Members shared Goals

We believe it is important that all members and end users who use the services of the Alliance understand the members’ shared goals.  Below is some background and rationale behind their meaning.

Passive fire and smoke containment systems play a complimentary and important role in the overall design of fire safe buildings. In conjunction with so called “active” systems such as sprinklers, hose reels and extinguishers and the like, “passive” systems such as fire & smoke barriers, and the fireproofing of the building structure itself (to avoid untimely collapse), complete a the total fire safety protection system necessary in most buildings.

 

This shared goal was chosen as the number one goal for a reason.  To a large degree the Alliance was formed in the first instance to articulate a uniform passive industry sub sector approach to participation in the discussions and hopefully necessary reforms surrounding the advent of Performance Based Building Codes. The use of Alternative Solutions and the concept of safety of life only and a bare minimum approach to fire protection design, was resulting in many passive systems being made redundant from building designs. 

 

This shared goal was chosen as the number one goal for a reason. To a large degree the Alliance was formed in the first instance to articulate a uniform passive industry sub sector approach to participation in the discussions and hopefully necessary reforms surrounding the advent of Performance Based Building Codes. The use of Alternative Solutions and the concept of safety of life only and a “bare minimum” approach to fire protection design, was resulting in many “passive” systems being made redundant from building designs.

 

The objective of this goal is therefore to participate in the overall debate about minimum fire protection requirements and to promote the use of passive systems, as well as to promote the use of a total approach to fire safety design incorporating protection of the lives of building occupants, the lives of our fire fighters, property, against business interruption and of course the overall built environment.

 

Note: At the recent Plastic in Construction seminar series, the Executive Director for the Alliance was asked during question time whether the Alliance was in fact not an "anti-sprinkler lobby".  The answer to this question was / is a simple NO.

 

The Alliance and its members are proponents for the use automatic sprinklers and would recommend their use in most cases. If there was only one fire protection system allowed, then in most cases sprinklers would be the preferred choice. The reality is that we do not need to pick just one fire protection system. We can utilize both active and passive fire safety systems in buildings; they are complimentary and usually will result in an overall safer building. It is not a matter of Active OR Passive, but should be Active AND Passive.

 

2)    Promote property protection and public welfare as well as life safety

       This shared goal is an obvious extension of shared goal number 1.  It clearly articulates that the Alliance and its members are supportive of the concerns of the insurance industry. In most cases the insurers are interested in fire protection designs that cater for more than just the life safety attributes of a design covered by the Building code of Australia. Insurers are also interested in the protection of property and protection against business interruption so in the advent of a fire, the damage to the building and the time to resumption of business at the facility in question are kept to a minimum.
 
In keeping with this shared goal, the Alliance is playing a lead role in relation to the proposed development of a regional Code of Practice or Guideline(s) for the protection of property and business. 

 

3)    Promote fire fighter safety and facilitate fire fighting activities

        The goal is an extension again of both goal numbers 1 and 2 above. The Alliance and its members understand that buildings should be    designed to facilitate the   activities of the fire service in the advent of a fire. The fire service often arrive well after most of the people have evacuated, and it is their mandate to save people who not have escaped when they arrive, but also to save property. The confidence of the fire service to enter  buildings where the design is such that the building will only maintain its integrity for a short period to enable occupants to escape (after which it can fall down), would obviously diminish.  The total approach to fire protection design will obviously cater for the needs of our fire fighters.

 

4)    Disseminate technical information to the Fire Safety Community (and   end users)

        In keeping with shared goal numbers 1 to 3 above (and 5 below), the Alliance and its members are trying to make relevant information available to the fire safety community and wider to the “poor old” end user. The www.pfpa.com.au web site, Passive News, technical papers, presentations, answering of questions posed of the Alliance administration and other media have been used to try and provide some relevant information relating to fire protection and the correct use of passive fire and smoke containment systems.

       Through the membership dues paid by Alliance members, the Alliance administration takes pride in being able to assist (FREE of charge in most cases) consultants, regulatory authorities (councils) and end users understand their requirements for particular applications and provide a conduit for them to find Alliance members’ products and services.

        One area where we feel we are and can in fact make a real difference is in relation to construction in bushfire prone areas where end users are confused by regulatory issues and the current problems with the current version of AS3959.

 

5)    Promote competency based training, accreditation and licensing

       Share goal 5 is an important goal. The Executive Director’s favourite concluding remark in many presentation he delivers, relates to this goal.

       "You can have the best tested products, but if they are not installed correctly they will not work effectively, and to a large degree defeat the overall purpose”

     The Alliance and its  members are therefore at the forefront of assisting Government Regulators with the development (& possibly delivery) of necessary training, assessment and accreditation for designers, installers, inspectors, maintenance providers and certifiers of passive systems.