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The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has issued a corrigendum for NCC 2019 that delays the changeover to new testing requirements for passive fire protection systems. Previously, as of May 1, 2022, these systems were to be tested to the latest version of AS 1530.4; this has now been pushed back to September 1, 2022, […]
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released two courses on fire safety systems and passive fire protection, with discounted registration for a limited time. The ABCB notes that effective fire protection in buildings can save lives, and a good and up-to-date understanding of the National Construction Code (NCC) plays a critical role in this […]
A new project is under way to develop training materials for assessing and reporting on smoke control features of mechanical services systems. Release 3.0 of the UEE electrotechnology training package includes a unit to cover the installation and maintenance of smoke control equipment, including fire dampers, smoke dampers, smoke and heat vents, and mechanical services […]
Two new units of competency are being added to the Electrotechnology Training Package. The technical advisory committees (TACs) have now considered all stakeholder feedback and the draft materials are available for final validation to ensure they meet industry needs. The unit UEERA999Y Inspect, test and repair fire and smoke control features of mechanical services systems […]
New training units have been drafted for the electrotechnology training package and are open for comment. The two new units cover variable refrigerant flow (VRF) AC systems, and emergency lighting and alarm systems/fire and smoke control systems. Both will be included as an elective in Certificate III in Air-conditioning and Refrigeration. The new unit of […]
Although a new national training package for refrigeration and air conditioning has just been released, work is already starting on the next iteration. Two new units will be developed on variable refrigerant flow systems, and fire and smoke control systems. Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is looking for subject matter experts to help review and develop […]
The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) has announced new initiatives to boost the compliance and performance of essential safety measures (ESMs). ESMs include many parts of a building, some directly related to HVAC systems. For example, air-handling systems for smoke control and mechanical ventilation systems that incorporate a cooling tower or hot or warm water system […]
The Secretary of the NSW Department of Customer Service has advised that the start date for the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) in NSW has been delayed. The new date will be July 1, 2020. The scheme was expected to be gazetted in early April. This would have made it compulsory for competent fire safety […]
As reported previously, fire safety rules are changing in New South Wales from April. For HVAC practitioners, the major change at this stage is that only those who are accredited as competent fire safety practitioners (CFSPs) under the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS) will be authorised to conduct the annual assessment of essential fire safety […]
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is undertaking an out-of-cycle amendment for the 2019 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC). It will be known as NCC 2019 Amendment 1 and is now open for public consultation. The amendment will include: Enhanced fire safety measures for early childhood centres in high-rise buildings. A defined term […]