Fiji does not have an official body responsible for monitoring whether imported construction materials are fire resistant, says National Fire Authority station officer and Structural Fire Safety and Compliance officer Sefanaia Cola.
Mr Cola made the comment while presenting on fire safety compliance at the EXTRA Fiji Architecture Conference and Trade Exhibition at the Sheraton Fiji Golf Resort and Spa on Denarau in Nadi on Saturday.
“There is a gap in between the importer or the supplier bringing it to Fiji, but NFA is not involve in that. So our biggest concern is whether the material complies with the Australia and New Zealand standards, under the NBCF (National Building Code Fiji) or not,” he said.
He said the responsibility currently falls under the Trade Ministry.
“We have a special unit that looks after the standards of materials coming into Fiji but the question is whether they have that capability to do the monitoring. At the moment we don’t have any information in regards to that.
“When we ask for a piece of information in regards to paracetamol materials, we are going back to the manufacturers.”
Mr Cola said the NFA was pushing for a government body it could refer to regarding materials entering the country.
He said this requirement needed to be included in the new National Building Code, which is now under review.
“If that particular material comes from China, who conforms to us that it conforms to New Zealand and Australia selling.
“We will need somebody from the government to give us that feedback in that, we should have those units that look after the status of the materials.”
