heath Design Group Pty Ltd
WA Australian Fire & Safety Solutions
Corporate Gold (15+ staff)
Western Sydney University
NSW RIC Electrics
VIC Monash University BPD
Organisation Gold (15+ staff) NSW
QLD TT Building Surveyors Pty Ltd QFE Technologies
VIC Essential Safety Solutions Aust Pty LTd
Fairview Architectural P/L Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW Ltd
WA A & M Freeman Enterprises
SA Andrew McLeod Fire Protection KA Fire Safety Recognised Business
New FPAS Recognised Businesses NSW Douse Fire Protection Encore Fire Systems Fire Management Solutions Strobe Fire
WA Banhams WA Pty Ltd Capricorn Extinguishers Svcs Complete Fire Compliance Esperance Fire Services Fire and Evac Solutions
NATIONAL
NT Territory Fire Service & Training
PO Box 1049 Box Hill VIC 3128 T: (03) 8892 3131 E: member@fpaa.com.au W: www.fpaa.com.au
VIC Asset Support Group Blaze Fire Services Fire Alarm Essentials GH Fire Melbourne Safety Services
Jim’s Fire Safety
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