Field Engagement Report from December 2025:
In December 2025, 9 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 8 EAHL permit holders
- 1 EATA permit holder
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- Victoria (VIC):
- EAHL – 8
- Western Australia (WA):
- EATA – 1
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 9 PCCs, there were 13 outcomes that required action, all being in the “Further material provided” category.
The material outcomes included:
- Requested Physical card,
- Stickers requested,
- Scheduled Gas information (educational flyers)
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in December.
Resolved Non-compliance
There were no open investigations into non-compliance arising from PCCs in the month of December.
Discharge Reports Received
There were 4 discharge reports received in December. The breakdown by industry sector and total volume discharged is as follows:
The breakdown by root cause is as follows:
New Permit Holders
There were 11 new permit holders granted in December 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 7
- EAHL Experienced – 1
- EAHL Trainee – 1
- EATA – 1
- HSP – 1
28 EAHL permits, 3 EATA permit and 1 HSP permit were processed in total.
Four (6) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 5
- EAHL Combined – 1
Field Engagement Report from November 2025:
In November 2025, 15 Permit Condition Checks (PCC) were completed.
- 14 EAHL Permit holder
- 1 EATA Permit holder
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 15 PCCs, there were 34 outcomes that required action.
Outcomes discovered.
- 12 permit holders had material provided
- 16 permit holders had further education
- 5 permit holders had updated details
- 1 instance of non-compliance
Non-compliance
There was one instance of non-compliance discovered during a PCC in November, when an EATA holder could not provide evidence of a Risk Management Plan (RMP) during their permit condition check.
Resolved Non-compliance
RMP has since been provided for the above EATA PCC and is now deemed compliant.
Discharge Reports Received
There was 3 discharge reports received in November. The breakdown by industry sector and total volume discharged is as follows:
The breakdown by root cause is as follows:
New Permit Holders
There were 15 new permit holders granted in November 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 7
- EAHL Experienced- 5
- Combined – 2
- Trainee – 1
72 EAHL permits and 5 EATA permits were processed in total
Eight (8) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EATA – 2
- EAHL Qualified – 3
- EAHL Combined – 3
- EAHL Experienced – 0
- EAHL Trainee – 0
Field Engagement Report from October 2025:
In October 2025, one Permit Condition Check (PCC) was completed in Queensland.
- 1 EAHL permit holder
One outcome was produced during this PCC.
Outcomes discovered.
- Hard copy of licence has been provided
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in October.
Resolved Non-compliance
There were no open investigations into non-compliance arising from PCCs in the month of October.
Discharge Reports Received
There was 1 discharge report received in October. The breakdown by industry sector and total volume discharged is as follows:
The breakdown by root cause is as follows:
New Permit Holders
There were 8 new permit holders granted in October 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 4
- EAHL Experienced- 3
- EATA- 1
61 EAHL permits and 8 EATA permits were processed in total
Fifteen (15) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EATA – 2
- EAHL Qualified – 8
- EAHL Combined – 1
- EAHL Experienced – 2
- EAHL Trainee – 2
Field Engagement Report from September 2025:
In September 2025, 25 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 23 EAHL permit holders
- 1 EATA permit holder
- 1 HSP permit holder
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- New South Wales (NSW):
- HSP – 1
- EATA- 1
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 6
- South Australia (SA):
- EAHL – 1
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 16
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 25 PCCs, there were 45 outcomes that required action and only 6 that required no action recorded.
Outcomes discovered included:
- Discharge reporting education,
- Information on obtaining additional entitlements,
- Safe disposal education,
- Stickers requested,
- Training course information requested,
- Update details.
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in September.
Discharge Reports Received
There were 3 discharge reports received in September. The breakdown by industry sector and total volume discharged is as follows:
The breakdown by root cause is as follows:
Two of the three discharge incidents that were reported in September were the result of human error. The persons involved in these incidents self-reported, and implanted process changes to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring again in the future.
New Permit Holders
There were 14 new permit holders granted in September 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 4
- EAHL Combined – 2
- EAHL Experienced- 1
- EAHL Trainee – 7
62 EAHL permits and 3 EATA permits were processed in total.
Four (5) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 2
- EAHL Combined – 2
- EAHL Trainee – 1
Field Engagement Report from August 2025:
In August 2025, 18 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 17 EAHL permit holders
- 1 EATA permit holder
- 0 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- New South Wales (NSW):
- EAHL – 4
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 5
- EATA – 1
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 8
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 17 EAHL PCCs, only 5 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included;
- Discharge reporting education,
- Information on obtaining additional entitlements,
- Safe disposal education,
- Stickers requested,
- Training course information requested,
- Update details.
Outcomes for EATA permits:
No outcomes were recorded this reporting period for EATAs.
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in August.
Resolved Non-compliance
There were no open investigations into non-compliance arising from PCCs in the month of August.
Discharge Reports Received
There were five discharge reports received in August. The breakdown by industry sector and total volume discharged is as follows:
The breakdown by root cause is as follows:
New Permit Holders
There were 9 new permit holders granted in August 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 5
- EAHL Combined – 2
- EAHL Trainee – 2
58 EAHL permits were processed in total.
Four (4) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 4
Field Engagement Report from July 2025:
In July 2025, 35 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 34 EAHL permit holders
- 1 EATA permit holder
- 0 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- New South Wales (NSW):
- EAHL – 5
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 8
- EATA – 1
- Victoria (VIC):
- EAHL – 3
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 18
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 34 EAHL PCCs, only 3 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included;
- Applications for Trainee Licenses,
- Discharge reporting education,
- Information on obtaining additional entitlements,
- Safe disposal education,
- Scheduled gas information,
- Stickers requested,
- Physical EAHL card requested,
- Update details.
Outcomes for EATA permits:
- Material provided,
Minimal outcomes were recorded this reporting period as only one EATA was visited. The only outcome from this sole visit was ODS & SGG warning stickers being provided.
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in July.
Resolved Non-compliance
There were no open investigations into non-compliance arising from PCCs in the month of July.
Discharge Reports Received
There were twelve discharge reports received in July, across the building, mining, marine and utilities sectors. The cause of these discharges were related to electrical and mechanical failure, human error, dust and environmental factors, and unknown causes.
New Permit Holders
There were 20 new permit holders granted in July 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 8
- EAHL Combined – 1
- EAHL Experienced – 2
- EAHL Trainee – 8
- EATA – 1
81 EAHL permits were processed in total.
Fifteen (15) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 6
- EAHL Experienced – 1
- EAHL Combined – 6
- EAHL Trainee – 1
- EATA – 1
Field Engagement Report from June 2025:
In June 2025, 46 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 45 EAHL permit holders
- 0 EATA permit holder
- 1 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- New South Wales (NSW):
- EAHL – 9
- HSP – 1
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 12
- Victoria (VIC):
- EAHL – 6
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 18
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 46 EAHL PCCs, only 10 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included; applications for Trainee Licenses, discharge reporting education, information on obtaining additional entitlements, safe disposal education, scheduled gas information, stickers requested, physical EAHL card requests, and updated details.
Minimal outcomes were recorded for this reporting period for HSP permits as only one HSP was visited. The only outcome from this sole visit was further education being provided.
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in June.
Resolved Non-compliance
Following a PCC conducted in late May, a tip-off into unlicensed activity was received and an investigation launched. The suspected non-compliance was regarding maintenance of FM-200 suppression systems without possessing a suitable EAHL. The Board was quickly able to reach out to the company in question, who then confirmed a very recent new employment of a suitably qualified EAHL permit holder. This opportunity was also used to educate the company on the rules and regulations around working with scheduled extinguishing agents. The investigation has now been closed and will only reopen if further evidence appears.
Discharge Reports Received
There were two discharge reports received in June. Both were mining related and originated from sites in Western Australia. The quantities involved were significant with 451kg and 313kg of HFC227ea (FM-200) being discharged. In both instances, the root cause was deemed to be an electrical fault with both issues being fixed prior to replacement of extinguishing agent cylinders and systems going live again. The Board is aware of the company’s intention to phase out use of FM-200 across all their sites in the future and are satisfied that this process has already commenced.
New Permit Holders
There were 12 new permit holders granted in June 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 8
- EAHL Combined – 2
- Trainee EAHL – 2
63 EAHL permits were processed in total.
Eight (8) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 5
- EAHL Combined – 3
Field Engagement Report from May 2025:
In May 2025, 82 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 80 EAHL permit holders
- 2 EATA permit holder
- 0 HSP permit holders
- New South Wales (NSW):
- EAHL – 8
- EATA – 1
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 1
- Victoria (VIC):
- EAHL – 45
- EATA – 1
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 26
These numbers are reflective of the Field Team’s attention during May being focused on capturing the larger pool of license holders who had not yet completed a PCC in both Victoria and Western Australia. As always, interstate field trips often require a higher level of logistical planning to ensure they are successful in capturing as many permit holders as possible.
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 80 EAHL PCCs, only 18 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included; applications for additional entitlements, discharge reporting education, information on obtaining additional entitlements, safe disposal education, scheduled gas information, stickers requested, update details, requests for physical license cards, and report of unlicensed activity.
Outcomes for EATA permits included: sticker requests, discharge reporting education, and scheduled gas information.
Non-compliance
There were two instances of non-compliance discovered during PCCs in May. Both related to EAHL permit holders undertaking works outside their license class. Both were existing holders of EAHL X6 but required a combination of license classes 2 and 3 in order to remain compliant.
Resolved Non-compliance
At the time of writing, one individual has already successfully obtained the additional license entitlements required. The other permit holder has been issued with an initial 28-day notice period and provided with advice on which units they are required to undertake in order to obtain license entitlement 3. This technician has advised that they are currently in discussions with their employer as to whether they will undergo training toward this extra entitlement or sign a declaration form stating that they will no longer work with scheduled agents.
Discharge Reports Received
There was one discharge report received in May. This incident arose from the Mining sector with 88kg of HFC227ea (FM-200) discharged. This incident occurred in an unmanned switch room at a coal mine in NSW, and was due to a mechanical fault involving the manual call point being attached to the fire protection system.
New Permit Holders
There were 10 new permit holders granted in April 2025, as follows:
- EAHL Qualified – 5
- EAHL Experienced – 2
- Trainee EAHL – 2
- HSP – 1
70 EAHL permits were processed in total.
Thirteen (13) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 6
- EAHL Combined – 4
- EAHL Trainee – 1
- EATA – 2
Field Engagement Report from April 2025:
In April 2025, 50 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country.
- 50 EAHL permit holders
- 0 EATA permit holder
- 0 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- New South Wales (NSW):
- EAHL – 14
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 5
- South Australia (SA):
- EAHL – 9
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 22
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 50 EAHL PCCs, only 14 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included; Applications for additional entitlements, discharge reporting education, education on entitlements, safe disposal education, information on alternative extinguishing agents, stickers requested, updated details, and EAHL training course information.
No EATAs or HSPs were visited during this reporting period. As most of these permit holders have now completed a permit check with the Board, visits in this category are anticipated to remain low and are largely dependant on new applicants joining the permit scheme.
Non-compliance
There were no instances of non-compliance discovered during the month of April.
Discharge Reports Received
There was one discharge report received. This incident involved 3.18 kilograms of Halon 1301 and was the result of human error.
New Permit Holders
There were 10 new permit holders granted in April 2025
- EAHL Qualified – 5
- Trainee EAHL – 4
- HSP – 1
50 EAHL permits were renewed.
Six (6) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. The breakdown of these is:
- EAHL Qualified – 4
- EAHL Combined – 1
- EAHL Trainee – 1
Field Engagement Report from March 2025:
In March 2025, 52 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed across different regions of the country, across the ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Across permit types this included:
- 48 EAHL permit holders
- 4 EATA permit holder
- 0 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these number of PCC’s conducted are as follows:
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT):
- EATA – 1
- New South Wales (NSW):
- EAHL – 11
- Queensland (QLD):
- EAHL – 5
- EATA – 1
- South Australia (SA):
- EAHL – 17
- EATA – 1
- Victoria (VIC):
- EAHL – 1
- Western Australia (WA):
- EAHL – 14
- EATA – 1
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 48 EAHL PCCs, only 12 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included, applications for additional entitlements, discharge reporting education, information on penalties and infringements, safe disposal education, scheduled gas information, stickers requested and updated details.
Outcomes for EATA permits included stickers requests, minimal outcomes were recorded this reporting period which was likely due to the relatively low number of EATAs visited. Of the 4 EATA PCCs completed in March, 2 required no further action.
Non-compliance
There was one instance of non-compliance discovered during an EATA PCC in March. This was related to a Risk Management Plan not being readily available on site.
Resolved Non-compliance
Following the discovery of a Risk Management Plan non-compliance against the EATA holder, it was quickly resolved by the permit holder with evidence provided to the Field Officer involved.
Discharge Reports Received
There were five discharge reports received in March. Of these five incidents, four were from the mining sector and one from the building industry. Incidents from the mining sector ranged from 48.5 to 227 kilograms of HFC227ea (FM-200). The building incident involved a considerable 257 kilograms of HFC227ea due to an actual fire event.
New Permit Holders
There were 9 new permit holders granted in March 2025
- EAHL – 8
- Trainee EAHL – 1
- EATA – 0
38 EAHL permits were renewed.
Ten (10) permits had lapsed and have now been reactivated. These are all EAHLs.
Field Engagement Report from February 2025:
In February 2025, 34 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed.
- 26 EAHL permit holders
- 5 EATA permit holder
- 3 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- Australian Capital Territory (ACT): EATA – 1, HSP – 1
- New South Wales (NSW): EAHL – 11, EATA – 2
- Queensland (QLD): EAHL – 15, EATA – 2, HSP – 2
- Victoria (VIC): EAHL – 1
A strong number of outcomes were recorded during these PCCs. Of the 27 EAHL PCCs, only 14 of these required no further action.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes discovered included: applications for additional entitlements, an application for an Extinguishing Agent Trading Authorisation (EATA), discharge reporting education, safe disposal education, scheduled gas information, a request for stickers and updated details.
Outcomes for EATA permits included: discharge reporting education, information on penalties, stickers requested and updated details. Of the 5 EATA PCCs completed in February, only 2 required no further action.
Outcomes for HSP PCCs included: discharge reporting education, record keeping education, surrendered agent information and update details. Of 3 HSP PCCs conducted, 1 required no further action.
Non-compliance
There was one instance of non-compliance discovered during a EATA PCC in February, this involved Quarterly Usage Reports not being submitted.
Resolved Non-compliance
Following the Quarterly Usage Reports non-compliance discovered against the EATA holder, it was quickly resolved by the permit holder.
Discharge Reports Received
There were three discharge reports received in February. Of these three incidents, two were in from the mining sector and one from aviation. The two incidents from the mining sector involved 50+ kilograms of HFC227ea (FM-200) and the aviation incident involved one single kilo of Halon 1301.
New Permit Holders
There was 20 new permit holders granted in February 2025
- EAHL – 13
- Trainee EAHL – 5
- EATA – 2
42 EAHL permits were renewed.
Seven (7) permits had lapsed and have now been re-activated, two (2) of these being EATAs and five (5) being EAHLs.
Field Engagement Report January 2025
In January 2025, 16 Permit Condition Checks (PCCs) were completed.
- 15 EAHL permit holders
- 1 EATA permit holder
- 0 HSP permit holders
Broken down into states, these numbers are as follows:
- New South Wales (NSW) – EAHL – 2
- Queensland (QLD) – EAHL – 1
- Victoria (VIC) – EAHL – 12, EATA – 1
Despite January beinga relatively quiet month, a number of outcomes have been recorded during these PCCs.
For EAHL PCCs, outcomes range from applications for additional entitlements, discharge reporting education, safe disposal
education, physical card requested, scheduled gas information, update details, but the most common outcome in January was stickers requested.
Outcomes for EATA permits were one each for Trainee application requested for new trainees coming up, scheduled gas information, and stickers requested.
Non-compliance
There have been NO permit holders found to be non-compliant in January.
Resolved Non-compliance
In January, there have been two (2) non-compliance resolved.
- Undertaking work outside licence class (EAHL – 1)
- Expired permit (EAHL – 1)
Discharge Reports Received
There were NO discharge reports received in January, as a direct result of a Permit Condition Check being conducted.
New Permit Holders
There have been 14 new permit holders in January 2025 (EAHL – 11).
One (1) of these is a Trainee EAHL permit.
45 EAHL permits have been renewed, 2 EATA permits have been renewed.
19 EAHL permits had lapsed and have now been re-activated.
