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.
