COMPLIANCE

Tracey Gramlick

Executive Director

Content

• The Issue

• An industry overview

• An AWA Perspective

• The evidence

• The hard facts

• What we know

• What we are doing

• AWA Accreditation Scheme

BREADTH OF NON COMPLIANT PRODUCT

Identified in 2004 as an emerging issue, it is considered to have now reached the

point of market or systemic failure with the potential for significant replacement and

rectification of newer buildings, fixtures and fittings by 2020

92% of 222 respondent companies to a 2013 AiG survey reported non-conforming

product (NCP) including:

• Windows and glazing

• Steel fixings

• Engineered plywood

• Kitchens

• Water wear (plumbing and pipes)

• Electrical fittings

• Paint

• 49% of respondents to 2013 AiG survey indicated market penetration by NCP of

between 11% and 50%.

The Issue

THE GLAZING EXPERIENCE

• The ability for windows and doors to withstand site wind pressures and resist waterpenetration is crucial to their longevity and amenity,

• The use of appropriate glass is crucial to human safety and vital for energy efficiency

• Failure can be glass breakage, excessive water damage, gross deflection, hot box –leading to irreparable damage to the building envelope, people getting cut (even fatally)or running costs prohibitively high,

• Companies testing to standards and undergoing audits realise much higher costs tocomply than those that don’t, with non compliant products not being picked up until anevent occurs,

• There is a growing number of fraudulent documentation that is hard for surveyors toidentify and many overseas laboratories are now testing to AS but their reports haveidentified major testing and reporting flaws,

• In 2003, with almost 300 member companies the AWA received three requests a year(100% not members) to deal with product or installation issues, in 2014 with close to 600member companies, the AWA received a minimum of three requests a week (80% notmembers),

• The issue is getting worse, not better and more compliant companies are closing as theycan’t compete.

An AWA Perspective

THE GLAZING EXPERIENCEThe evidence

Does the construction have bushfire or acoustic

performance requirements if it does the windows need to

meet these requirements

Windows must be selected to meet the site

requirements and need to be tested for a number

of conditions that will impact on their

performance and durability

2. Windows Selection

3. Thermal Comfort 4. Window Energy Values

6. Material Selection5. Bushfire /Acoustics

Buildings must have an energy report through prescriptive

measures or performance based solutions using simulation

tools such as AccuRate, FirstRate,BERS Pro and BASIX

Total window system performance data must

be in accordance with AFRC guidelines. WERS

follows these guidelines

1. Wind loads

Every site for every building in Australia should be

assessed for wind load requirements according to AS/NZS

1170.2 or AS 4055

All materials need to comply with known

material standards and regulations when

designing, manufacturing and selecting

windows and doors

8. Installation7. Verification/Validation

Performance labels, compliance certificates and test

reports should be supplied to verify performance and

validate compliance to standards and regulations

Poor installation is a prime cause of window

failure, manufactures instructions should be

followed, flashing, fixing and packing are a key

to performance

National Construction Code Provisions

Must Be Met For WindowsThe Hard Facts

The Hard Facts of the Matter

FACT GENERAL REALITY

Windows are the primary source of natural light and ventilation

Everyone agrees

Windows are engineered units -windloadsmust be calculated and met

Push the responsibility elsewhere and select the lowest price

Water penetration resistance is crucial to material integrity and amenity

Price point & a misunderstanding of water paths and impact on other building materials

Energy efficiency provisions must be met Manipulation of software and calculators to meet lowest price

Since 1999 windows & glazing must meet NCC and suppliers must validate performance

A growing international market willing to supply any certification without testing

Installation is crucial to performance Diminishing knowledge in the trade and price

Litigation, disputes &inspections up 500% since 2010

Lack of policing & easy ability to liquidate means it’s all too late

Which window is compliant?Product Conformity

This one? Or this one?

Avoid thisWhat we need to avoid

WHAT IS INDUSTRY DOING?

WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN’T

We have a robust National Construction Code with the BCA – so we don’t needmore regulation. We have Standards and verification paths and some associations,like ours, have accredited inspection agencies with mandatory audit processes

What we know

What is not working What we need to achieve

The current system Policing of conformance to current regulated requirements

Voluntary industry compliance Penalties for not complying

Clear, consistent understanding of minimum requirements by all players

Responsibilities defined at point of sale and certification

The increasing reliance on paperwork Equity, or what we commonly term a level playing field

The decreasing reliance on site inspections

Licensing

A receptacle for documented issues that can and will be dealt with by a body with authority

At a minimum, regulatory or government endorsement of accredited industry schemes

• Test Reports• Labels• Certificates• Letters• Website listings• Associations

What is available validation

• Test Reports• Labels• Certificates• Letters• Websites

What else is availablevalidation

Can you pick the

difference?

• Working as a collective as never before

• AiG working committees to identify solutions

• APCC Procurement Guide to minimise risk

• Political engagement at federal, state and territory levels

• MBA and QLD government (QBCC) on line support, VBA underway

• Recognition or endorsement of industry 3rd party schemes such as ours

• Pursuing facts and figures from states and territories and international

enforcement programs

• Expanding the AWA Accreditation program

• Educating

• Communicating

WHAT IS INDUSTRY DOING?

Internationally the building sector has been described as ‘critically fragmentedand has significant inertia to change’, but change is underway and visible inmany areas.There is also a significant amount of work being done here:

What the AWA is doing

• Tailored a tiered audit surveillance program that recognises great performance

• Introduced market surveillance

• Undertaken to physically test nominated potential dodgy products

• Been included in the government’s APCC guide

• Mentored other associations in developing their own scheme (ACCA)

• Sought regulatory endorsement of industry 3rd party schemes such as ours

• Taken up national Qualicoat audits

• Included AS3959 (bushfires) and AS/NZS2208 (safety glass) audits

• Naming and shaming

• Continue communicating the benefits

WHAT IS INDUSTRY DOING?

AWA’s accreditation as a NATA Inspection Agency is gaining interest. In theinterests of product conformity validation we have expanded and improved theprogram in a number of ways:

AWA Accreditation Program

THANK YOU