AIRAH to offer BCA Essentials course

AIRAH, the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating, is offering a series of half-day courses throughout November which provide an overview of the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume One BCA (Class 2-9 buildings) as it relates to mechanical services.

The one-off series covers regulations, energy, safety and alternative solutions, and explains how the Building Code of Australia (BCA) applies to specific projects.

“Some industry practitioners have a habit of simply copying and pasting from past jobs, without really understanding how the BCA applies to individual projects, or should be used,” said AIRAH CEO Phil Wilkinson.

“There’s a knowledge gap in our industry when it comes to the BCA - some people are continually getting it wrong. The BCA Essentials courses address that gap.”

The courses are intended for graduate mechanical engineers with three years’ experience and mechanical services contractors with a minimum of five years’ experience supervising mechanical services contracts. The courses will run in all capital cities.

The course will be delivered by David Swinson, who has considerable industry experience. A 20-year building industry veteran, Swinson has worked in a range of roles, including fire safety consultant, building surveyor, facility manager and commercial builder.

Subjects covered by the course include building control as it applies to mechanical services, the fundamentals of the BCA, smoke hazard management, passive versus active systems and energy efficiency in existing buildings.

The courses will take place in Victoria on 24 October, NSW on 30 October; Northern Territory on 31 October, Western Australia on 1 November, the ACT on 6 November; Queensland on 7 November, Tasmania on 12 November and South Australia on 14 November.

More information about the BCA Essentials course is available at www.airah.org.au/training.