Changes to passive fire licences

The scope of work for builder licence classes provides that they cannot personally carry out fire protection work 

Temporary extension

A temporary expansion of builder (Builder—Low-rise, Builder—Medium-rise and Builder—High-rise) scopes of work enables licensed builders to personally install and maintain:

• fire and smoke walls,
• fire collars, and
• fire-rated penetration and joint sealings. 

They can also personally supervise this work until 2 May 2030. 

From 2 May 2030

 Builders:

• may continue to carry out the above work if the value of the work is $1,100 or less.
• may continue to contract for this passive fire protection work provided it is personally performed and supervised by an appropriately licensed person. 

To comply builders can:

•  have an appropriately licensed employee perform and supervise the work
• subcontract to an appropriately licensed trade contractor
• hold an occupational licence or additional trade class. 

Trade contractors:

• do not require a fire protection licence for work already authorised in their current licence scope of work
  For example, an individual who holds a contractor’s licence in the Plastering drywall class can continue to personally install non-load bearing fire-rated walls and ceilings as this is expressly part of their scope of work.
• may perform fire protection work that is incidental to their scope of work if the fire protection work is performed by an appropriately licensed person and is valued at $3,300 or less.
• must ensure all workers and subcontractors are appropriately licensed or authorised to perform fire protection work.
• can continue to perform passive fire protection work to a value of $1,100 or less. 

Incidental work for passive fire protection work 

Licensed trade contractors can continue to perform work authorised in their scope of work without an additional licence. 

Carrying out of incidental work (of another class)

A licensed trade contractor may also carry out, or engage another person to carry out, fire protection work, if: 

• their licence class scope of work authorises “incidental work of another class”
• the fire protection work is incidental to building work being carried out under the relevant licence class held
• all fire protection work is performed by an appropriately licensed individual
• the total value of all incidental work to be carried out is $3,300 or less. 

Specific incidental work authorised 

Some trade licence classes expressly authorise the installation of fire collars that is incidental to other work specified in their scope of work. This authorisation applies regardless of the value of the incidental work provided that it is required to be performed as part work being carried out under the licence.

For example, the incidental installation of fire collars is expressly included in the scope of work of specified plumbing, gasfitting, mechanical services licences. Please refer to your scope of work to see if it applies to you.      

Employees must be licensed to perform fire protection work unless an exemption applies. 

Employees who carry out fire protection work must be licensed for the work unless an exemption applies.

Employees of QBCC licensees and other workers must be licensed to personally perform or supervise fire protection work. 

Temporary extension:

Employees who lawfully installed and maintained fire and smoke walls, fire collars or fire-rated penetrations and joint sealings before 1 May 2021 have until 1 May 2025 to apply for a licence for this work. 

All other workers must be licensed to perform all fire protection work.

From 1 May 2030

From 1 May 2030 employees who personally perform or supervise fire protection work to install or maintain fire and smoke walls, fire collars, fire-rated penetration and joint sealings must be licensed.  

Licensing exemptions apply to:

• apprentices who personally carries out fire protection work in a calling that requires the apprentice to carry out the work. 
  An apprentice is a person undertaking employment-based training with a signed apprenticeship contract as prescribed by the Further Education Training Act 2014
• a trainee who personally carries out fire protection work in a calling that requires the trainee to carry out the work.
• A trainee is a person undertaking employment-based training with a signed trainee ship contract as prescribed in the Further Education and Training Act 2014.
• a student who, for work experience, personally carries out fire protection work as part of a pre-vocational course.

The QBCC Carpentry licence class authorises the installation of doors, including fire doors and fire shutters. Trade contractors holding this class may continue to perform the work without an additional licence.  

As with other fire protection work, employees must be licensed to install fire doors unless an exemption applies. In addition to licensing exemptions for employees [LINK TO employees, there is an additional exemption for carpentry qualified employees. 

Qualified employees 

Employees who hold a technical qualification required for a Carpentry licence may install or maintain a fire door for an appropriately licensed trade contractor without an occupational licence. 

The scope of work for the QBCC Joinery licence class includes work to assemble and fit components for door and window frames, doors and sashes and for stairs, including fire doors and fire shutters.  

The occupational licensing requirements for this work remains unchanged. 

As with other fire protection work, employees must be licensed to install fire doors unless an exemption applies. In addition to licensing exemptions for employees [LINK TO employees, there is an additional exemption for carpentry qualified employees. 

The scope of work for a QBCC Plastering drywall licence includes work to construct and install non-loadbearing fire-rated walls and ceilings.

Trade contractors holding this class will not require a fire licence to install non-loadbearing fire-rated walls and ceilings but may require a licence to perform other fire protection work, including incidental work. 

Employees must be licensed to perform fire protection work unless an exemption applies. In addition to licensing exemptions for employees 

Licensees who hold a:

• QBCC plumbing and drainage contractor’s licence or
• One of the following licences issued under the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018:
  • Plumbers
  • Drainer
  • water plumber—fire protection (hydrants and hose reels)
  • water plumber—fire protection (commercial and industrial)
  • water plumber—fire protection (domestic and residential)
  • water plumber—water and sanitary 

may install a fire collar that incidental to work they are performing under their licence.

Provided that the installation of the fire collar is incidental to the licensed scope of work being performed there is no cap on the value of the installation work. 

However, an additional licence will be required for any fire protection work not contained within their licence scope of work. 

Contractor and occupational licensees who hold one of the following classes:

• Mechanical services plumbing
• Mechanical services- air conditioning and refrigeration (unlimited design)
• Mechanical services- air conditioning and refrigeration (limited design)
• Mechanical services – air conditioning and refrigeration
• Mechanical services – medical gas 

can install fire collars that are incidental to work authorised under their licence regardless of the value of the fire collar work.

The installation of a fire collar by a registered cabling provider that is incidental to cabling work performed by the registered cabling provider under the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cwlth) is not fire protection work or building work under the QBCC Act.  

Data cabling providers do not require a QBCC licence to perform this work. 

Electrical contractors must hold a QBCC Act licence to contract and perform specified fire protection work. 

However, the following work is not fire protection work for the purposes of the QBCC Act:

• electrical work under the Electrical Safety Act 2003
• installation of a fire collar by a licensed electrical worker that is incidental to electrical work performed by the licensed electrical worker under the Electrical Safety Act 2003.

Accordingly, a licensed electrician can continue performing the above work without a QBCC licence. Further licensing exemptions apply for specified emergency lighting work.