BEO Science — Contractor Training
Stop airtightness being a
last-minute crisis
A full-day on-site workshop for commercial contractors and site teams. Plan airtightness early, manage trade interfaces, avoid predictable fails — and know how to push back when the design or programme is setting you up to fail.
Outcomes
What your team will be able to do after the workshop
Practical skills your site team can apply immediately — not theory, not standards reading, not someone else's problem.
- 01 Define the test boundary — so every trade builds the same line and there's no argument about who owns what.
- 02 Build a hold-point plan — inspect before access is lost. No more "we can't reach that anymore".
- 03 Run quick site QA checks — catch failures before they're buried in finished work.
- 04 Triage leaks fast — fix the big leaks first, stop chasing noise, move the number where it counts.
- 05 Use the push-back kit — clear arguments and templates when the target is unachievable due to design or programme flaws that aren't your problem to absorb.
The Problem
Why commercial contractors keep getting caught out
Airtightness failures on commercial projects are almost always predictable. The same four problems appear on almost every job.
If the test line is vague, the result is arbitrary — and it turns into finger-pointing between trades. Someone has to own the line. Usually nobody does.
Roof-to-wall, facade edges, slab junctions, risers, plant rooms — leakage lives in the gaps between scopes. If nobody owns the interface, nobody seals it.
If the first pressure check is at handover, failure means ripping out finished work. That's not a test — it's an ambush. The result was set months earlier.
"Just seal it" is not a detail. Airtightness needs access to install and access to verify. Unmeasurable means unresolvable.
Workshop Content
What the full day covers
Six focused sessions across the day — structured around the actual construction sequence, not the testing standard.
Boundary in plain English
Conditioned zones, buffers, risers, plant rooms, and attached structures. How to mark the boundary clearly enough that every trade on site builds the same line — and what happens when they don't.
Sequencing and hold points
Where access disappears, when to inspect, and how to stage pressure checks so that airtightness is managed as a normal scope — not discovered at the end. Practical hold-point planning for commercial builds.
Interfaces that actually matter
Roof-to-wall, wall-to-slab, facade edges, parapets, curtain wall interfaces, windows, and doors. The specific junctions where commercial buildings consistently fail — what good looks like and what doesn't.
Penetrations done properly
Ducts, cable trays, pipes, conduits, structural elements. Grouping strategy, sealing strategy, service coordination, and temporary sealing for staged pressure checks. What services trades need to know and when to tell them.
Pre-test readiness
A structured readiness checklist that prevents wasted test days, avoidable fails, and the programme damage that follows. What the tester needs from you before they arrive — and what will halt the test if it isn't ready.
Troubleshooting and triage
How to find the big leaks first and focus remediation where it moves the result. When it's a construction issue, when it's a design issue, and how to tell the difference. Live worked examples from commercial projects.
Included Resource
The contractor "Push-Back Kit"
Sometimes the target is genuinely unachievable because of decisions made before your team arrived on site. The push-back kit gives you the tools to identify this early and raise it clearly — with facts, not frustration.
When a target may not be achievable
Identifying design and programme constraints before they become your problem to absorb
Boundary not defined in contract documents · Details not buildable or inspectable as drawn · Permanent openings or building systems that cannot be sealed · Fire, seismic, or services conflicts that leave the envelope open · Programme with no remediation window · Target specified without enabling scope or budget.
Airtightness RFI template · Constraint register · "Ready to test" checklist · Trade responsibility matrix · Variation trigger wording · Toolbox talk outline.
Clear, factual language for raising constraints with the design team, client, or certifier — early enough to matter, calmly enough to be heard.
Workshop Pricing
Full-day on-site training
One price for the complete day — delivered at your site, to your team, around your project.
- Full day of in-person training delivered on your commercial project site
- Six structured sessions covering the complete construction workflow
- All downloadable templates, checklists, and the push-back kit
- Trade responsibility matrix tailored to your project scope
- Q&A time with the trainer on your specific project constraints
- Up to 20 participants from your site team — one flat day rate
- Follow-up email support for 30 days after the workshop
Training happens on your actual project — your building, your interfaces, your constraints. Not a generic classroom environment.
One flat day rate covers up to 20 site team members — main contractor, subcontractors, and trade leads together in one session.
Best delivered before envelope closure — when hold points, interface decisions, and penetration strategies can still be acted on. Contact us to discuss the right programme stage for your project.
Large or complex commercial projects may benefit from a second session at a later programme stage. $2,000 + GST for a follow-up half-day.
Who Should Attend
Designed for the full commercial site team
The most value comes when the whole team is in the room together — main contractor, envelope trades, and services trades in one session, on one site, around one project.
Main Contractors
Reduce programme risk and avoid late-stage rework by managing airtightness as a normal scope from the start — not a crisis at handover.
Site Managers & Foremen
A practical hold-point and checklist approach that works under real site pressure — not a standards document to read at your desk.
Envelope Trades
Learn the specific interface points where your work gets blamed for failures that started upstream — and how to document your scope clearly.
Mechanical & Electrical Trades
Stop penetrations becoming the reason the building fails the test. Understand what the envelope trades need from you and when.
How It Works
One day. Your site. Your team. Your project.
In-person training delivered at your commercial project site
The workshop is run entirely on site — not in a training room, not online. Sessions are built around your actual building: your envelope details, your trade interfaces, your programme constraints. The walk-around elements use your building as the teaching environment.
The day runs from approximately 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with built-in breaks and a dedicated Q&A session at the end focused on your specific project constraints. All participants receive the full template pack and push-back kit as downloadable materials.
Contact us at least four weeks before your preferred date to confirm availability and discuss the right timing for your project programme.
BEO Science Courses
How this fits within the BEO training range
BEO Science delivers training across the full airtightness spectrum — from site teams through to certified testers and Passive House specialists.
| Contractor Training | ATTMA L1 | ATTMA PH+ | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Commercial site teams, trades, site managers | Professionals entering airtightness testing | Existing L1/L2 testers; PH consultants |
| Focus | Construction management, interfaces, push-back | Blower door testing, equipment, reporting | TSL4, Passive House volume methodology |
| Delivery | In-person, on your site, full day | Online theory + in-person workshop and exam | Fully online, self-paced |
| Credential | CPD certificate of attendance | ATTMA L1 registration | PH ✓ added to ATTMA profile |
| Price | $2,500 + GST per day (up to 20 people) | $2,500 + GST (full package) | See PH+ page |
Need blower door testing certification for your team — not just site training? The ATTMA L1 course leads to a formal ATTMA tester qualification. See beoscience.com/attma-l1course.
FAQ
Common questions
When in the programme should we book the training?
The earlier the better — ideally before the envelope is closed and while hold points and interface decisions can still be made. The training has most impact when your team can act on it. As a rough guide: at or before slab-on-deck or façade installation on commercial projects. Contact us to discuss your specific programme.
Do attendees need to know the airtightness standards?
No. The workshop translates testing requirements into buildable actions, hold points, and practical QA. Attendees don't need to read ISO 9972 — they need to know what to build and when to check it. That's what the day covers.
What if our target is genuinely not achievable?
The push-back kit session specifically addresses this. You'll learn to identify design and programme constraints that make the target unachievable — boundary not defined, details not buildable, services conflicts unresolved, no remediation window — and how to raise these early with clear arguments and documented evidence.
Can the training be adapted to our specific project?
Yes. Send us the project drawings, specification, and airtightness target before the day and the trainer will tailor the interface and penetration sessions to your specific envelope details and trade structure. The trade responsibility matrix is built around your actual scope split.
Can we book for multiple projects or sites?
Yes — contact us to discuss a standing arrangement for contractors with multiple concurrent projects. Volume pricing is available for organisations booking three or more workshop days.
Is this relevant for Green Star and NABERS projects?
Yes. The training covers airtightness management for high-performance commercial buildings across all rating tools and compliance pathways — including Green Star, NABERS, NCC Section J, and bespoke performance specifications. The core construction management challenges are the same regardless of which tool is setting the target.