Elje / Compliance

Fire ratings

Most of a house fit-out carries no fire rating. Apartments are different: entry doors, wall and ceiling linings and floor coverings all have fire rules, and a Chinese fire certificate is not evidence an Australian certifier can rely on.

What the rule is and who it applies to

Fire doors must comply with AS 1905.1, which requires a test to AS 1530.4. The rating belongs to the doorset as tested: the leaf, frame, hardware and seals together. Each fire door and frame should carry a tag.

In apartment buildings, the door from each unit to the corridor or lobby must be a self-closing fire door rated -/60/30 in Type A construction, or a self-closing solid-core door at least 35 mm thick in Type B or C.

Wall and ceiling linings in apartments and commercial buildings need a Group number tested to AS 5637.1, and floor coverings need a critical radiant flux result. These rules do not apply to houses.

Houses carry fire rules where they adjoin another dwelling, in separating walls, and in bushfire prone areas, where AS 3959 sets what windows, doors, decking and cladding must meet.

What counts as evidence

  • A current CodeMark certificate, which a certifier must accept.
  • A certificate from an accredited certification body.
  • A test report from an accredited testing laboratory: NATA, or an overseas lab recognised through ILAC.
  • An engineer's or other qualified person's report, or other documents such as a product technical statement.
  • Anything other than a current CodeMark certificate is accepted at the certifier's discretion.

How to check it yourself

  • For a fire door, ask for the AS 1530.4 test report for that doorset, and check the hardware and seals you are buying match what was tested.
  • For linings in an apartment, ask for the AS 5637.1 Group number report.
  • For a bushfire site, check your BAL and ask for the AS 3959 or AS 1530.8.1 evidence for windows and doors.
  • Show the evidence to your certifier before you order.

What evidence Elje holds per item

  • The test report or certificate for each fire-rated item, and the lab's accreditation.
  • A list of the tested components, checked at inspection against what was packed.
  • Where no Australian evidence exists, a note on the shortlist that the item is not for fire-rated use.

The common traps with China-made product

  • A Chinese GB fire certificate. A test to a standard the building code does not reference takes the product off the standard compliance path, and the certifier can refuse it.
  • A fire-rated leaf with untested hinges, closers, locks or seals.
  • Decorative wall panels and linings used in an apartment with no Group number.
  • Windows for a bushfire site with no BAL evidence.

Questions

Does a house need fire-rated internal doors?

Usually not. Fire rules in houses cover separating walls between dwellings, some garage-top dwellings, and bushfire areas. Your certifier confirms.

Can a Chinese factory make a compliant fire door?

It can, if the doorset is tested to AS 1530.4 by an accredited lab and supplied exactly as tested. Few are, so check before you plan on it.

Sources