QDC MP2.2 Fire safety in residential care buildings
The proposed or designed departures from the prescriptive requirements of QDC MP2.2 will invariably lead to a performance solution design. We have listed the following operational requirements of the fire safety systems for performance solutions that address fire brigade intervention.
Residential care buildings have been identified around the world as “high risk occupancies” due to the limited ability of residents to self-evacuate in the event of a fire, leading to instances of multiple fatalities during fire events in these types of facilities.
The conditions within a building on fire can be dynamic and increasingly dangerous as the fire grows and consumes fuel, where occupants and firefighters move throughout the building and the building’s fire safety system reacts to the fire. Subsequently, we prioritise search and rescue operations when responding to a fire event. Residential care buildings will have occupants that are evacuation-impaired, and there may be an ‘all-out’ or phased evacuation strategy. Some occupants will require assistance to evacuate, such as from staff or emergency services.
Where occupants are unable or impeded in their ability to evacuate (self or assisted evacuation), fire brigade intervention will be affected as resources and activities are altered to accommodate this situation.
Therefore, our officers are likely to look for assurances that a performance solution design ensures safe egress for occupants, compatible with our operational capability, during the worst fire that is credible in the design life of the building.
MP2.2 Our operational requirements
- Provide an automatic suppression system and other necessary provisions to contain fire and smoke spread to allow for safe occupant evacuation and for firefighters to undertake search and rescue and extinguish the fire.
Where the design team provides the assurance that the fire safety system has addressed our Operational Requirements, the performance solution design objectives can be ratified at the PBDB phase.
QDC MP3.7 Farm buildings
The proposed or designed departures from the prescriptive requirements of QDC MP3.7 will invariably lead to a performance solution design. We have listed the following operational requirements of the fire safety systems for performance solutions that address fire brigade intervention.
Farm buildings are often isolated from urban utility services and so rely on efficient self-evacuation of occupants and on-site facilities for firefighting.
The type, distribution and performance of on-site firefighting equipment must be compatible with numerous factors including the on-site fuel hazard, building construction, site and our operational capability.
Where equipment is inadequate for the fire event, our operational capability will be limited or impeded entirely and may result in life safety risks to occupants and firefighters.
MP3.7 Our operational requirements
- Provide facilities for the safe evacuation of occupants and firefighting equipment that is compatible with our procedures and equipment and is capable of extinguishing the fire.
Where the design team provides the assurance that the fire safety system has addressed our operational requirements, the performance solution design objectives can be ratified at the PBDB phase.