compliance
| bushfires
The devastating effects
of non compliance
After devasting bushfires swept through unseasonally early in October, destroying hundreds of
homes in New South Wales, the issues of non compliance and fraudulent documents raise their
ugly heads yet again. You have to ask yourself WHAT do we have to do to get the message across
and HOW do we do it successfully?
In June this year, the Australian Window Association was advised
by BRANZ Pty Ltd that documents purporting to have been issued
by them in the name of Fire Retardant Technologies P/L, for
Firetard 120, were fabrications produced illegally. BRANZ is an
independent and impartial research, testing, consulting and
information company providing services and resources for the
building industry. They undertake commercially contracted work
for clients throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Malaysia,
China, Australia and other areas.
These fabricated documents give the impression that Western
Red Cedar timber treated with this product can adequately
meet the bushfire-resisting timber requirements of the
Construction in Bushfire Designated Areas Standard AS 3959.
There simply was, and still is, no evidence of any such thing. The
certificates must not be relied on.
In July, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO) followed up with public advice that
they had also become aware of a Certificate of Assessment
purportedly issued by them in relation to the testing of a sample
of Firetard treated Western Red Cedar. CSIRO is Australia’s
8 Australian Window Association Summer 2013
national science agency and one of the largest in the world.
The product Firetard 120 (manufactured by Fire Retardant
Technologies Pty Ltd) was not certified by them as meeting the
Australian Standard requirements for bushfire resistance. Firetard
120 was not an approved product by them.
The simple fact is that Firetard 120 has been used
extensively for the treatment of Western Red Cedar timber to
provide bushfire resistance to products used in the construction
of commercial and domestic buildings, including windows.
When the AWA received this advice we immediately went into
action. After learning that the company selling this product had
stopped trading and answering phones, the Department of Fair
Trading in New South Wales a