What is an Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety)?

In late 2017, the NSW government introduced a raft of changes to legislation across the building professional industry, following investigations into a series of significant and high profile fire events in NSW buildings.

These reforms, now part of the Environment Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021, were introduced to ensure the compliance of fire safety in new and existing buildings across the state.

The most significant change under the new legislation is that many of the key phases of installing and maintaining a fire safety system, from planning, to construction, to ongoing yearly assessment, must all now be assessed and endorsed by an Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety), (formerly Competent Fire Safety Practitioner) – a new role defining qualified and/or experienced practitioners who have expert skills in fire safety.

As of July 1 2020, building owners are required to enlist the services of a Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety) – (APFS) to conduct an in-depth holistic assessment of the Essential Fire Safety Measures in their building, to ensure that the fire safety equipment meets the performance requirements of the initial installation. This requires a greater level of expertise and more rigorous assessment than routine fire safety inspection and testing.

Engaging an Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety) is now an essential part of submitting an Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS).