The Fire Protection Association Australia (FPAA) has warned that 500 buildings in the City of Sydney breached fire safety rules in the past year alone and NSW buildings are routinely declared safe despite being potential fire traps.
The claims follow the Quakers Hill nursing home fire that killed 11 residents.
Fire protection bodies say there is a growing trend for fire protection systems to be certified as okay even though they are not compliant with relevant standards.
Problems include inadequate smoke exhaust systems, too small water storage tanks and inadequate sprinkler water pressure.
FPAA chief technical officer Matthew Wright said it had been estimated up to 40 per cent of buildings in NSW had fire protection issues.