BLDG 7002
Building
Regulations 2023
Assignment 2
© WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, 2023
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© WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY, 2023
Task
1. The questions in this assignment relate principally to concepts in study
modules 6 to 10 however, students may need to consider beyond this
to answer some questions.
2. Students are required to answer a collection of questions that is worth
at least 50 points. A question cannot be picked to partially contribute to
the minimum required 50 points. For example, if you pick question 6,
you will be marked for both part (a) and (b). You cannot choose to only
answer 6(a).
3. Students may decide to answer more than 50 points. Each submission
that covers questions with a total worth of more than 50 points will be
marked out of that total. For example, if you choose a collection of
questions totalling at 75 points, you will be marked out of 75.
4. Students are required to clearly identify the questions covered in their
submission at the beginning of their submission and outline the total
points they should be mark out of. If the marker is required to calculate
the sum of questions picked in a submission, a 20% penalty will apply.
5. In regard to part (b) of question 17, please note that ABCB’s Facade
calculator has been uploaded to vUWS next to the assessment brief.
6. This assignment must be received by the specified due date and time.
The penalty for late submission is indicated in the Learning Guide.
Instructions
1. A reference to the National Construction Code in this assignment is a
reference to the 2022 edition of Volume One of that Code (hereafter
referred to as the NCC).
2. Where a question asks you to discuss a matter, marks will be awarded for
providing a good discussion of the concepts and criteria of direct relevance
to the question, explaining in your own words how you reached your
answer. You must evidence that you have researched the topic in
questions such as these by inclusion of appropriate references where
relevant. You must also provide where necessary reference to relevant
legislative provisions, or provisions from the NCC, on which your response
is based.
3. Your responses to questions of the kind referred to above must not exceed
the indicated word limit. They do not have to reach that limit however
marks may be deducted for answers substantially less than the word limit.
4. Your referencing must be in the Harvard style. Marks will be deducted for
inadequate or incorrect referencing.
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5. Where a question asks you to identify the provisions of the law or the NCC
on which you rely to derive your answer – be specific down to the
subsection, subclause, subparagraph (as relevant).
6. Do not just copy assignments and fill in the spaces available for answers.
Present your answers as a separate document (with completed cover
sheet).
7. At the commencement of your answer to each question state the question
number.
8. Your assignments must be presented in the portrait orientation unless
otherwise specified by the particular assignment.
9. Do not repeat the question in your answer.
10. Your answers to each Section must commence on a fresh page in your
submitted document.
11. Number all pages you submit.
12. Indicate your name and your student number at the top of each page.
13. The value of each question is indicated.
14. Unless otherwise stated, NCC type questions in this assignment relate to
compliance with the Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions (DTS Provisions)
contained in the NCC.
15. Marks will be deducted for answers that merely regurgitate provisions from
the NCC or related legislation.
16. In this assignment terms defined under the NCC have been italicised
wherever possible.
17. The value of this assignment is indicated in the unit outline.
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Assignment 2
MEANS OF ESCAPE / ACCESS / SERVICES, EQUIPMENT /
ENERGY EFFICIENCY / MAINTENANCE
SECTION 1
Question 1 (4 marks – i.e. 0.5 marks each)
A clear understanding of the various terms used in Section D (and the remainder
of the NCC) is important to a proper interpretation and application of its
provisions. For example, consider the following. Match the building elements or
parts described in (i) to (viii) with the most appropriate descriptor in (a) to (f).
(a) a required exit; or
(b) a horizontal exit; or
(c) a doorway forming part of a required exit; or
(d) a doorway in a path of travel to a required exit; or
(e) a path of travel to a required exit; or (f) none of the above.
(i) A doorway leading into a fire-isolated exit. –.
(ii) A doorway leading directly to open space from a single storey office
building. The doorway is not relied upon to satisfy the egress requirements
of the NCC. –
(iii) A doorway in a fire wall. The doorway is relied upon to satisfy the egress
requirements of the NCC. –
(iv) An open stairway from the upper floor of a two storey commercial building to
the level at which egress to open space is provided. The stairway is the only
stairway from the upper storey. –
(v) The hallway serving bedrooms inside a residential apartment in a multi-unit
residential building. –
(vi) An internal public corridor serving hotel suites. –
(vii) A fire-isolated passageway serving as a means of egress from an industrial
building. –
(viii) A doorway providing discharge from a fire-isolated exit to the street
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Question 2 (5 marks – i.e. 1 mark each)
Read each statement carefully and determine whether the statement is true or
false. If the statement is incorrect then correct it. Give justification for your
answers, including any conditions to which it is subject when relevant. That is,
your answer must, when relevant, refer to one or more NCC DTS Provisions
which support your answer. (50 words max for each justification)
Under the DTS Provisions:
(a) no door in a path of travel to an exit in an office building can be key locked?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(b) the entry doorway to an apartment in a multi-unit residential building must be
at least 750mm wide?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(c) a 3m wide required stairway with handrails each side but no intermediate
handrail is counted as 3m wide in determining exit capacity.
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(d) the entrance doorway from the street to a 250m2 suburban shop cannot be
fitted with a roller shutter? The entrance doorway is also the only exit from
the shop.
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(e) all main electrical switch and distribution boards located in a path of travel to
an exit must be separated from the rest of the building by fire-resisting
construction?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
NB. Don’t forget to correct incorrect statements and focus on defined terms. They are crucial to
correct interpretations.
False
False
False
False
False
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Question 3 – (1 mark)
(a) Choose the most correct statement –
The occupancy load used to determine the aggregate exit width required by
the DTS Provisions for a multi-storey commercial building is based on:
(i) the predicted maximum number of people in the whole building.
(ii) the predicted maximum number of people per storey.
(iii) the number of floors.
(iv) the number of exits.
(b) Justify your response by reference to the relevant DTS Provisions.
50 words
Question 4 – (3 marks)
Determine the required unobstructed width of the fire-isolated exit stairway
serving the following building.
• Storeys are used as shown.
• Each storey has a floor area of 450m2.except the plant room. The plant
room has a floor area of 80m2.
• 10% of the floor area of storeys 1 to 5 is set aside for lifts, stairways,
ramps, hallways, sanitary compartments, lobbies and the like. 5% of the
plant room floor area is occupied by the exit stairway.
• One exit is required from each storey to satisfy the exit travel distance
requirements.
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• Storey 1 does not connect with the fire-isolated exit stairway. It relies on a
doorway to open space.
• The building is less than 25m in effective height and travel distance to the
single exit serving storeys 2 to 5 and the plant room complies with the DTS
Provisions.
Present your answer in the following tabular format:

Question 5 (1.5 marks)
Determine the aggregate width required for the doorways serving as exits from a
building with the following characteristics:
• Rise in storeys of one.
• The building is used as a library.
• The building has a floor area of 800m2.
• 300m2 is used for storage, 400m2 is reading space and the remainder is set
aside for hallways, sanitary compartments, lobbies and the like.
• 3 doorways are required to serve as exits to satisfy the exit travel distance
requirements. No other exits are proposed.
Present your answer in the following tabular format:

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Question 6 (2 marks)
Do the following required exit stairways need to be completely fire-isolated (top
to bottom)? Justify your response by:
• if your response is yes, stating why.
NB. Reasons must be sourced from the relevant DTS Provisions.
• if your response is no, stating why and specifying any conditions that must be
satisfied for your answer to be correct.
NB. Any applicable conditions must be sourced from the relevant DTS Provisions.
50 words per justification
(a)
(i)
(ii) Justification
(b)
Must be completely fire-isolated? YES NO
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NO
NB. All levels of the carpark are interconnected by open vehicle ramps, and
all storeys are sprinkler protected.
(iii) Must be completely fire-isolated? YES
(iv) Justification
Question 7 (9 marks (6 marks for (a) and 3 marks for (b)))
The following diagram illustrates a section through a proposed multi-unit
residential building which will contain 5 storeys. Generally, each main storey
above ground level will contain 4 residential sole-occupancy units (SOUs). The
top four apartments will contain attic levels. The lowest storey is a basement
carpark which will accommodate up to 16 vehicles.
The residential upper storeys of the building will be served by a single internal
open stairway which leads to the ground floor lobby. Within the lobby will be a
flight of stairs with a stairway platform lift alongside. Egress from the lobby leads
to a landing with awning over. A ramp is provided from the landing to the ground
and then there is a path to the street.
The only means of escape from the carpark that will be provided to satisfy the
NCC will be via the internal non-fire isolated stairway which leads to the lobby
and then to outside.
The building will not be sprinkler protected.
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(a) Based on the information provided answer the following questions. You
must justify your responses by specifying the DTS Provision(s) you rely
upon to determine your answers.

(ii) The nearest part of an exit from the upper levels is at what point?
(iii) Egress travel distance on the ground floor storey is required to be
measured to what point?
(iv) The maximum permissible overall distance of travel to open space via
the stairway that connects all storeys is?
(v) The maximum permissible distance between the base of the non-fireisolated stairway and the doorway that provides egress to open space
is?
(vi) The maximum permissible distance of travel from point H to the exit
serving the ground floor storey is?
(vii) The maximum permissible step at the doorway threshold at D is?
(viii) The minimum required width of the stairway between points E and F
is?
NB. The stairway platform lift is to be provided for access for persons with a disability.
The stairway platform lift will occupy a width of 650mm when unfolded and 300mm
when folded.
(ix) The minimum required width of the doorway at point D is?
(x) The minimum height above floor level for required barriers below
openable windows in external walls to restrict falling is?
(xi) The nearest part of an exit from the carpark is at point?
(xii) The maximum permissible distance of travel from point M in the
carpark to open space is?
(b) Determine whether the following statements are generally true or false:

False
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(ii) The stairways within the upper level two storey sole-occupancy units
(SOUs) must have a minimum unobstructed width of at least 1m?

(iii) The carpark storey must be accessible to persons with a disability?
(A) True
(B) Justification
Question 8 – (6 marks)
The above diagram illustrates the floor plan for the top storey of a 5 storey office
building. The building is required to be served by 2 fire-isolated exits as shown.
The DTS Provisions impose distance limitations on some of the paths of travel
shown in broken lines above. They also impose other geometric limitations
relating to provision for escape.
Specify the limitations (if any) for the following. Justify your responses by
reference to the relevant DTS Provisions:
(a) A?
(b) A + B + C
(c) A + D + E?
(d) F?
False
False
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(e) E + D + B + C?
(f) G
Question 9 – (1.5 marks)
In addition to the requirement to be structurally sufficient what construction
standards under the DTS Provisions must be met by this balustrade – The
building is a laboratory and the difference in levels between the floor shown and
the one beneath is 3m.
(100 words max)
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SECTION 2
Question 10 (10 marks)
There are two types of laws that regulate access to buildings and the facilities
therein for persons with a disability namely: anti-discrimination laws such as the
Federal Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA); and the NCC.
The DDA specifies what it considers acceptable access standards under the
Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 (the Premises
Standards). The Premises Standards and the NCC generally align (but not fully).
Compare and contrast in brief the Premises Standards and the NCC. Note, there
is no need to make any reference to the requirements for transport buildings.
In your response address the following:
• Application – That is: in general terms what triggers application of the
Premises Standards and what application of the NCC? What kinds of
buildings does each apply to – and, what is their required scope of application
when an existing building is being extended or modified?
• Persons responsible for ensuring compliance?
• Exceptions and concessions
• Which prevails should an inconsistency between the 2 controls be identified
(and why)? – and give one example of an inconsistency.
NB. You can refer to relevant laws in your jurisdiction as appropriate to support your answers.
Keep comments high level and succinct. Do not provide an overly detailed
response. Responses must simply demonstrate an understanding of primary
differences and where relevant include references which justify your statements.
Present your responses to each of the above in the following tabular format:
300 words max for a completed table

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SECTION 3
Question 11 – (8 marks)
In relation to each fire safety measure listed in the table below:
(a) describe in brief, and in your own words, the reason for the DTS Provisions
requiring the measure i.e. what is the measure’s purpose? and
50 words max for each measure
(b) specify the applicable DTS Provision, relevant NCC referenced document
(including its edition) and/or NCC Specification that sets the technical
standards each must comply with. NB. You may need to refer to a
combination of these provisions (in relevant order) to provide a
comprehensive answer. Do not repeat the requirements of the provisions.
Present your response in the following format:

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Question 12 – (8 marks)
True or false? Justify your answer (whether true or false). Include in your
response reference to the relevant DTS Provision(s). Correct the statement if it
is incorrect.
Under the DTS Provisions:
(a) Fire hose reels can be located within a fire-isolated exit?
(b) (i) True
(ii) Justification
(c) A fire hose reel system need not be provided to serve an apartment
building comprising 3 storeys above ground and a basement carpark
storey. Each storey has a floor area of 550m2. Apartments do not exceed
250m2 in floor area.
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(d) Smoke alarms are required on every storey of a residential apartment in a
Class 2 building irrespective of whether a storey contains bedrooms or not?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(e) An air-purge system is an acceptable system for limiting smoke spread
between storeys in an office building greater than 25m in effective height.
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(f) Two emergency lifts must be provided in every building greater than 25m
in effective height?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
False
False
False
False
False
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(g) An emergency lighting system is required to the internal common area of
the multi-unit residential building illustrated in Question 7 of this
assignment?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(h) A commercial building consists of a high-rise part (greater than 25m in
effective height) and a low-rise part (less than 25m in effective height). The
high-rise part is served by 2 fire-isolated exits. The low-rise part is also
served by 2 fire-isolated exits. The high and low rise parts are not vertically
fire separated.
All 4 exits must be served by an air-pressurisation system?
(i) True
(ii) Justification
(i) A fire hydrant system must be provided to serve a single storey industrial
building comprising 4 equally sized factory units and a total building floor
area of 950m2. The building is divided centrally by a fire wall that extends
vertically uninterrupted from footing to underside of roof level? Otherwise
the factory units are separated by concrete panel walls with an unknown
FRL.
(i) True
(ii) Justification
Question 13 – (3 marks)
Is a sprinkler system required in the following buildings? Justify your response.
(a) A 2 storey shopping centre with the storeys connected by an atrium. The
ground floor storey has a floor area of 1900m2 and the upper storey has a
floor area of 1500m2. The height of each storey is 7m.
(i) Yes
(ii) Justification
(b) An open-deck carpark that occupies 2 storeys near street level of a high-rise
building (taller than 25m in effective height). Each storey is 3m high. The
carpark accommodates in excess of 100 motor vehicles. (i) Yes
False
False
False
No
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(i) Yes
(ii) Justification
(c) An industrial building comprising a single fire compartment having a floor
area of 4900m2 and an internal height of 6m. The building is to be of Type
A construction.
The building stores motor vehicle spare parts in cardboard cartons. 4400m2 of
the building contains racks 2m high. Another part of the building contains
500m2 of racks 5m high.
(iii) Yes
(iv)Justification
Question 14 – (3 marks)
A developer is contemplating the erection of a multi-storey, office building with 2
storeys of basement carpark. The developer seeks your advice as a building
regulations consultant to assist in deciding whether to construct 8 or 9 storeys
above the ground. At 8 storeys the building is less than 25m in effective height.
At 9 storeys the building is greater than 25m in effective height.
The developer wishes to know what additional fire safety measures pursuant to
Section E of the DTS Provisions are required for the building with 9 storeys
above ground compared to that required for the building with 8 storeys above
ground.
List 6 additional required measures.
Question 15 (5 marks)
1. List the smoke hazard management measures required by Part E2 of the
NCC for the following buildings.
Where options are provided you need only specify one acceptable option
however, the option specified must be suitable for the building described in
terms of achieving the intent of the NCC.
2. State whether the measures must be provided to only a part of the building
or the entire building. Where a part, only specify the part (using the
descriptors in Part E2).
3. State whether:
No
No
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(i) the measure you list must be connected to a fire alarm monitoring
system connected to a fire station or fire station dispatch centre (ie.
monitored); and/or
(ii) the measure you list, or smoke detectors provided to activate the
measure you list, must activate a building occupant warning system
(BOWS).
Do not repeat DTS Provisions. Succinctly describe each measure.
(a) An aged care building with subterranean carpark. The building contains 4
storeys (3 above ground and 1 below ground).
Each storey has a floor area of 1200m2 and a height of 3m. The residential
sole-occupancy units are individually air-conditioned. Common rooms are
served by ducted air-conditioning. The basement carpark is mechanically
ventilated in accordance with AS 1668.2.
Each storey of the building is served by 4 fire-isolated exits.
Present your responses in tabular format as shown below.

(b) A single storey, single fire compartment, retail building with a floor area of
6000m2 and a ceiling height of 4m.
The building contains 2 shops with a floor area of 2100m2 each, and 10
shops with a floor area of 120m2 each. The remainder of the building is
occupied by an internal mall, service corridors, plant room and sanitary
facilities.
Each shop opens onto the internal mall. The two large shops also open
directly to open space.
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Present your responses in tabular format as shown below.

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SECTION 4 – SANITARY FACILITIES
Question 16 – (6 marks)
It is proposed to construct a new library building for the public. You are acting as a
consultant for the architect who is designing the building. The plans for the building are
shown in question 17. There will be a total of 4 staff working in the library at any one
time. The architect has proposed to provide the following toilet facilities:
For staff use:
Males – 1 closet pan, 1 washbasin
Females – 2 closet pans, 2 washbasins
For customer use:
Males – 1 closet pan, 1 urinal, 1 washbasin
Females – 3 closet pans, 2 washbasins
1 unisex accessible facility
Building floor areas:
Stack shelf area – 40 m2
General library area – 261 m2
Entry – 10 m2
Carpark – 150 m2
Stair – 10 m2
The architect would like to know whether the proposal will comply with the requirements
of Part F2 of the NCC. Your answer must provide a step-by-step detail as to how you
came your conclusion and must reference all applicable clauses of the NCC.
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SECTION 5 – ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Question 17 – (20 marks)
The project
Illustrated over page is a proposed library for construction in Orange NSW. The
building is to be constructed on a sloping site and will contain 2 storeys. The
upper storey will have pedestrian access from the street via its entry. The lower
storey (a carpark) will have pedestrian and vehicle access from outside. The
building has overall floor plan dimensions as shown.
The external walls to the upper storey and the internal upper storey walls
surrounding the stairway are proposed to be constructed using precast
reinforced concrete panels 125mm thick. These walls will be lined internally with
10mm thick plasterboard on steel furring channels (40mm deep). Internal walls
on the upper storey will be steel framed walls lined with plasterboard. Lower
storey walls will be reinforced concrete block walls 200mm thick.
The roof comprises steel trusses (20 degree pitch) with a plasterboard ceiling
affixed on battens to the underside, and a colour bonded steel roof covering
affixed atop metal purlins. The roof will be ventilated. The roof covering will have
an upper surface solar absorptance value of not more than 0.4. Eave width is
shown on the sections.
Floors will be reinforced concrete. The suspended floor over the lower storey
carpark will be 150mm thick.
Glazing
It is proposed that glazing in external walls (i.e. windows and glazed doors) be of
double pane clear glass in thermally improved aluminium frames with a SHGC of
0.36 and a Total System U-Value of 4.4. Other than the glass doors the glazing
will be fixed.
Lighting
All internal spaces will have recessed fluorescent lights installed throughout.
Daylight sensors and a dynamic control device for lights within the library general
area adjacent to windows W1, W2 and W3 for a distance from the windows equal
to the depth of the floor to window head height will be used.
The stack shelf area will have a manual dimming system.
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Air-conditioning and ventilation
The upper storey will be heated and cooled by a low pressure air-cooled direct
expansion package unit air-conditioning and mechanical system of 25kWr
capacity. The air-conditioning air-flow rate is 1650L/s and the sensible heat load
is 120W/m2.
The air-conditioning damper (not motorized) requires that minimum performance
filters are to be installed and as a consequence the entrance air supply rate will
be 200L/s. The air-conditioning unit will be on the roof. Flexible ductwork will be
used to connect the main ductwork to each service outlet. The flexible ductwork
will not exceed 4m in length. Some of the ductwork and fittings will be exposed
on the roof. All other ductworks will be located in the roof void.
The mechanical ventilation serving the amenities will have an air-flow rate of
100L/s.
The air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation system designer will provide for
three thermal zones, one for the parts facing south and two for the library
general area due to the size of the space.
Based on this information, and the information in the drawings, provide answers
to the following –
(a) In relation to the opaque building elements that are a part of the envelope
determine:
(i) The minimum Total R-Value that each must have
(ii) Whether or not insulation must be added to the element to achieve
the required minimum Total R-Value, and if yes, what R-Value the
added insulation must possess. State ‘nil’ if you determine no
insulation must be added.
Present your responses in the following tabular format:

6 marks
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(b) Using the ABCB’s facade calculator assess the proposed
glazing for compliance with the DTS Provisions of Part J1.
Assess glazed elements in numerical order. Do not include windows
outside of the conditioned space (see project description).
If non-compliant glazing is encountered indicate a possible compliance
solution (in general terms).
NB Attach a copy of your calculation sheet to your assignment.
(10 marks)
(c) In relation to the proposed air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation
system and features it must possess to enable it to use energy efficiently,
specify the operational controls required.
(4 marks)
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WINDOW SCHEDULE

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SECTION 5 – MAINTENANCE
Question 18 – (10 marks)
Part 9 of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000
(EPAR), which deals with the subject of maintenance of essential fire safety
measures, generally requires those measures to be continually capable of
performing to a standard no less than that which they were originally required to
achieve.
The actual words used in clause 182 of the EPAR are as follows:

safety schedule, to a standard no less than that to which the measure was originally designed
and implemented.
The standard (or level) of performance capability of a fire protection system can
be influenced by several factors including the characteristics of the system itself,
the building, and the occupancy (or use).
(a) Discuss the influence of these 3 types of characteristics on the standard of
performance of a required fire sprinkler system.
Between 200 and 300 words
(b) Describe how these factors can be encapsulated and recorded in a fire
safety schedule (see Module 10 and the EPAR for information about fire
safety schedules). NB. The fire safety schedule must describe the standard
of performance of the measure.
100 words max
(c) Discuss the role of testing and commissioning of fire protection systems in
relation to maintenance regulation and auditing.
Between 200 and 300 words