News

I attended a standards meeting a couple of weeks ago and found on the table in reception new information (April 2008) about "Standards Australia's New Business Model".

According to the brochure the changes will address the following;

• Enables more strategic and forward thinking engagement for Standards Australia with industry, community and Government
• Creates a transparent Net Benefit Assessment for each Standards project proposal
• Provides multiple pathways for Standards development and gives stakeholders choice

Earlier today SAI Global (Standards) finally published Amendment 2 of AS1851-2005. This new amendment applies 48 changes, bring the total changes to AS1851 including the 27 changes from Amendment 1 to a total of 75 changes.

Regularly we hear of fires in commercial laundry's, usually in a hospital or nursing home. Commonly the laundry is protected by a Type B heat detector however there are simple steps we can take to reduce or eliminate the causes of fire in these areas.

Just in the last month alone, Google News reported there were 423 hits on laundry related fires....

I have just received the email below that was distributed by the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors regarding new requirements from South East Water for all new construction projects from March 1, 2008.

Practice Note 2007-61 almost slipped passed my desk without me picking up this little nugget. According to the Victorian Building Commission Practice Note 2007-61 issued November 2007, building owners may have a common law obligation to adopt AS1851-2005. Here is a full extract of the relevant clause;

Well its out today, the first public draft of Amendment No. 2 of Australian Standard AS1851-2005.

This draft is 18 pages long and includes many changes that people involved in the Maintenance of fire protection systems and equipment should consider carefully.

The summary of the draft reads as follows;

It is with great excitement that I announce Maintenance Essentials in partnership with Fire Safety Consulting and SKIP Consulting have been selected by the Building Commission of Victoria to prepare a report that determines whether people involved in the maintenance of Essential Safety Measures (ESM) in Victoria should be a Registered Building Practitioner (RBP).

The National Fire Protection Association of America (NFPA) publishes a free monthly newsletter providing detailed information on NFPA codes and standards activities. NFPA News typically includes special announcements, notification of proposal and comment-closing dates, requests for comments on NFPA documents, publication of Formal Interpretations (FIs), Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs), errata, and notice of the availability of Standards Council agendas and minutes.

On November 28, the Building and Plumbing Industry Commission issued a Media Release (below) that The Building and Plumbing Industry Commissions, water authorities and fire protection industry are taking action to reduce the large volume of water used for testing fire sprinkler systems.

Maintenance Essentials continues to take a lead role in the efficient use of water use in fire protection by supporting South East Water, The Building Commission and customers to carry out a pilot program and implement water saving initiatives which may be used industry wide.