A South West building surveying company and its supervisor have been fined a total of $3,500 for negligence after their certification of a Roleystone building project failed to meet the required standards. The Building Services Board found that Eaton-based building surveying contractor Jescar Pty Ltd (BSC14) and building surveying practitioner Richard Ruhen (BSP279) were negligent in carrying out...

Western Australia’s building and energy safety regulator is sharing top tips for a safe summer when using gas barbecues and camping appliances, pools, party lights, lithium-ion batteries, roof spaces and items attached to pillars. Gas barbecues “A barbecue is a great Australian tradition, but gas barbecues can be dangerous if they are not correctly used or maintained,” Building and Energy A/...

Building and Energy and Consumer Protection have joined forces to warn parents and retailers about the risks and rules when using and selling portable pools this summer. Building and Energy oversees WA’s swimming pool safety barrier standards, which are enforced by local governments, while Consumer Protection regulates product safety. On average, one child a year drowns in a portable pool in...

In recent years, concerns have been raised regarding incidents resulting from leaked gas due to a known weakness in the current Type 21 ‘POL’ cylinder valve. After considerable consultation, Standards Australia have published AS/NSZ 5601.1:2013 Amendment 4 and AS/NSZ 5601.2:2020 which include a change from the current Type 21 ‘POL’ connection on a LPG cylinder to a new safer leisure cylinder connection (LCC27). The standards refer to this as the Type 27 connection.

WA consumers are being warned about an asbestos and demolition operator who is misleading the community, by falsely claiming to hold valid WorkSafe licences which have expired or were once held by companies that have since been liquidated. David Michael Scofield of Applecross, is the registrant of the website www.actionasbestos.com.au which contains a reference to “Class 2 Demolition Licence No...

WA’s energy safety regulator is reminding campers that outdoor gas appliances must only be used in the open air to avoid potentially lethal exposure to carbon monoxide. Building and Energy’s warning comes as West Australians gear up for a summer in the great outdoors with portable gas-fuelled equipment such as barbecues, cookers, heaters and fridges. “Outdoor use means the open air,” WA Director...

It’s World Toilet Day (November 19) and WA’s plumbing regulator is sharing key advice to ensure lavatories are safe and efficient. Building and Energy Executive Director Saj Abdoolakhan urged home owners not to attempt to install or repair a toilet themselves. “By law, plumbing work related to sanitation, water supply or drainage must only be carried out by a licensed plumber ,” he said. “Many...

South Perth building company Jaxon Construction Pty Ltd (BC12208) has been fined $5,000 for negligence after carrying out unauthorised building works that deviated from the approved plans for a Perth hotel development. The Building Services Board also issued a $2,500 fine to the builder’s nominated supervisor, Christopher Christou (BP/BC6285), for failing to properly manage and supervise the...

The National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Amendment 1 was adopted on 1 July 2020 with certain transitional provisions in relation to Volume One and Two of the NCC (the Building Code). These transitional provisions end on 30 April 2021. This means that a building permit application lodged on or after 1 May 2021 needs to demonstrate compliance with the NCC 2019 Amendment 1 until such time that a future edition of the NCC comes into effect. It is recommended that NCC 2019 Amendment 1 is used for current and upcoming design proposals, particularly where there may be a chance that the building permit application cannot be made prior to 1 May 2021.

A Perth owner-builder has been ordered to pay $6,000 in fines and costs after failing to fix several building issues affecting the new owners of a Yanchep house. Jonathon Robert Reardon did not appear at Joondalup Magistrates Court on 1 October 2020 when he was convicted of breaching WA’s building laws by not complying with a Building Commissioner’s order. The court was told that in 2013 Mr...

The regulator responsible for enforcing swimming pool safety barrier standards has commended the WA community for achieving zero toddler drowning deaths in 2019/2020. The Building and Energy division of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) believes the results featured in the Royal Life Saving’s National Drowning Report show that local government pool barrier...