PLANNING circular

BUILDING SYSTEM
Building regulation advisory note
Circular

BS10012

Issued

October 2010

Related

Available for public comment:

Regulatory Impact Statement for BCA
amendments slips, trips and falls
This circular is to advise councils, certifiers, industry practitioners and other stakeholders that
the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released for public comment a consultation
Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) on proposals to amend the Building Code of Australia (BCA)
in relation to reducing the risk of slips, trips and falls in buildings.
RIS for public comment
A Consultation RIS assessing the costs and benefits of a
proposal to revise BCA requirements to reduce the risk of
slips, trips and falls in buildings is now available on the
ABCB website for public comment.
The RIS considers five regulatory proposals for :
new stair riser and going dimensions
regulation of single steps
handrails on private stairways
barriers for openable windows
non-climbable balustrades
The proposals are based on recommendations contained
in an ABCB commissioned study undertaken by the
Monash University Accident Research Centre. The study
investigates the relationship between slips trips and falls
and the design and construction of buildings and is
available on the ABCB website.
Comment to inform final RIS
The ABCB is seeking comment on the broader BCA
proposal to reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls in
buildings and the analytical methodology and general
content of the RIS. Specific areas of uncertainty which
would benefit from input are detailed in Section 10 'Consultation' of the RIS.
Accompanying the Consultation RIS are the Di Marzio
Survey report on current construction practice and the
Turner and Townsend report on current construction
costs, which were used to inform the development of the
consultation RIS. The outcomes of this consultation
process will be used to inform the Final RIS for decision.
The Consultation RIS has been cleared by the Office of
Best Practice Regulation for public release.

Accessing the RIS

To view the RIS and associated documents go to
http://www.abcb.gov.au, click on the link in What's New
and follow the links to the document page.
Submissions
Public comment will close on 5 November 2010. All
submissions should be forwarded by email to
consultationris@abcb.gov.au.
Further information
Note: This and other Department of Planning
Circulars are published on the web at
www.planning.nsw.gov.au/circulars
Authorised by:
Donna Rygate
Executive Director
Corporate Governance and Policy
Important note
This circular does not constitute legal advice. The information is
provided as a basic summary only. Users are advised to seek
professional advice and refer to the relevant legislation, as necessary,
before taking action in relation to any matters covered by this circular.
State of New South Wales through the Department of Planning
www.planning.nsw.gov.au
Disclaimer: While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure
that this document is correct at the time of publication, the State of New
South Wales, its agencies and employees, disclaim any and all liability
to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything
done or omitted to be done in reliance upon the whole or any part of
this document.

Note: As the final RIS process will not be completed in

time to meet the BCA 2011 publication deadline, these
proposals will not be included in BCA 2011.

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