FIRESAFETYENGINEERINGAN INQUIRY INTO THE ISSUE

~ Dame Judith Hackitt“Building a Safer Future”

Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Interim Report

Established within the Faculty of Engineering in 1983 to mark 100 years of Engineering education at The University of Sydney

Photo: iStock

I have set out to look at the whole system, including the people working within it, and how the various parts interact to deliver outcomes on the ground. This includes the roles and responsibilities of people designing,

planning and constructing buildings; the roles and responsibilities of different enforcing bodies and those who set standards; and the roles and responsibilities

of all those who interact with the system during the use of a building, which often involves highly complex ownership models.

ACT NOW TO BE PART OF THIS INDUSTRY LED PROGRAM FOR FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING

For more information contact Ashley Brinson, Warren Centre Executive DirectorEmail: warrenc@sydney.edu.au • Phone: (02) 9351 3752

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WHY IS THE PROJECT REQUIRED?

The delivery of major infrastructure and buildings requires detailed planning, design and construction. Robust but efficient approval procedures are vital to ensure safety. The process necessitates that all parties involved in the development understand and are appropriately qualified to deliver. This is particularly true for fire safety engineering.

The risks associated with failed fire safety have been made clear by the Grenfell fire tragedy in London which caused the deaths of seventy-one residents and injured a further seventy. The Grenfell tragedy was believed to be exacerbated by combustible external cladding that enabled the fire to ascend rapidly unimpeded, despite the efforts of fire crews.

This event triggered a public inquiry in the UK and multiple parallel reviews around the world, including Australia. While many inquiries are focussed on products and appropriate cladding, The Warren Centre recognises that there is a much bigger issue to be considered that speaks to the core of fire safety engineering.

THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THIS CORE ELEMENT WHILE EXPLORING THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS SUCH AS:

• Are building owners and construction companies able to access the right skills and resources for fire safety design and installation?

• How do we best avoid fire safety risks like the cladding issue while maintaining all the advantages of performance based fire safety design?

• Do we have the right compliance frameworks in place?• Is there an optimal model of delivery of fire safety engineering that is

practical for all jurisdictions and authorities?• And what competencies, education and accreditation are required of

our fire safety engineers for a better future?

The project will be guided by an Executive Steering Committee comprising key industry stakeholders and project sponsors. The project will be managed by a Technical Management Committee comprised of some of Australia’s leading fire safety professionals and renowned international expert Professor José Torero.

The project has received over $100,000 in support from ARUP through the provision of senior project manager, Ms Tamasin Gray, and the technical leadership of ARUP Fellows and fire safety engineering specialists, Mr Peter Johnson and Dr Marianne Foley.

The project will be undertaken by The Warren Centre, an independent thought leader, leveraging over thirty five years of industry led projects.

This is the second research project of The Warren Centre at the University of Sydney relating to Fire Safety Engineering. The first project was undertaken in 1989. It paved the way for the creation of the Fire Code Reform Centre to co-ordinate fire research nationally in 1994 and gave major impetus to the development of the performance based Building Code of Australia, published in 1996.

SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISORS

Through this Project, we expect to deliver:

Prof José ToreroJosé Torero, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of fire safety and resilience. José holds the John L. Bryan Chair in Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD) and is the director of the UMD’s Center for Disaster Resilience.

José was formerly the Chair of the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland and continues as a research collaborator. He is an expert on the UK Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.

Peter JohnsonPeter Johnson is a Principal and Fellow at Arup. He has 40 years of international experience of fire safety engineering in design of buildings and infrastructure, in fire risk assessment, fire safety testing and education, and research into changes in regulations, codes, standards and technical guidelines. Peter is Fellow of ATSE, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and Engineers Australia, and an Honorary Life Member of the Fire Protection Association, Australia.

Dr Marianne FoleyMarianne Foley is a Principal and Fellow, Fire Safety Engineer, Australasian Regional Board Member for Arup, and holds the position of Group Leader for Arup’s Consulting Group. Marianne has over 20 years of global experience in performance based fire engineering across transport infrastructure and buildings, including award winning and high profile projects such as the Water Cube in Beijing, 8 Chifley Square, The National Portrait Gallery, One Shelley Street, and the Sydney Opera House.

PROJECT STRUCTUREThe Project will use world class evidence based research to examine: • The State of FSE Regulation, Control and Accreditation in Australia • The State and Future Role of Performance-Based FSE in Australia • The Effective Professionalisation of FSE

URGENT ACTION IS REQUIRED TO FIND FIRE SAFETY SOLUTIONS OWNED AND LED BY THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

HOW DO WE AVOID RISK AND UNCERTAINTY AROUND FIRE SAFETY ISSUES IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION?

INDICATIVE FINDINGS AND PROJECT DELIVERABLES

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

• A report on the current state of FSE regulation, control and accreditation in Australia, with differences, deficiencies and issues identified

• Recommendations on the remedies and initiatives required to develop a proper role for FSE in Australia and the means to address resource and skill constraints

• A study of the benefits of an updated International Fire Engineering Guidelines (IFEG) compared with a Fire Safety Verification Method (FSVM)

• A detailed report on the range of practice of FSEs required in Australia for effective design and construction and the required competencies

• A detailed report on the education requirements for professional FSEs, including formal course curricula and other short courses and training requirements to meet the required competencies

• A detailed report on the whole process for professional accreditation of FSEs, including on-going CPD

• Detailed recommendations on the role and regulatory implementation of accreditation of FSEs into State and Territory building regulations on a nationally consistent basis with detailed administrative provisions

We are working with:• Fire safety engineering firms• Statutory organisations at Common-

wealth, State and Local level• Regulatory agencies including the

ABCB• Designers and constructors of

buildings and infrastructure

• Facility owners and operators• Building certifiers• Fire and emergency services• Risk managers• Brokers and insurers• Universities and other training

organisations• Professional associations

We invite all interested parties to engage on this important project.

For more information contact Ashley Brinson, Warren Centre Executive DirectorEmail: warrenc@sydney.edu.auPhone: (02) 9351 3752

WHY IS THE PROJECT REQUIRED?

The delivery of major infrastructure and buildings requires detailed planning, design and construction. Robust but efficient approval procedures are vital to ensure safety. The process necessitates that all parties involved in the development understand and are appropriately qualified to deliver. This is particularly true for fire safety engineering.

The risks associated with failed fire safety have been made clear by the Grenfell fire tragedy in London which caused the deaths of seventy-one residents and injured a further seventy. The Grenfell tragedy was believed to be exacerbated by combustible external cladding that enabled the fire to ascend rapidly unimpeded, despite the efforts of fire crews.

This event triggered a public inquiry in the UK and multiple parallel reviews around the world, including Australia. While many inquiries are focussed on products and appropriate cladding, The Warren Centre recognises that there is a much bigger issue to be considered that speaks to the core of fire safety engineering.

THE PROJECT WILL FOCUS ON THIS CORE ELEMENT WHILE EXPLORING THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS SUCH AS:

• Are building owners and construction companies able to access the right skills and resources for fire safety design and installation?

• How do we best avoid fire safety risks like the cladding issue while maintaining all the advantages of performance based fire safety design?

• Do we have the right compliance frameworks in place?• Is there an optimal model of delivery of fire safety engineering that is

practical for all jurisdictions and authorities?• And what competencies, education and accreditation are required of

our fire safety engineers for a better future?

The project will be guided by an Executive Steering Committee comprising key industry stakeholders and project sponsors. The project will be managed by a Technical Management Committee comprised of some of Australia’s leading fire safety professionals and renowned international expert Professor José Torero.

The project has received over $100,000 in support from ARUP through the provision of senior project manager, Ms Tamasin Gray, and the technical leadership of ARUP Fellows and fire safety engineering specialists, Mr Peter Johnson and Dr Marianne Foley.

The project will be undertaken by The Warren Centre, an independent thought leader, leveraging over thirty five years of industry led projects.

This is the second research project of The Warren Centre at the University of Sydney relating to Fire Safety Engineering. The first project was undertaken in 1989. It paved the way for the creation of the Fire Code Reform Centre to co-ordinate fire research nationally in 1994 and gave major impetus to the development of the performance based Building Code of Australia, published in 1996.

SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISORS

Through this Project, we expect to deliver:

Prof José ToreroJosé Torero, Ph.D. is an internationally renowned expert in the fields of fire safety and resilience. José holds the John L. Bryan Chair in Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD) and is the director of the UMD’s Center for Disaster Resilience.

José was formerly the Chair of the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Queensland and continues as a research collaborator. He is an expert on the UK Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire.

Peter JohnsonPeter Johnson is a Principal and Fellow at Arup. He has 40 years of international experience of fire safety engineering in design of buildings and infrastructure, in fire risk assessment, fire safety testing and education, and research into changes in regulations, codes, standards and technical guidelines. Peter is Fellow of ATSE, Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) and Engineers Australia, and an Honorary Life Member of the Fire Protection Association, Australia.

Dr Marianne FoleyMarianne Foley is a Principal and Fellow, Fire Safety Engineer, Australasian Regional Board Member for Arup, and holds the position of Group Leader for Arup’s Consulting Group. Marianne has over 20 years of global experience in performance based fire engineering across transport infrastructure and buildings, including award winning and high profile projects such as the Water Cube in Beijing, 8 Chifley Square, The National Portrait Gallery, One Shelley Street, and the Sydney Opera House.

PROJECT STRUCTUREThe Project will use world class evidence based research to examine: • The State of FSE Regulation, Control and Accreditation in Australia • The State and Future Role of Performance-Based FSE in Australia • The Effective Professionalisation of FSE

URGENT ACTION IS REQUIRED TO FIND FIRE SAFETY SOLUTIONS OWNED AND LED BY THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

HOW DO WE AVOID RISK AND UNCERTAINTY AROUND FIRE SAFETY ISSUES IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION?

INDICATIVE FINDINGS AND PROJECT DELIVERABLES

INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT

• A report on the current state of FSE regulation, control and accreditation in Australia, with differences, deficiencies and issues identified

• Recommendations on the remedies and initiatives required to develop a proper role for FSE in Australia and the means to address resource and skill constraints

• A study of the benefits of an updated International Fire Engineering Guidelines (IFEG) compared with a Fire Safety Verification Method (FSVM)

• A detailed report on the range of practice of FSEs required in Australia for effective design and construction and the required competencies

• A detailed report on the education requirements for professional FSEs, including formal course curricula and other short courses and training requirements to meet the required competencies

• A detailed report on the whole process for professional accreditation of FSEs, including on-going CPD

• Detailed recommendations on the role and regulatory implementation of accreditation of FSEs into State and Territory building regulations on a nationally consistent basis with detailed administrative provisions

We are working with:• Fire safety engineering firms• Statutory organisations at Common-

wealth, State and Local level• Regulatory agencies including the

ABCB• Designers and constructors of

buildings and infrastructure

• Facility owners and operators• Building certifiers• Fire and emergency services• Risk managers• Brokers and insurers• Universities and other training

organisations• Professional associations

We invite all interested parties to engage on this important project.

For more information contact Ashley Brinson, Warren Centre Executive DirectorEmail: warrenc@sydney.edu.auPhone: (02) 9351 3752

FIRESAFETYENGINEERINGAN INQUIRY INTO THE ISSUE

~ Dame Judith Hackitt“Building a Safer Future”

Independent Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety: Interim Report

Established within the Faculty of Engineering in 1983 to mark 100 years of Engineering education at The University of Sydney

Photo: iStock

I have set out to look at the whole system, including the people working within it, and how the various parts interact to deliver outcomes on the ground. This includes the roles and responsibilities of people designing,

planning and constructing buildings; the roles and responsibilities of different enforcing bodies and those who set standards; and the roles and responsibilities

of all those who interact with the system during the use of a building, which often involves highly complex ownership models.

ACT NOW TO BE PART OF THIS INDUSTRY LED PROGRAM FOR FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERING

For more information contact Ashley Brinson, Warren Centre Executive DirectorEmail: warrenc@sydney.edu.au • Phone: (02) 9351 3752

wc4299-2