Standards Australia is the nation’s peak non-government Standards organisation. Senior National Sector Manager for Building and Construction Jennifer Harwood, provides us with an update on what’s happening in the Standards world.

Full steam ahead into 2015
As we kick off 2015, our technical committees are going full steam ahead with their schedule of work. We’re optimistic that a number of Standards projects on building and construction will be completed this year – do watch this space for updates.

New revised Standards for termite management
Thinking about getting rid of unwanted visitors in your basement? Standards Australia has published two revised Australian Standards for termite management, AS 3660.1:2014 Termite Management, Part 1: New Building Work and AS 3660.3:2014 Termite Management, Part 3: Assessment criteria for termite management systems.

The two documents have been developed for use in the National Construction Code (NCC), and as a tool to help builders, designers, regulators, manufacturers, installers, and assessors to manage termite risk in constructions.

AS 3660.1:2014 Termite management, Part 1: New building work replaces the edition from 2000. It provides a range of options for termite management that can be implemented during the construction of buildings.

AS 3660.3:2014 Termite management, Part 3: Assessment criteria for termite management systems replaces the 2000 edition with new requirements and pass / fail criteria that will enable manufacturers and system proposers to assess their products and methods. It provides a clear path for compliance with AS 3660.1:2014.

“Termite management is an important issue for the building industry and property owners, and by accounting for the risks of termite damage during construction, we can help property owners to reduce the costs and chemical use of remedial control,” said Dr Don Ewart, Chair of Standards Australia Technical Committee BD-074, on which he represents the Total Environment Centre. The committee will now turn its attention to AS 3660.2 and the post-construction management of termites.

Designing for accessibility
The United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities is observed on the 3rd December each year. It aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.

Accessibility isn’t just about the disabled – it’s also about the elderly, parents with young children and the injured. The AS/NZS 1428 series of Standards on Design for Access and Mobility aims to assist in providing a more accessible built environment. The Technical Committee ME-064 Access for People with Disabilities has been revising AS/NZS 1428 Part 4.1, Means to assist the orientation of people with vision impairment – tactile ground surface indicators, and an amendment was published on the 10th December 2014. The committee is currently working on a Standard and accompanying handbook on wayfinding.

Ruling on AS 1735.14: Lifts, escalators and moving walks
On 27th November 2014, the Technical Committee ME-004 Lift Installations, published a ruling to AS 1735.14 – 1998 Lifts, escalators and moving walks – Ruling 1: Low rise platforms for passengers.

Essentially, rulings provide interpretations to specific enquiries that have a wide area of practical application but which are generally not suitable for inclusion in the Standard. This Ruling is with regard to a common query on Clause 7.5 on location of equipment states on low rise platforms for passengers. It states that the Clause doesn’t preclude the attachment of equipment to the platform.

Get Linked(In)
Keep up to date with Standards developments in the building and construction sector and join the Standards Australia Building and Construction LinkedIn group. We are now over 900 strong, and our membership is growing steadily.

The page provides a platform for Standards Australia to communicate with our members, keeping you informed of the work being undertaken, Standards publications and other relevant matters. Documents available for public comment will be listed on the group page, along with updates on conferences, forums and events.

To join the Standards Australia LinkedIn page, look for Standards Australia – Building and Construction via the LinkedIn search function. You can also visit the Standards Australia website (see below) or contact Standards Australia directly to find out more.

Standards Australia
www.standards.org.au