There seems to be confusion throughout the entire Strata industry in Queensland concerning the requirements for testing fire equipment. Many Strata Managers are being told by fire service companies that their Bodies Corporate need to set aside significant money each year for increased testing of fire equipment. Read on to discover the changes to fire regulations Queensland.

So what is the truth?

Regulations 

All buildings, apart from classes 1a and 10, must abide by the following regulations:

• Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008
• MP6.1
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 (unless purely residential)
• Australian Standard:
  •  AS1851 – 2012
  • AS/NSZ2293.2 -1995
  • AS/NZS2419.1 – 2005
  • AS2118.1 – 1999
  • AS2118.4 -2012
  • AS218.6 – 2012

Changes to Fire Regulations Queensland

In May 2014, MP6.1 changed with an implementation date of 1 July 2014 but with a transition period of 1 January 2015.  Thus by 1 January 2015, the new MP6.1 must be followed.

The major change was to ensure all fire services are maintained by AS1851 – 2012 except for Fire Resistance Door Sets, (fire doors, fire shutters) and smoke doors where the testing is less than AS1851.

The major change that affects all buildings is the need to identify and inspect passive fire systems, including penetrations, firewalls and ceilings. This will impact greatly all building owners and Strata sites.

Fire Testing Requirements 

The below table of the most common fire protection elements will give you a listing of equipment and the new testing requirements.

Equipment	Testing required per Building Class
	5, 6, 9a, 9c	1b, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9b
Emergency lighting	6 Monthly	6 Monthly
Emergency warning and intercommunication systems5	Monthly	Monthly
Exit signs	6 Monthly	6 Monthly
Emergency Management Plan	6 Monthly	6 Monthly – except for class 1b and 2
Fire and Evacuation Plan		Yearly – only for class 1b and 2
Fire detection and alarm systems	Monthly	Monthly
Fire Blankets	6 Monthly	6 Monthly
Fire doorsets	6 Monthly	Yearly
Fire extinguishers	6 Monthly	6 Monthly
Fire hose reels	6 Monthly	6 Monthly
Fire hydrants (including boosters)	6 Monthly	6 Monthly
Fire shutters	6 Monthly	Yearly
Fire Pump Sets	Monthly	Monthly
Lay Flat Hose	Yearly	Yearly
Passive Fire Systems Fire Walls and Ceilings; Fire Rated Penetrations and control joints; Access Panels and Hatches; Ducts and Dampers;	Yearly	Yearly
Smoke doorsets	6 Monthly	Yearly
Smoke exhaust systems	Monthly	Monthly
Solid core doors	6 Monthly	Yearly
Special automatic fire suppression systems	Monthly	Monthly
Sprinklers	Monthly	Monthly
Stairwell pressurisation systems	Monthly	Monthly
Water Storage Tanks for Fire Protection	Monthly	Monthly

Major Change Affecting You 

The biggest change that is affecting all buildings is the requirement to inspect your Passive Fire Systems such as Walls, ceilings, and penetrations.

To save money you should consider implementing the following.

1. Obtain a copy of construction plans;
2. Identify all passive fire systems in the building;
3. Develop a register of all passive fire systems within the building;
4. Label each item of passive fire within the building;
5. Contact a fire maintenance contractor to obtain a quote to undertake an inspection of the passive fire systems within the building based on your register;

To find out more about the changes to Fire Regulations Queensland and how this might affect your fire management plan, then give QBM a call today!