Certifier requirements for prefabricated office pod installations

Key information

• Office pod installations require approvals and must comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA).
• Key considerations for certifiers regarding prefabricated pod installation.
• How to approve pod installations.

Prefabricated office pods are small, self-contained structures that come ready-made and can be installed within larger office spaces. They are also known as mini booths, phone booths, meeting pods, or work pods. Office pods are becoming popular and may be suitable for some commercial buildings.

An office pod is captured by the key definitions of building, building work and new building in the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. 

Office pods are rooms, not furniture, and their installation shall be treated as building work. A room is a space within a building, separated by walls or partitions from other areas. Furniture such as tables, chairs, desks, and cabinets are items that are not meant for occupation like a pod. 

Do office pod installations require approvals?

Yes, prefabricated office pods are subject to the regulatory framework including compliance with the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

Compliance requirement considerations

BCA compliance considerations for prefabricated pods may include:

• Fire hazard properties of the linings (Clause C2D11)
• Non combustible walls (Clause C2D10)
• Access and egress requirements (Section D)
• Fire services and equipment (Parts E1, E2, & E4)
• Room height requirements (Part F5)
• Light and ventilation requirements (Part F6)
• Air conditioning and ventilation (Section J)
• Artificial lighting and power (Section J).

What certifiers need to consider for approvals

Application stage for approval to install a pod

When assessing an application for a construction certificate (CC) or complying development certificate (CDC) to install a pod in an office, some key relevant matters include:

• Ensuring the design nominates the material and linings of the pod, and that the fire hazard properties of the linings comply with Specification 7 of the BCA. Design certification, and test reports of the materials, demonstrating compliance with the requirements of Specification 7 need to be provided.
• Evaluating the design of the pod against the requirements of Part D4 of the BCA, and AS1428.1-2009. Where compliance with the BCA deemed-to-satisfy (DtS) provisions cannot be achieved, a BCA performance solution from an appropriately qualified person complying with A2G2 of the BCA needs to be obtained. Common BCA non-compliances relating to accessibility include:
  • Inadequate circulation spaces at the doorway of the pod
  • Inadequate circulation spaces within the pod
  • The incorporation of a threshold at the door opening of the pod.

• Reviewing the building’s fire safety schedule, and any relevant fire safety measures, so that they also address the pod as they must for any other room, as required by applicable BCA referenced standards. An Accredited Practitioner (Fire Safety) needs to endorse the design of any required relevant fire safety system as defined in the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021 [EP&A (DCFS) Regulation]. Typical services which may be overlooked include:

  • Automatic fire suppression systems
  • Automatic fire detection and alarm systems
  • Building occupant warning systems. This can be overlooked as the pod are commonly designed as quiet spaces, in which case, the building’s alarm system would not reach adequate sound levels within the acoustically treated pod.

  Where the design of an office pod installation cannot meet the relevant BCA DtS provision/s, a BCA performance solution from a fire engineer would need be obtained to comply with the relevant BCA performance requirements.

• Ensuring that the ceiling heights within the pod comply with Clause F5D2 of the BCA. Where BCA DtS compliance cannot be achieved for a prefabricated design, a BCA performance solution by an appropriately qualified person complying with A2G2 of the BCA needs to be obtained.

Application stage for approval to occupy a pod

• When assessing an application for an occupation certificate (OC) some key relevant matters include:

  • Ensuring all regulatory requirements have been addressed including the EP&A (DCFS) Regulation.
  • Ensuring that the installed materials and linings of the built pod are consistent with the materials and linings approved as part of the CC or CDC. Certification declaring that the installed materials and linings are consistent with the approved design and meet the requirements of Specification 7 of the BCA, also needs to be provided.
  • Inspecting the pod installation against the requirements of Part D4 of the BCA, AS1428.1-2009, or where applicable, that any requirements of a relevant BCA performance solution relating to the pod’s design have been implemented. Where a management plan is recommended as part of a BCA performance solution, then the management plan also needs to be documented and provided.
  • Ensuring that the ceiling heights within the pod comply with Clause F5D2 of the BCA, or any requirements specified in a relevant BCA performance solution report (as applicable).
  • Sighting the fire safety measures which were proposed at design stage, and any associated installation and commissioning certificates from the relevant Accredited Practitioner (fire safety). This documentation needs to accompany the application. 

  Note: Where a fire engineered BCA performance solution report was part of the approval documentation, the fire engineer needs to undertake an inspection and prepare a Fire Engineering Inspection Report to verify that the recommendations of the Fire Engineered performance solution report have been correctly implemented.