Blog Post

Competency & Trust

Apr 08, 2021

Sadly we are hearing more or more frictions within the industry between Passive Fire Contractors, consultants and Council inspectors.

These frictions often seem to be coming from like-minded operators but the boiling point appears to be that Specialist Contractors aren’t feeling their expertise are valued or they are constantly being challenged with no respect first offered. Almost a guilty until proven innocent attitude.



It is important that Passive Fire Contractors, Fire Engineers, Third Party inspectors are on the same page as often these will be the only parties involved in a project that care about passive fire or have the level of knowledge required on-site regarding passive fire. 


There seems to be a growing mentality from inspectors that all passive fire installs are wrong.

Inspectors are then hunting down any microscopic detail they can fail or grandstand upon.


Likewise, at the front end of a project, specifications are being prepared which the Contractor must follow. However, specifications are seldom perfect & there needs to be a mechanism for change or adaption. At present, the complaints I’m hearing are that Contractors are the meat in the sandwich on such issues & taking all of the flack. None of which provides a best for

project or best for client outcome.


Due diligence, inspection and challenging installations is an important part of Passive Fire protection. However, the starting point should be to first check the competency and credibility of the contractor executing the work. Often these Contractors have more experience with Passive Fire than anyone else involved in the job & have been doing it at the coal face for several years, whereas inspectors may have only recently been given an introduction.

There has been a surge of contractors taking up Passive Fire protection in recent years which is positive but comes with risk. The risk being that there are inexperienced and less credible contractors in operation. Therefore again Councils, Main Contractors, Fire Engineers and Third Party inspectors should be checking the experience, credibility and competency of the company and individual staff before the works commence or before even tendered. This is the best chance to stop poor and non-compliant installations. If thorough due diligence is done during procurement then there is every chance of a strong relationship that provides the best for project and client outcomes. SFPE is soon to release a CM guide which includes Passive Fire protection. I encourage everyone to digest this and take into practice.

Also, I encourage the following questions be asked by Inspectors, Engineers and Councils before making a broad assumption of all contractors:

  1. Previous Track record? a. Similar size/ scope projects
  2. Who is the Site Supervisor overseeing & what is their experience?
  3. Training (NZQA Level 3)
  4. Accreditation with Manufacturers
  5. QA Processes
  6. Insurances (PI & PL)
  7. Interview - meet with them & gauge for yourself their credibility if you’ve not dealt with them previously.
Contego Passive Fire Protection
31 Aug, 2022
The Passive Fire Protection Intumescent Coating Code of Practice suggests that this should be a collaborative effort between all design consultants to ensure all aspects are considered. This way of thinking is no different to any other collaborative effort in designing a building whereby multiple consultants need to talk & collaborate on a solution.
Passive Fire Protection Checklist
31 Jul, 2022
Assessments – ask the extra questions. As most Passive Fire Protection contractors are aware AS1530.4 & AS4072.1 assessments satisfy compliance with NZBC and Acceptable solutions. However, when utilising an AS4072.1 assessment I would urge a little extra caution.
Passive Fire Protection
30 Nov, 2021
South Island passive fire protection contractor Contego today announced that it will continue its business expansion by opening a new base in the North Island in December 2021. Located in New Plymouth, the branch is expected to employ 10 persons over the next 24 months. The business currently employs 35 personnel between its bases across the South Island.
Passive Fire Protection
29 Sep, 2021
Our managing director, Justin McEntyre outlines our top 5 tips for managing your building compliance with regards to passive fire protection.
Intumescent Coatings
08 Apr, 2021
It has been a busy summer for the Intumescent coatings division with projects right across the lower South Island.
Passive Fire Protection
07 Apr, 2021
I’m sure I’m not the only one that is experiencing weekly headaches with freight delays and lead time materials. What was once available down the road, can now be a lengthy delay to get a hold of it. The feedback I am getting from suppliers and contractors is that the worst is not over, and we should be planning to deal with this for the remainder of this year.
Passive Fire Products
23 Feb, 2021
With the current codes of practice and Passive products annual renewal being worked through the issue of Tested vs Assessed is constantly brought up in conversation. NZBC accepts the use of AS4072.1 Assessments as a way of showing compliance as an equal with a tested solution in accordance with AS1530.4.
Westpac Otago Business Awards
16 Oct, 2020
We are excited to announce that Contego have been selected as finalists within two categories at the 2020 Westpac Otago Business Awards. This year we have been selected as a finalist for the Excellence in Service Award and also the Future Business Leader Award.
Southern District Health Board
14 Sep, 2020
Contego is proud to announce that we have been awarded a 3 year contract to provide IQP services to SDHB for all Passive Fire Systems including SS15.2, SS15.3, SS15.4, and SS15.5.
Intumescent paint application
11 Sep, 2020
Contego team have celebrated the arrival of its significant investment in specialist plant and machinery for Intumescent Paint application and Cementitious spray. In 2020 Contego has invested significantly in additional specialist plant and machinery which is already busy being put to use across the lower South Island.
More Posts
Share by: