The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) is supporting research by Deakin University to understand better the extent of defects in passive fire safety systems in apartment buildings.
Chief Executive of the VBA, Sue Eddy said improving the installation of passive fire safety systems in buildings was important and the study was funded through the authority’s research grant program.
Ms Eddy said VBA’s research program helped the Authority better understand regulatory issues and consumer needs, and how regulations could be shaped to improve public safety.
She said a fire safety system in a building included both active and passive elements that helped keep occupants safe in case there was a fire.
Research lead and Senior Lecturer at Deakin University, Nicole Johnston said the research aimed to provide improved understanding of the nature and extent of passive fire safety defects and the rectification costs associated with remedying them.
She said it would also review the regulatory system to identify any regulatory gaps and then recommend reforms and solutions to mitigate these types of defects, with the information to be provided to policy makers and Government for consideration.
Dr Johnston previously conducted research that identified the types of defects in apartment buildings and how they impacted on buildings and their occupants and her research also assessed how defects were managed within the residential property environment.
“From my previous research, I found that defects in the fire protection systems were the second most common type of defect in residential construction” she said.
“Of note was the finding that due to the concealment of some passive fire elements from view, such as the inclusion of appropriate fire separation barriers, it is highly likely that passive fire defects were under-reported in the research,” Dr Johnston said.
