Standards Australia has recently published two revised standards for termite management, intended for use as a tool to assist builders and related professionals deliver structures with managed termite risk throughout Australia.

The two documents, AS 3660.1:2014 Termite management, Part 1: New building work and AS 3660.3:2014 Termite management, Part 3: Assessment criteria for termite management systems, will replace the editions drafted in 2000, and have been developed for use in the National Construction Code.

“Termite management is an important issue for the building industry and property owners, and by accounting for the risks of termite damage during construction, we can help property owners to reduce the costs and chemical use of remedial control,” said Dr Don Ewart, Chair of Standards Australia technical committee BD-074 Termites, on which he represents the Total Environment Centre.

AS 3660.1:2014 Termite management, Part 1: New building work provides a range of management options that can be implemented during the construction phase. AS 3660.3:2014 Termite management, Part 3: Assessment criteria for termite management systems, however, provides new requirements and pass/fail criteria that will enable manufacturers and system proposers to assess their products and methods, and offers a clear path for compliance with AS 3660.1:2014.

“Australia has, since the early 1990s, led the world in termite management innovation and our standards need to reflect this diversity of approaches. The testing standard AS 3660.3 has been written so as to provide an assessment path for any conceivable approach,” Dr Ewart said.

With these documents completed, the Committee will now turn its attention to AS 3660.2 and the post-construction management of termites.

For questions, contact Standards Australia at (02) 9237 6000.