Flammable cladding may be just one of many dangerous products installed on Australian buildings, a Senate inquiry has been told.

The probe into the impact of non-conforming materials follows a devastating fire at the Lacrosse building in Melbourne’s Docklands last November.

The blaze spread rapidly through an aluminium composite cladding that had been imported from China and not tested to Australian standards.

In its submission to the inquiry, Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) says flammable cladding is not the only concern.

“There are a number of non-compliant products other than [aluminium composite cladding] in use in buildings, such as glass, plywood and electrical wiring,” it said.

“These create additional fire risk. The MFB is concerned that the examples involving [cladding] are only a very small proportion of the buildings where non-compliant products pose a life safety risk. This could be the tip of the iceberg.”

Fire Protection Association Australia believes builders will continue to choose cheaper, non-compliant products unless significant regulatory changes are made.

“Australian building companies generally have a price-first approach rather than a compliance-first approach,” its submission said. “A clear product assessment framework based on categorising products by risk and assigning required rigour of assessment would focus the expectations of the marketplace and reduce cost implications.”

The MFB believes there is a “clear gap” in combustibility testing under the Building Code of Australia, and says product testing should take place “prior to importation”.

It says it was fortunate no one died in the Lacrosse blaze, and “fire safety in modern buildings should not be the result of good luck”.

Submissions to the inquiry, which will report back on October 12, are now closed.