Safe Work Australia (SWA) develops national policy relating to WHS and workers’ compensation. Its members are regulators from each State and Territory Governments, industry and unions. It is the Commonwealth, states and territories that regulate and enforce WHS laws.

ICANZ contributes information to industry representatives – ACCI and AIGroup where they represent industry on content under revision by Safe Work Australia. Our views are represented in the discussions about work health and safety by both these associations. ACCI and AIGroup provides forums for discussion on drafts and works with us to provide best possible approaches, to ensure current research relating to man made mineral fibres is made available in any regulatory review and is in accordance with global harmonisation systems, which Australia is a signatory too.

• Contribute to material and research information for the safe use, removal and installation of glass wool and rock wool products.
• Collaborate with EURIMA and NAIMA on international research for consistency in terminology advocated through Global Harmonsiation of Systems, which Australia is a signatory to.
• Guide the development of safe use information sheets for accurate and consistent terminology.

Insulation is an essential component of a healthy, comfortable building. Adequate insulation can increase thermal comfort, lower heating and cooling bills, and reduce the prevalence of illness and death. Insulation reduces pollution, greenhouse gas emission and reliance on the electricity grid. However, insulation needs to be properly installed in order to deliver its full value, and many existing buildings lack sufficient insulation in their walls, floors and even ceilings. This means that insulation needs to be installed in all new and existing buildings following appropriate quality control and safety processes. To tackle this challenge, leading organisations in the insulation, building and energy efficiency industries have come together to prepare a roadmap to improve quality control and safety in insulation installation. This roadmap sets out 24 actions that should be undertaken over the next three years.

• Receive and identify media announcements on the industry’s relevance in the building sector.
• Identify policies that indicate changes on energy efficiency across the building sector and how this influences workload​.
• Work with Alliance Partners such as BPIC, ASBEC, EEC and AIIC on communicating our shared position to federal, state and territory governments​.

ICANZ is actively involved in the formulation and revision of standards and regulations governing the performance and installation requirements for insulation levels in buildings.

List of Standards relevant to the Insulation of buildings include:

• AS/NZS ISO 717.1:2004 – Acoustics – Rating of sound insulation in buildings and of building elements Part 1: Airborne sound insulation
• AS 3999-2015 – Thermal insulation of dwellings – Bulk Insulation – Installation requirements
• AS/NZS 4200.1:2017 – Pliable building membranes and underlays – Materials
• AS/NZS 4200.2:2017 – Pliable building membranes and underlays – Installation requirements
• AS/NZS 4859.1:2018 – Thermal insulation material for buildings – Part 1: General criteria and technical Provisions
• AS/NZS 4859.2:2018 – Thermal insulation material for buildings – Part 2: Design
• AS4254.1:2021 – Ductwork for air-handling systems in buildings, Part 1: Flexible duct
• AS4254.2:2012 – Ductwork for air-handling systems in buildings, Part 2: Rigid duct
• These standards can be purchased from Standards Australia

Regulations
ICANZ submissions to regulatory reform have focused on achieving cost effective solutions that will:

• Improve current performance of the Australian residential housing market due to non-performing insulation products and installation practices.
• Have a positive effect on reducing Australia’s carbon emissions whilst providing increased comfort to occupants, coupled with a short payback of the installed insulation costs.
• ICANZ is committed to undertaking the necessary research to support the optimum insulation levels to building fabric in terms of energy efficiency. This will help manage Australia’s non-renewable energy resources, meet its carbon emission targets and help address the peak energy demand in summer and winter.

Keep abreast of the current building regulations by visiting the Australian Building Codes Board website for the latest copies of the National Construction Code – abcb.gov.au