Background to the changes in AS1851

The Forward found in the front of AS1851-2005 provides the background, history and reasoning behind the changes in the standard. In essence, the revision seeks to provide improved reliability, integrity, functionality and performance to systems, equipment and service providers.

Forward

The criteria adopted for revising Australian Standard AS1851 include reliability, integrity, functionality and performance of fire protection systems and equipment. Consideration has also been given to the interfaces between equipment for fire detection and firefighting.

The Standard contains requirements formulated as a means of satisfying Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) regulations and the maintenance provisions of the Building Code of Australia (BCA). It may also form the basis for performance-based solutions. The combination of inspection, test, preventive maintenance and survey may demonstrate compliance with the maintenance requirements of the Building Code of Australia.

Training of personnel to the appropriate levels for the carrying out of inspection, test, preventive maintenance and survey of fire protection systems has not been directly addressed in this Standard; however, it is recognized that effective maintenance programs depend on suitably trained personnel.

An explanation of how this Standard is intended to be implemented is given in Section 1 detailing a four-stage approach of inspection, test, preventive maintenance and survey, coupled with records to be kept and reports to be made and culminating in the issue of a final condition report.

Scope and frequency provisions have been revised and, wherever practicable, specific test results are required to be recorded. The former tick-the-box approach has been abandoned in favour of specific ‘yes/no’ and quantitative answers throughout.

The revised inspection, test, preventive maintenance and survey regimes in this Standard address the functional aspects of installed fire protection systems and equipment on a periodic basis, with the objective that systems and equipment operate effectively at all times. The regimes aim to ensure that fire protection systems and equipment are in working order throughout the year or period of interest; not only at the time of annual inspection and test. A significant objective of this Standard is to provide reliability of fire protection systems and equipment, linking design, installation, commissioning and maintenance.

Continuous correct functioning is a basic criterion, and a new annual survey requirement also assures that system performance capability (efficacy) is not degraded by building or occupancy changes, which could otherwise adversely affect the capability of the system to perform as originally intended.

AS 1851 includes a requirement to annually test all aspects of system interconnection; for example, detection and alarm systems with atrium smoke exhaust plant, alarm systems with stairwell pressurization, automatic fire sprinkler systems with HVAC fire mode operation and warning facilities. This will require adequate documentation of interconnections between the various systems as required in the design, installation and commissioning standards.

This Standard complements AS 4655, Fire safety audits. AS 4655 provides a methodology for examining, where appropriate, by a process of audit, fire safety measures in order to satisfy appropriate, benchmarks, such as Standards, legislation, contractual arrangements, regulation and insurance requirements. This Standard provides a set of requirements to increase the probability that fire protection systems and equipment will function as intended by the respective design, installation and commissioning Standards, thus achieving reliability.

Note: This information is Copyright of Standards Australia and must not be distributed in any form.