NZQA Expiring unit standard
17710 version 4
Page 1 of 5
Title
Demonstrate knowledge of passive fire safety systems
Level
3
Purpose
Credits
4
This unit standard is for personnel employed in the fire
protection industry and covers knowledge of passive fire safety
systems.
People credited with this unit standard are, for passive fire
safety systems, able to demonstrate knowledge of: firecells; fire
resistance ratings; external wall and roof construction
requirements; related installation and finishing requirements for
their construction; and smoke control systems and techniques.
Classification
Mechanical Engineering > Fire Protection Systems Technology
Available grade
Achieved
Explanatory notes
1
References
Building Act 2004
Department of Building and Housing compliance documents for the New Zealand
Building Code (compliance documents). Available at
http://www.dbh.govt.nz/building-code-compliance-documents
New Zealand Building Code.
2
Definitions
Company procedures refer to procedures put in place by the employer for the safe
conduct of company business. Typically this includes procedures relating to quality
assurance, handling and disposal of materials and waste, health and safety, charging
of time and materials, management of drawings, and documentation.
Firecell, as used in the compliance document, refers to any space including a group
of contiguous spaces on the same or different levels within a building, which is
enclosed by any combination of fire separations, external walls, roofs, and floors.
Fire resistance rating (FRR), as used in the compliance documents, describes the
minimum fire resistance required of primary and secondary elements as determined
in the standard test for fire resistance, or in accordance with a specific calculation
method verified by experimental data from standard fire resistance tests. It
comprises three numbers giving time in minutes for which each of the criteria
stability, integrity and insulation are satisfied, and is always presented in that order.
Fire safety precautions (FSPs), as used in the compliance documents, refer to the
combination of all methods used in a building to warn people of an emergency,
provide for safe evacuation, and restrict the spread of fire, and includes both active
and passive protection.
Competenz
SSB Code 101571
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
17710 version 4
Page 2 of 5
Fire separation as used in the compliance documents, refers to any building element
which separates firecells or firecells and safe paths, and provides a specific fire
resistance rating.
Passive Fire Safety Systems in this unit standard includes: firecells, fire resistance
ratings, walls and roofs, closures in fire and smoke separations, fire stopping,
concealed spaces, surface finishes, and smoke control as provided for in the
compliance documents.
Purpose group, as used in the compliance documents, refers to the classification of
spaces within a building according to the activity for which the spaces are used.
Safe path as used in the compliance documents refers to that part of an exitway
which is protected from the effects of fire by fire separations, external walls, or by
distance when exposed to open air.
Smoke separation as used in the compliance document, refers to any building
element able to prevent the passage of smoke between two spaces.
Systems documentation refers to the documentation required to be maintained by the
relevant fire safety precaution standards, including log book, test reports, equipment
details and drawings, specifications, contract agreement, software configurations and
versions, additions and alterations, fire reports, building consents standards, codes of
practice, installation instructions, test and commissioning procedures, test and
maintenance records.
Outcomes and evidence requirements
Outcome 1
Demonstrate knowledge of firecells used for passive fire safety systems.
Evidence requirements
1.1
The requirements for firecells are identified and explained in accordance with
the compliance documents and systems documentation.
1.2
Design requirements and procedures are described in accordance with systems
documentation.
1.3
Construction requirements and methods for components of firecells are
described in accordance with systems documentation.
Range
walls, floors, sub-floor spaces, protected shafts.
1.4
Purpose groups are identified and described, including the limitations and
applications of each, in accordance with the compliance documents and
systems documentation.
1.5
Specific requirements for firecells are identified and related to the
documentation for tenancy, construction materials, and access and facilities.
Range
Competenz
SSB Code 101571
cross lease, company lease, unit titles; occupancy;
foamed plastic building materials, wood and wood products;
fire service vehicular access, fire fighting facilities.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
17710 version 4
Page 3 of 5
Outcome 2
Demonstrate knowledge of FRR for passive fire safety systems.
Evidence requirements
2.1
Explanations of the symbols and meaning of the associated numbers are
provided with reference to definitions in the compliance documents and systems
documentation.
2.2
F (fire) and S (safety) ratings are determined from given information and
specifications and their applications described.
2.3
Special requirements for firecell construction are identified with reference to
FRR.
Outcome 3
Demonstrate knowledge of external wall and roof construction requirements for passive
fire safety systems.
Evidence requirements
3.1
The requirements and limitations for constructions are identified and described
in accordance with systems documentation.
Range
building separation, FRR of external walls, vertical fire spread,
distance between unprotected areas in external walls, horizontal
fire spread, roofs, exterior surface finishes.
3.2
The construction principles relating to external wall and roof constructions are
identified and explained, and dimensions and materials identified by hand
drawn sketches.
3.3
Installation processes relating to external wall and roof constructions are
explained in accordance with systems documentation and company
procedures.
Outcome 4
Demonstrate knowledge of the related installation and finishing requirements for
construction of passive fire safety systems.
Range
closures in fire and smoke separations, fire doors and smoke control doors,
glazing, fire stopping, concealed spaces, surface finishes, floor coverings,
suspended flexible fabrics.
Evidence requirements
4.1
Fire rating requirements are described in accordance with the compliance
documents and systems documentation.
Competenz
SSB Code 101571
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
17710 version 4
Page 4 of 5
4.2
Selection criteria are identified and described in accordance with the
compliance documents and systems documentation.
4.3
Exceptions and limitations of the systems are described in accordance with
systems documentation.
4.4
Construction and installation techniques are described in accordance with
systems documentation and company procedures.
Outcome 5
Demonstrate knowledge of smoke control systems and techniques.
Range
exitways, firecells with intermediate floors, mechanical smoke control, sprinkler
systems, smoke detectors in mechanical extraction systems, automatic
activation of services and plant, air handling systems, emergency power,
theatre stages.
Evidence requirements
5.1
Fire safety requirements are described in accordance with the compliance
documents and systems documentation.
5.2
Exceptions and limitations of the systems are described in accordance with
systems documentation.
5.3
Construction and installation techniques are described in accordance with
systems documentation and company procedures.
Replacement information
This unit standard and unit standard 17709 have been
replaced by unit standard 26422
This unit standard is expiring. Assessment against the standard must take place by
the last date for assessment set out below.
Status information and last date for assessment for superseded versions
Process
Version Date
Last Date for Assessment
Registration
1
31 December 2000
31 December 2014
Review
2
26 March 2007
31 December 2014
Review
3
21 May 2010
31 December 2016
Rollover
4
20 June 2013
31 December 2016
Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR) reference
0013
This CMR can be accessed at http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/framework/search/index.do.
Competenz
SSB Code 101571
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
NZQA Expiring unit standard
17710 version 4
Page 5 of 5
Please note
Providers must be granted consent to assess against standards (accredited) by NZQA,
before they can report credits from assessment against unit standards or deliver courses
of study leading to that assessment.
Industry Training Organisations must be granted consent to assess against standards by
NZQA before they can register credits from assessment against unit standards.
Providers and Industry Training Organisations, which have been granted consent and
which are assessing against unit standards must engage with the moderation system that
applies to those standards.
Requirements for consent to assess and an outline of the moderation system that applies
to this standard are outlined in the Consent and Moderation Requirements (CMR). The
CMR also includes useful information about special requirements for organisations wishing
to develop education and training programmes, such as minimum qualifications for tutors
and assessors, and special resource requirements.
Competenz
SSB Code 101571
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016