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A report commissioned by the Blind Manufacturers Association of Australia (BMAA) has found that a clause inserted into the National Construction Code (NCC) promulgated by the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) in 2018, and incorporated into the new May 2019 update, is unworkable and should be changed.
The report prepared by Benjamin Hughes-Brown of Ignis labs stated that the clause in the NCC is “impractical, unsustainable and presents a restriction on an existing industry where little evidence has been identified that a substantial fire and life risk exists for internal and external curtains, blinds awnings and the like.”
The clause as it stands now effectively prohibits the installation of awnings and blinds on the upper floors of Class Two through Nine Buildings.
The report by Ignis Labs was based on full scale fire tests undertaken to AS 5113, on awning and blind attachments to a three-storey facade, using typical designs and commonly used fabrics, namely an acrylic awning fabric, a PVC coated Blind mesh, and PVC shutters.
The results showed with exception of acrylic, these products did not significantly exacerbate the risk of fire spread across façade as they did not contribute much to the fuel loads.
The report proposed recommendations for the ABCB:
– Curtains and blinds used on interiors which are non-building fixtures or fitting be exempt from having to comply with the requirements of fire hazard properties, and that curtains, blinds and awnings used on the ground levels should not have any restrictions.
– Shutters, blinds and awnings used for the exterior of a building that meet a number of flammability and smoke indexes, and if they do should have no restrictions in use on buildings.
For now, external products such as awnings and shutters will require a performance solution if they are to be installed above the ground floor.
The BMAA is preparing documentation for performance solutions by March 31st 2020, which can be used as an interim measure to reassure insurance companies.
BMAA president Chris Nolan, who has been working on this issue, said that while a performance solution should satisfy insurers of the risks, or lack of, posed by external blinds awnings and shutters, it is not a cheap option and will cost anywhere up to $2000 per project.
Nolan said that as recommended by Ignis Labs, the BMAA will make a proposal to change ABCB to remove ground floor restrictions, and to lobby ABCB to amend the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code to alter the current impractical and unsustainable requirements for installations above ground floor level.
Part of this will be by determining the economic impact to the industry and he is calling on members to highlight instances where business has been adversely affected.
ABCB rejected a BMAA submission in November 2018 which called for a change to the proposed NCC 2019, namely the removal of the “ground floor only” requirement requesting additional information including fire test evidence that Awnings and blinds can be installed, without aggravating “Spread of Flame risk”.
“I have every confidence that this can be changed in 2022, and so does our fire engineer,” Nolan told members at the recent BMAA General Meeting in Sydney.
“But we need industry behind it as well as the likes of the STA and LSAA.”
“We are not alone, other industries are also dealing with this, and in the UK the British Blinds and Shutters Association had a similar situation which banned blinds and awnings on the exterior of buildings.”
“They took it to the high court and won. So we are also talking to them about international standards as well as meeting with the European Solar Shading Organisation in March.”
