Appendix B: Comments related to individual outcomes and issues
An overview of comments related to each of the contributing issues identified in the background paper for the consultation.
On this page
Table B.1 Issues related to the statements
| Statement | Related issues |
|---|---|
| 2.1. People in some types of building can be at greater risk in a fire There is insufficient consideration of the evacuation needs of different occupants in a building including those with disabilities. This means that some people could be at greater risk in a fire. |
3-2, 6-4, 6-8, 7-5 to 7-8, 7-10 to 7-14, 7-18, 7-20, 7-23, 7-26, 7-32, 8-6, 10-3 |
| 2.2. Requirements are not always set at the right fire risk level for different types of buildings The Building Code fire safety provisions do not adequately consider the height, importance, use of the building, or other factors. This means that the requirements may not be cost-effective for all building owners. |
2-2, 2-4, 2-5, 3-1, 3-3, 3-4, 3-5, 3-7, 3-9, 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 4-7, 4-8, 4-9, 4-14, 4-15, 4-16, 4-17, 4-18, 5-1, 5-2, 5-4, 5-6, 5-7, 5-9, 5-10, 5-14, 5-15, 5-18, 5-22, 5-23, 5-24, 5-26, 5-28, 5-29, 5-34, 5-37, 5-39, 5-42, 6-2, 6-3, 6-5, 6-12, 6-13, 6-14, 6-18, 6-19, 6-20, 7-4, 7-7, 7-8, 7-9, 7-11, 7-12, 7-13, 7-14, 7-15, 7-23, 7-26, 7-33, 7-34, 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-5, 8-6, 8-7, 8-8, 8-9, 8-10, 8-11, 8-12, 8-13, 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 9-6, 9-7, 9-9, 9-11, 9-12, 10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-7 |
| 2.3 The building code focusses on life safety and protection of other property There is a narrow focus when protecting a building in a fire. This can leave gaps in the protection of buildings and increases the risk for responding firefighters. |
2-1, 2-2, 2-5, 2-7, 2-8, 3-1, 3-3, 3-4, 3-7, 3-11, 3-12, 4-1, 4-4, 4-5, 4-6, 4-10, 4-14, 4-18, 5-5, 5-6, 5-7, 5-8, 5-14, 5-15, 5-20, 5-31, 5-32, 5-33, 5-34, 5-35, 5-36, 5-39, 5-40, 5-41, 6-14, 6-20, 9-1, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 9-5, 9-6, 9-7, 9-8, 9-9, 9-10, 9-11, 9-12, 10-4, 10-5 |
| 2.4. Emergency response needs to be considered in more detail The Building Code does not provide comprehensive measures for firefighters responding to fires or other emergencies. |
2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-7, 3-1, 3-3, 4-7, 4-9, 5-8, 5-9, 5-19, 5-26, 5-38, 6-3, 6-7, 6-10, 6-14, 7-7, 7-16, 7-28, 7-29, 7-30, 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, 8-4, 8-5, 8-6, 8-7, 8-8, 8-9, 8-10, 8-11, 8-12, 8-13, 8-14, 8-15, 9-3, 9-11, 10-4, 10-5 |
| 2.5 Maintaining fire safety over the life of the building can be a challenge The Building Code does not provide sufficient consideration of fire safety systems during the life of a building including during construction. |
2-5, 3-7, 5-4, 5-15, 6-2, 7-23, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6 |
| 3.1 The fire safety provisions create barriers to using overseas products The fire safety provisions in the Building Code create barriers to the use of overseas products. |
5-1, 5-3, 5-12, 5-13, 5-14, 5-27 |
| 3.2 The Building Code has not kept pace with modern construction methods The Building does not enable mass timber construction and other modern construction methods to be used safely and efficiently. |
3-5, 4-12, 5-6, 5-12, 5-31, 7-16, 9-3 |
| 3.3. Fire hazards from new technology may not be adequately addressed The Building Code is not flexible enough to address fire hazards from emerging technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels, and battery storage systems. |
4-2, 4-3, 4-9, 4-12, 4-17, 5-2 |
| 3.4. The fire safety provisions have not kept up with modern house construction Further consideration is required in the Building Code for modern housing including the access for firefighters. |
3-3, 3-10 |
| 3.5. Barriers to using newer fire safety systems There are barriers in the Building Code to using new fire safety systems or technologies as part of a design. |
6-1, 6-4, 6-12, 6-14, 6-15, 7-7 |
| 4.1. Gaps in regulation have created a complex Building Code system to use Gaps in regulation have created a complex system to navigate. |
3-1, 3-3, 3-5, 3-8, 3-11, 3-12, 4-1, 4-8, 4-13, 4-20, 5-3, 5-18, 5-19, 5-20, 5-21, 5-25, 5-27, 5-31, 6-14, 6-18, 6-19, 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-10, 7-11, 7-12, 7-13, 7-14, 7-32, 10-1, 10-2, 10-4 |
| 4.2. Multiple building classifications make requirements unclear The multiple ways to classify buildings can cause confusion on what is required. |
3-5, 10-1 |
| 4.3. Unclear language leads to inconsistent decision making Vague language in the fire safety provisions can lead to inconsistent decision making. |
2-1, 2-3, 2-4, 2-6, 3-3, 3-5, 3-6, 3-10, 3-13, 4-2, 4-4, 4-6, 4-7, 4-9, 4-13, 4-15, 4-16, 4-17, 4-19, 5-5, 5-36, 5-39, 6-1, 6-12, 6-15, 6-17, 6-18, 6-20, 7-11, 7-12, 7-13, 7-14, 7-23, 8-1, 8-2, 8-3,8-4, 8-9, 8-10, 8-12, 9-10, 10-1, 10-2, 10-5, 10-6, 10-7 |
| 4.4. Inconsistencies when also complying with other legislation and regulations The fire safety requirements in the Building Code have inconsistencies with other legislation and regulations. |
6-4, 6-5, 6-6, 6-8, 6-9, 6-10, 6-11, 6-13, 6-14, 6-16, 6-21, 7-3, 7-4, 7-7, 7-10, 7-17, 7-18, 7-19, 7-20, 7-21, 7-25, 7-28, 7-31, 7-32, 8-10, 8-14, 8-15, 9-2, 9-3, 9-4, 9-5, 9-6, 9-7, 9-9, 9-11, 10-1, 10-4 |
Table B.2 Submissions with comments supporting the contributing issues, opposing the contributing issues, or identifying the contributing issues as priorities
| Issue | Supporting | Opposing | Identifying as priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-1. Protection of the building - The objectives in C1 do not apply to the protection of the building or the property where the fire starts and only state that protection of 'other' property is required. | 043, 044, 074, 080, 085, 097, 109, 022, 026, 041, 042, 053, 070, 077, 100, 107 | 066, 067, 072, 073, 076, 079, 083, 090, 098 | 043, 050 |
| 2-2. Fire and other emergencies - The objectives and provisions cover fire, but no additional considerations are given for other emergencies. There are other emergencies that would require the evacuation and access into a building such as gas leaks, medical emergencies, the presence of intruders, weather events, or loss of power. | 031, 074, 080, 109, 043, 053, 108 | 107, 108 | 031, 044 |
| 2-3. Role of firefighting | 044, 054, 097, 027, 041, 043, 053, 071, 077, 100 | 044 | |
| 2-4. Protection of the surrounding environment - Fires in buildings can spread to adjacent forests and trees, impact air quality, emit greenhouse gases, and run-off from firefighting water can contaminate ground water or other nearby water bodies. | 027, 043, 044, 074, 095, 109, 002, 028, 046 | 028, 043, 050, 095 | |
| 2-5. Lifespan of a building | 015, 043, 044, 053, 069, 074, 079, 082, 095, 104, 107, 109, 039, 042, 066, 068, 070, 073, 076, 078, 100, 102, 061 | 108 | 003, 047, 081, 095 |
| 2-6. Unacceptable risks and low probabilities | 013, 027, 042, 054, 066, 067, 070, 076, 077, 080, 084, 087, 089, 095, 097, 098, 099, 102, 104, 105, 107, 109, 074, 075 | 027, 067, 074, 077, 099 | |
| 2-7. Purpose of warning systems | 022 | ||
| 2-8. Preventing unwanted ignitions | |||
| 3-1. Residential specific requirements - There are limited specific considerations for the fire safety of residential buildings. Housing in the New Zealand Building Code is included alongside other buildings with limits on when certain features do not apply to housing. Residential buildings have their own unique challenges and fire problems. | 034, 039, 057, 073, 074, 078, 109, 007, 080, 055, 067, 066 | 072, 074 | |
| 3-2. Accommodation buildings and vulnerable populations - There are larger consequences of a fire in residential buildings with vulnerable populations such as boarding houses, social housing, independent living apartments, emergency housing, and recognised seasonable employee accommodations. | 018, 022, 056, 073, 093, 104, 001, 080 | 001, 018, 022, 056, 074 | |
| 3-3. Housing densification - New developments bring challenges to the new buildings and their occupants to ensure appropriate fire safety features are provided. Specific concerns relate to housing close to boundaries, buildings with no sprinklers and single means of escape, fuel loads in modern houses, and access for firefighting. | 034, 044, 066, 073, 077, 102, 105, 109, 007, 035, 049, 054, 067, 071, 090, 095, 002, 070, 076, 082, 100, 055 | 013, 032, 036, 066, 097 | 055, 066 |
| 3-4. Wildfires in residential areas - There are no special considerations for the protection of buildings from wildfire/bushfire events. Without a change of building design to address susceptibility from wildfires, we are likely to continue to needlessly lose homes due to wildfires. | 095, 109, 007 | ||
| 3-5. Classification of residential buildings | 022, 031, 043, 055, 066, 090, 093, 097, 071, 032, 035, 041, 052, 053, 080 | 018, 022, 036, 043, 091 | |
| 3-6. Door locks | 015, 018, 104 | 016, 018 | |
| 3-7. Fuel loads in residential building | |||
| 3-8. External safe paths | 066 | ||
| 3-9. Warning systems for sleeping occupants | 007, 022, 066 | ||
| 3-10. Evacuation schemes in multi-unit residential buildings | |||
| 3-11. Fire stopping to roof cladding | 034, 057 | ||
| 3-12. Soffits | 034, 057, 055 | ||
| 3-13. Schedule 1 exemptions | |||
| 4-1. Hazards for different buildings - Different types of buildings have different hazards and require different levels of protection. There are limited requirements in the Building Code clauses specific to the use of a building. Taller buildings have specific considers across multiple parts of the design. | 018, 027, 044, 054, 074, 102, 104, 105, 109, 043, 053, 066, 071, 080, 084, 100, 042, 094, 099, 024, 108 | 107 | 007, 056, 080, 099, 105 |
| 4-2. Sources of ignition - The Building Code Clause C2 is very narrow on the devices or appliances that could cause a fire. Additional sources of ignition that could be subject to fire prevention requirements include electrical, mechanical, and chemical systems or processes that supply heat and could ignite combustible materials under normal operation or likely failure modes. | 036, 107, 049, 067, 099, 104, 042 | ||
| 4-3. Green technologies and emerging risks - Green technologies including electric vehicles, solar panels, and small and medium scale energy storage systems (including lithium-ion batteries) in residential and commercial buildings represent new fire challenges that test the current robustness of fire designs. The Building Code is not flexible to address these or other new hazards. | 044, 053, 066, 069, 070, 074, 080, 092, 095, 100, 102, 109, 028, 043, 071, 108, 007, 016, 036, 054, 057, 059, 067, 079, 082, 094, 099, 104, 107 | 013, 032, 053, 066 | 016, 039, 066, 072, 095 |
| 4-4. Construction fire hazards - The Building Code does not consider fire or other natural hazards during the construction or alteration of the building. Construction fires can be a serious concern as the necessary fire safety systems to protect against a fire may not be functional. This can lead to rapid fire development that endangers the construction worker, spread to other buildings, impact the community, and put firefighters at an increased risk to their personal safety. | 043, 069, 109, 039, 068, 071, 078, 082, 102 | ||
| 4-5. Wildfire events - There are no special considerations for the protection of buildings from wildfire/bushfire events. There is scope within the Building Code to provide measures for how buildings might be constructed at the wildland and urban/rural interface. Hotter, drier and at times windy conditions in many areas of New Zealand increases the risk of wildfires. | 074, 109, 080, 095 | ||
| 4-6. Fire hazards on the outside of the building - The Building Code does not consider exterior sources of fire including fires from rubbish bins, trees, shrubs, vehicles, advertising boards, plastic storage tanks, gas bottles, battery storage, air conditioning units, electric transformers, overhead wires, large TV screens, or electrical infrastructure. | 088, 109, 071 | 032 | |
| 4-7. Fires involving hazardous substances - There are limited considerations for fires involving hazardous materials both as a potential ignition source and as fuel or hazards that propagate fire spread. | 027, 081, 109, 049, 077, 108 | ||
| 4-8. Design fires and hazards | 042, 097 | ||
| 4-9. Flammable Refrigerants | |||
| 4-10. Chimneys and flues | |||
| 4-11. Re-entry of smoke | |||
| 4-12. Lift machine rooms | 018, 099, 104, 071 | ||
| 4-13. Construction requirements in hazardous substance regulations | 024 | 080 | |
| 4-14. Fuel loads for different buildings | 044, 043, 071, 042 | ||
| 4-15. Large retail storage of dangerous goods | 080 | ||
| 4-16. Tunnels | 109 | ||
| 4-17. Piped hydrogen gas | |||
| 4-18. Outbuildings | 109 | ||
| 4-19. Terminology in hazardous substances regulations | 054 | ||
| 4-20. Redundant Verification Method C/VM1 | 007, 056, 080, 099, 105 | ||
| 5-1. Barriers to overseas products - New Zealand specific fire testing requirements for surface finishes, cladding systems, and other fire rated products limits the availability of products that can be used in the market in New Zealand. | 031, 040, 041, 043, 066, 069, 079, 087, 100, 109, 060, 071, 099, 104, 024, 025, 042, 044, 055, 067, 070, 077, 032, 008 | 008, 032, 053, 056, 061, 062, 081, 082, 089, 099, 104, 107 | 018, 039, 062, 066 |
| 5-2. Toxic gases from surface finishes - The Building Code considers the heat and smoke produced in a fire but not toxic gas productions. There is a considerable body of evidence for considering toxic gases. | 008, 057, 062, 087, 095, 098, 100, 109, 026, 071, 099, 070, 078, 097, 023, 061 | 008 | |
| 5-3. Performance criteria of passive fire protection - Performance criteria for passive is not specified in the Building Code and can be confusing on how different systems and components are to perform in fire testing. | 015, 034, 056, 057, 066, 069, 087, 095, 100, 104, 109, 024, 026, 071, 040 | 018, 066 | |
| 5-4. Reliability of passive fire protection - There are specific concerns that passive fire protection systems may have high rates of defects in installation and may not perform as expected. The reliability of different fire safety systems needs to be considered. | 015, 087, 026, 042, 043, 057, 071, 016, 056, 061 | 018 | |
| 5-5. Fire resisting elements and automatic fire suppression - Provisions to limit fire spread should consider the use of fire-resisting elements and fire separations along with automatic fire suppression systems. | 054, 109, 001, 007, 071 | ||
| 5-6. Fire safety of external cladding - The provisions to limit fire spread over a building does not adequately address the fire risks it is trying to mitigate. | 018, 078, 109, 026, 071 | 018 | |
| 5-7. Roofs - There is no consideration of fire spread to, from, or over roofs or in ceiling assemblies. | 109, 071 | ||
| 5-8. Fire spread functional requirements | 069, 109, 082, 067, 070, 107 | ||
| 5-9. Preventing fire spread | 069 | ||
| 5-10. Design conditions for fire spread | 099 | ||
| 5-11. Building descriptions for surface finishes | 066, 069, 100, 099, 070 | 066 | |
| 5-12. Sustainable lining materials | 099 | ||
| 5-13. Flooring performance testing | 109 | ||
| 5-14. Fire spread in internal spaces | 099 | ||
| 5-15. Fuel loads | 042 | ||
| 5-16. External walls close to the boundary | |||
| 5-17. Modelling rules for current construction methods | 043, 044, 109 | ||
| 5-18. Atriums | 041 | ||
| 5-19. Smoke layer | 077 | ||
| 5-20. Horizontal fire spread assessment methods | |||
| 5-21. Smoke separations | 008, 062, 026, 023, 071 | 008 | |
| 5-22. Fire test methods | 087, 100, 070, 078, 097, 109 | ||
| 5-23. Assessments of fire performance | 087, 100, 109, 061 | ||
| 5-24. Fire and smoke dampers | 008, 062, 071, 023 | 008 | |
| 5-25. Cavity barriers | 057 | ||
| 5-26. Fire doors and fire bolts | |||
| 5-27. Generic flooring materials | |||
| 5-28. Fire testing from above a floor | |||
| 5-29. Fires in corners | |||
| 5-30. Weathering of timber cladding | |||
| 5-31. Modern methods of construction - The fire provisions within the acceptable solutions have not kept pace with modern methods of construction including mass timber, modular buildings, or offsite manufacturing. Modern construction configurations and details are not well reflected in the requirements or images and are not even contemplated. | 095, 100, 109, 057 | 018 | |
| 5-32. Passive fire requirements in other parts of the Building Code | 109, 071, 040 | ||
| 5-33. Cladding requirements in other parts of the Building Code | |||
| 5-34. Unprotected openings in acceptable solutions | 071 | ||
| 5-35. Balconies | 071 | ||
| 5-36. Shared walls | 026 | ||
| 5-37. Open-sided structures | |||
| 5-38. Intermediate floors | 071 | ||
| 5-39. Notional boundaries | 034, 071 | ||
| 5-40. Fire performance of cladding in C/AS1 | |||
| 5-41. Terminology used for external walls | 026 | ||
| 5-42. Building height definition | 026, 043 | ||
| 5-43. Fire resistant piping | |||
| 6-1. Changes in technology - The technical development of fire safety systems is moving faster than the Building Code and cited standards can be updated. There are barriers to using new technologies or the latest versions of standards until they are cited. | 008, 034, 039, 043, 044, 054, 062, 073, 074, 078, 079, 080, 081, 093, 095, 103, 109, 001, 033, 060, 071, 075, 099, 022, 024, 027, 058, 070, 084, 090, 092, 100, 107, 108, 077, 067 | 032, 036, 056, 061, 066, 067, 082, 089 | 008, 028, 095 |
| 6-2. Reliability of fire safety systems - There is limited consideration for what happens if a fire safety system does not function as expected nor are there measures to ensure that they do function. | 034, 042, 067, 074, 078, 079, 091, 109, 043, 071, 056 | ||
| 6-3. Emergency power - Emergency power is not required for essential services in fire or other emergencies in the New Zealand Building Code. Emergency power requirements need to be considered across the building design. | 109, 082 | ||
| 6-4. Visual alerting devices - There are no explicit requirements for visual alerting devices in F7 Warning Systems for when they are required or what level of performance they are required to have. These devices are used to notify those with hearing impairments of an emergency and can also be used where the ambient background noise is too loud for audio alarms. | 010, 011, 019, 030, 104, 110, 071, 074, 095, 022, 083, 084, 090, 109 | 009, 010, 019 | |
| Fire alarm and notification systems 6-5. Activation of fire alarm systems |
043 | ||
| 6-6. Smoke detector coverage | 071 | ||
| 6-7. Voice communication systems | 074 | ||
| 6-8. Maximum sound levels | 103, 022 | ||
| 6-9. Warning systems for lifts | 030 | ||
| 6-10. Fire alarm monitoring | |||
| 6-11. Sprinkler systems | 080, 090, 092 | ||
| 6-12. Alternate automatic suppression systems - There are no specific provisions within the New Zealand Building Code that considers other types of suppression other than fire sprinkler systems. There are other types of systems that may be more suitable for than water for the specific hazards. | 095, 060, 071, 027, 043, 084 | 028 | |
| 6-13. Enhanced water supply | |||
| 6-14. Smoke control systems - There are no explicit provisions for the design or commissioning of smoke control/smoke management systems. | 044, 078 | ||
| 6-15. Specified system descriptions | 034, 079, 081, 093, 109 | ||
| 6-16. Interfaces with other parts of the Building Code | 109, 077, 080, 067, 095 | ||
| 6-17. Alignment with evacuation procedures | 043, 054, 081, 103, 033, 071, 022, 090, 079, 109 | ||
| Systems in specific buildings 6-18. Design guides for Government buildings |
079, 001, 109 | ||
| 6-19. School buildings | 034, 079, 075, 109 | ||
| 6-20. Prisons | 034, 079, 109 | ||
| 6-21. Exit sign locations | 034, 067, 071 | ||
| 7-1. Exits and escape routes | 015, 016, 018, 021, 034, 043, 046, 054, 064, 065, 079, 083, 098, 099, 109, 001, 017, 031, 070, 071, 075, 095, 100, 104, 107, 084, 093, 108, 056 | 016, 017, 018, 030, 046, 083, 086, 099, 105 | |
| 7-2. Design of escape roues | 034, 046, 104, 109, 071, 080, 098 | 046, 051 | |
| 7-3. D1 Access requirements | 084, 109, 071, 099, 107 | ||
| 7-4. Toxic gases during evacuation - The Building Code does not consider the impact of toxic gases on the evacuation of people. | 067, 098, 109, 077, 094 | ||
| 7-5. Wayfinding - There are no requirements for wayfinding in large buildings. Wayfinding measures providing information through signage, maps, message boards, audio clues, and layouts to assist with evacuation. | 095, 059 | ||
| 7-6. People of all abilities - Means of escape features should be designed for people of all abilities for different building uses so that everyone can maintain their independence in evacuation. Those requiring assistance in evacuation are exposed to higher risks as it may take longer to evacuate and they may have to wait until the fire service responds to assist. | 009, 010, 011, 019, 021, 030, 056, 067, 069, 083, 084, 090, 098, 103, 104, 109, 001, 017, 022, 043, 053, 066, 070, 071, 076, 077, 095, 099, 100, 107, 106 | 009, 010, 011, 017, 019, 021, 030 | |
| 7-7. Evacuation lifts - There are no provisions to use lifts for evacuation in emergencies in the New Zealand Building Code. Lifts would be useful in tall buildings, hospitals, care facilities, and other buildings. | 030, 069, 098, 053, 071, 079, 056, 099, 104 | ||
| 7-8. Fractional effective doses - Fractional effective doses in C4.3 expose some building users to greater risks. This criteria reflects acceptable levels for average populations and would not be suitable for the young, old, or those with respiratory issues. | 067, 078, 109, 043, 066, 071, 076, 107 | ||
| 7-9. Evacuation from sprinklered occupancies - Exemptions for sprinklered buildings do not consider the hazards and consequence for different building types. The exemptions apply to all buildings without further considerations of the layout of evacuation routes, the type of occupants expected in the building, how the occupants are protected from the fire. | 078, 109, 071, 104 | ||
| Situations with complex evacuations 7-10. Accessible routes |
021, 083, 100, 084 |
017, 030, 083 |
|
| 7-11. Phased evacuation | 079, 098, 099, 109, 070, 071 | 099 | |
| 7-12. Hospitals | 079, 098, 099, 109, 001 | 099 | |
| 7-13. Places of safety | 043, 054, 071, 098 | ||
| 7-14. Refuge areas | 021, 095, 043, 098 | ||
| 7-15. Exit from a place of safety | 099, 043, 098 | 099 | |
| 7-16. Security features - There are competing objectives between security of a building and provisions for means of escape. Door handle heights, door locks, access control, speed gates, and fog cannons may delay evacuation and there are not clear requirements in the Building Code for how security systems are to function in relation to fire safety. | 015, 016, 018, 034, 043, 046, 064, 065, 079, 099, 031, 071, 104, 093, 108 | 016, 018, 046, 086, 099 | |
| Doors 7-17. Door widths |
034 |
||
| 7-18. Push bar door hardware | 071, 075 | ||
| 7-19. Dual swing doors | 071 | ||
| 7-20. Door forces | |||
| Interaction with other fire safety systems 7-21. Interaction with F7 Warning Systems and F8 Signs |
109 |
||
| 7-22. Vision obscured by smoke | |||
| 7-23. Maintenance and inspection of specified systems | 104 | ||
| Number of occupants 7-24. Occupant load densities |
046, 071, 080 | 046 | |
| 7-25. Definition of crowd spaces | 071 | ||
| 7-26. Very large crowds | 109 | ||
| 7-27. Intermittent drops in tenability | 109 | ||
| Means of escape in specific circumstances 7-28. Means of escape during construction |
|||
| 7-29. Means of escape in alpine regions | 109 | ||
| 7-30. Interaction of firefighters and occupants | |||
| 7-31. Hot surfaces | |||
| 7-32. Robustness check for sleeping occupancies | 071 | ||
| 7-33. Underground structures | |||
| 7-34. Intermittent access to spaces | 109, 071 | 016, 017, 018, 030, 046, 083, 086, 099, 105 | |
| 8-1. Access and facilities for firefighting - Provisions in the Building Code make it difficult for firefighters to respond when considering standard operating procedures and training. Specific concerns exist for the access to and within buildings and the presence of firefighting facilities. | 018, 034, 044, 054, 067, 069, 109, 031, 043, 056, 070, 071, 076, 095, 097, 099, 102, 104, 107, 007, 077, 066, 080, 089 | 072 | |
| 8-2. Protection of staging areas - There are no specific requirements in the Building Code to protect firefighting facilities including interior and exterior staging areas. Firefighters need sufficient protection from the radiation of external flames and from building collapse but these hazards and risks to be protected are not identified to the Building Code. | 044, 043, 071 | ||
| 8-3. Responding to other emergencies - The provisions in the Building Code only relate to fire and no additional considerations are given for other emergencies or response activities besides rescue and firefighting operations. Other incidents requiring an emergency response include things like gas leaks, medical emergencies, intruders in a building, flooding, cyclones, weather events, or loss of power. | 031, 080, 109, 043 | 107, 108 | 031 |
| The features provided for firefighters in buildings 8-4. Notification of emergency |
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| 8-5. Command centres | |||
| 8-6. Lifts in buildings | |||
| 8-7. Communication systems | 043 | ||
| 8-8. Weather effects on response | 109 | ||
| 8-9. Extinguishers - There are no explicit requirements in the New Zealand Building Code that address handheld or manual suppression for occupants or firefighters including extinguishers or hose reels in buildings. A large portion of fires can be extinguished at an early stage using hand-held extinguishers. | 074, 109, 090 | ||
| 8-10. Water supplies - There is limited consideration for the access and availability of firefighting water supplies in the New Zealand Building Code. | 034, 044, 067, 109, 043, 071, 076, 097, 099, 104, 066, 080 | ||
| Different emergency responses 8-11. Large buildings |
044, 097 | ||
| 8-12. Response to hazardous substances | 054, 071 | ||
| 8-13. Firefighting during construction | 097 | ||
| Determining firefighting intervention 8-14. Fire Brigade Intervention Model |
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| 8-15. Length of firefighter hoses | 034, 044, 099 | ||
| 9-1. Hazards and consequences for structural design | 034, 109, 071, 097, 042 | 036 | 097 |
| 9-2. Methods for structural design - The methods used for structural design must be appropriate to the type of construction including considerations of the type of material. | 042, 099, 097 | 097 | |
| 9-3. Timber structures - There is a desire for the increased use of timber in the built environment including structural members and framing. This includes the use of hybrid construction with timber alongside other materials. There are limited provisions in the Building Code that explicitly address how timber can be used without compromising the fire safety of the building. Mass timber buildings provide additional complexities in the fire design as highlighted in the work by Timber Unlimited. | 007, 042, 044, 069, 102, 071, 054, 070, 072, 082, 095, 097, 099, 100, 104, 109, 067 | 032, 053, 062, 064, 067, 076, 077, 079, 098, 105, 107 | 066 |
| 9-4. Design for different circumstances - The New Zealand Building Code has limited considerations for structural stability or robustness for different circumstances. The provisions should consider the height, importance, function and use of the building, the fire hazard, the proximity to other buildings, the size of the compartment, fire service intervention, and the evacuation time. | 042, 097, 109 | ||
| 9-5. Allowable damage | 097, 109, 042 | 097 | |
| 9-6. Alignment with B1 Structure - Structural performance of buildings in fire has to be aligned with other structural provisions in the Building Code including structural design practice, importance levels, provisions for seismic bracing of the fire protection systems, and post-fire stability. | 066, 069, 097, 105, 109, 026, 071, 072, 099, 104, 082, 041, 067 | 097 | |
| 9-7. Time equivalence | 097 | 097 | |
| 9-8. Structural connections | 042, 097 | ||
| 9-9. Consequential damage | 097 | 097 | |
| 9-10. Structural fire protection in compliance schedules | 034, 109 | ||
| 9-11. Falling objects | 071 | ||
| 9-12. Inherent fire resistance | |||
| 10-1. Multiple buildings classification systems - The building regulatory system contains multiple ways to define a building's use and these often overlap or leave gaps in the classification of buildings. Some of the categories are outdated and it can be unclear where a building fits and what fire safety features are required. | 018, 031, 034, 043, 054, 064, 069, 076, 079, 099, 104, 107, 022, 063, 090, 032, 035, 052, 053, 055, 066, 070, 071 | 056, 108 | 018, 022, 036, 043, 090 |
| 10-2. Duration of use - The change of use regulations and other building classifications schemes in the Building Code do not consider the duration of the use or activity in a building. Some buildings may have incidental changes of use for short periods of time. | 104, 109, 107 | ||
| 10-3. Change in demographics | |||
| 10-4. Compliance for existing buildings - The application of s112 and s115 when altering or changing the use of a building is inconsistent across the country. There is no clear direction on fire safety systems and what features of those systems must be upgraded to improve safety. | 003, 004, 013, 018, 022, 034, 036, 053, 054, 055, 066, 069, 073, 085, 087, 090, 099, 104, 107, 017, 043, 067, 071, 095, 041, 101 | 022 | |
| 10-5. Accuracy of compliance schedules | 003, 036, 064, 066, 069, 099, 067, 052 | ||
| 10-6. Lining materials | 104, 071 | ||
| 10-7. Review by Fire and Emergency New Zealand | 034, 069, 073, 108, 032, 071 | 072 |