Date: |
01 Sep 2026, 12.00PM – 1.00PM |
duration: |
1 hr |
Location: |
Online |
Cost: |
Free event |
Most specified systems that contribute to fire safety are supported by well-established inspection and maintenance standards that are regularly cited on compliance schedules and used by Independent Qualified Persons (IQPs) during annual inspections. Until recently, passive fire protection has lacked a comparable industry-wide inspection framework.
The recently published ABC Code of Practice for Passive Fire Protection Inspections addresses this gap by providing a consistent approach to the inspection and reporting of passive fire protection systems throughout a building's life. Effective fire safety outcomes depend not only on robust fire engineering design, but also on construction monitoring during installation and the development of clear and effective Inspection, Maintenance and Reporting (IMR) procedures on compliance schedules. The importance of this whole-of-life approach is highlighted in Practice Note 22 (PN22) and is critical to ensuring that passive fire protection continues to perform as intended throughout the life of a building.
The session will provide an overview of the ABC Code of Practice, explain how it should be referenced within compliance and inspection frameworks, and discuss how greater adoption can improve the quality and consistency of passive fire inspections. In an environment where passive fire inspections are often highly variable and not always undertaken with sufficient rigour, the Code of Practice provides an important opportunity to strengthen the ongoing assurance of life safety systems and improve building resilience for the long term.
Presented by: Rob Holland and Trent Fearnley
Trent Fearnley, CEO Association of Building Compliance and Immediate Past International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, has been in the fire industry for over 30 years, spending 24 and a half years with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). Using his previous experience as a fire fighter and fire engineer, Trent has brought a new perspective to Building Compliance and helped raise the bar with IQP’s and Council Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF) teams. He has done this through education and developing guidance documents.
Rob Holland, current Vice President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers New Zealand Chapter and CPEng Fire Engineer with over 20 years experience preparing fire safety designs has in recent years focused on the 'poor cousin' of building fire safety - passive fire. From building an in-house team of passive fire experts at his small engineering consultancy to being the lead author of the recently published ABC Code of Practice for Passive Fire inspections, he hopes to build on the progress we've made in recent years, improving the awareness of the importance of having robust passive fire safety systems in your building, not just at the design and build stage, but also through the entire life of a building.
Designing for fire safety is only the beginning. This webinar explores how robust inspection, maintenance and reporting practices, supported by the new ABC Code of Practice for Passive Fire Protection Inspections, can help preserve fire safety performance throughout the entire life of a building.
Most specified systems that contribute to fire safety are supported by well-established inspection and maintenance standards that are regularly cited on compliance schedules and used by Independent Qualified Persons (IQPs) during annual inspections. Until recently, passive fire protection has lacked a comparable industry-wide inspection framework.
The recently published ABC Code of Practice for Passive Fire Protection Inspections addresses this gap by providing a consistent approach to the inspection and reporting of passive fire protection systems throughout a building's life. Effective fire safety outcomes depend not only on robust fire engineering design, but also on construction monitoring during installation and the development of clear and effective Inspection, Maintenance and Reporting (IMR) procedures on compliance schedules. The importance of this whole-of-life approach is highlighted in Practice Note 22 (PN22) and is critical to ensuring that passive fire protection continues to perform as intended throughout the life of a building.
The session will provide an overview of the ABC Code of Practice, explain how it should be referenced within compliance and inspection frameworks, and discuss how greater adoption can improve the quality and consistency of passive fire inspections. In an environment where passive fire inspections are often highly variable and not always undertaken with sufficient rigour, the Code of Practice provides an important opportunity to strengthen the ongoing assurance of life safety systems and improve building resilience for the long term.
Presented by: Rob Holland and Trent Fearnley
Trent Fearnley, CEO Association of Building Compliance and Immediate Past International President of the Institution of Fire Engineers, has been in the fire industry for over 30 years, spending 24 and a half years with Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). Using his previous experience as a fire fighter and fire engineer, Trent has brought a new perspective to Building Compliance and helped raise the bar with IQP’s and Council Building Warrant of Fitness (BWOF) teams. He has done this through education and developing guidance documents.
Rob Holland, current Vice President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers New Zealand Chapter and CPEng Fire Engineer with over 20 years experience preparing fire safety designs has in recent years focused on the 'poor cousin' of building fire safety - passive fire. From building an in-house team of passive fire experts at his small engineering consultancy to being the lead author of the recently published ABC Code of Practice for Passive Fire inspections, he hopes to build on the progress we've made in recent years, improving the awareness of the importance of having robust passive fire safety systems in your building, not just at the design and build stage, but also through the entire life of a building.
