Can building surveyors prepare alternative solutions? If you are using a Consulting Building Surveyor in Victoria, Australia to prepare alternative solutions for the fire performance requirements you need to read two articles and decide for yourself if this complies with the legislation. If you are a Relevant Building Surveyor and relying on a Consulting Building Surveyor to prepare the design you definitely need to read both articles too!
Image courtesy of The Building Commission
The article by Robert Marscivotere recently posted on the Hendry Group’s Essential Matters blog brought up the issue again of whether Consulting (and Relevant?) Building Surveyors can prepare a fire safety design. Stephen Kip, a very well known and respected Fire Safety Engineer and registered (non-practising) Building Surveyor, recently provided a response to Essential Matters regarding Mr Marscivotere’s article. Mr Kip provided a copy of a paper he has previously submitted to the Society of Fire Safety and the Australian Institute of Building Surveyors.
After reading both papers we consider it clear, as stated by Mr Kip’s paper, that you need a Fire Safety Engineer to prepare an alternative solution (a design) for compliance with the fire performance requirements in the Building Regulations 2006.
We have read both articles and clearly believe that Mr Kip’’s application of the Building Regulations 2006 to this matter is correct. The two papers are not immediately comparable as Mr Kip’s paper is detailed and cross references the legislation closely. Mr Marscivotere’s paper is about alternative solutions, but talks more about who can prepare alternative solutions and only briefly touches on the role of the fire brigades. Mr Marscivotere has been practising as a Consulting Building Surveyor preparing alternative solutions as a designer for the fire performance requirements since 1996. It is not really clear what from the article what Mr Marscivotere’s role would be when he performs an alternative solution? If he is acting as Consulting Building Surveyor then he has a vested interest in defending the practice from which he makes his living.
Mr Kip clearly demonstrates in his paper that this industry practice is contrary to the requirements of the Building Regulations 2006. We endorse Mr Kip’s application of the Building Regulations 2006 and would welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue further.
Tags: Alternative Solutions, Building Regulations, building surveyor