How Often Do Fire Dampers Need To Be Inspected?
Fire dampers are an essential component of passive fire protection and help to prevent the rapid, hazardous spread of smoke and fire through a building’s ductwork. When a fire spreads in this manner, it may rapidly spread throughout other firewalls and smoke barriers. Fire dampers block flames’ advance, giving people time to evacuate the building safely before the structure is destroyed.
Only if your safety equipment is in good working condition will it be used. It must be tested regularly and maintained to ensure that, if ever needed, it will operate and do its duty correctly.
Maintaining and repairing dampers after they’ve been damaged or neglected is crucial. They can fail to operate correctly when needed if they’re not supported, and neglect or poor upkeep can lead to many problems. Rust, dust, and disintegration might all cause them to malfunction, making them useless in an emergency.
That’s why regular inspections are very important. You can keep track of your inspection schedule by using reliable fire inspection software. Smoke and flames may quickly flow through ductwork in the event of a fire, potentially worsening the situation dramatically. This is why fire dampers are so vital.
How Often Do Fire Dampers Need To Be Inspected To Be Compliant By Law?
Every year, fire dampers must be checked. Fire dampers are essential in ensuring the safety of your home in the event of a fire. It’s as essential to test-fire dampers as test fire alarms to keep structures safe and ready if a calamity occurs.
Testing of fire dampers necessitates the use of a competent and appropriately qualified individual. If they are determined to be defective, they should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible.
Dampers are a vital component of your fire safety system, and if they’re not operational, the entire system may be jeopardized. BS 999:2017 stipulates that all dampers must meet the requirements of resistance to fire for a specific length of time. Any faults should be documented, as well as any necessary action.
The legal requirements may be for annual inspections, but many proactive organizations have their fire dampers checked more frequently in practice. They are a part of your fire safety infrastructure that you can’t afford to overlook.
What Are The Risks If You Don’t Have Your Fire Dampers Tested?
If you do not meet the demands of the current legal criteria, you may be fined a considerable sum or imprisoned for up to two years if you are in charge of testing and maintaining dampers.
Unless you can produce documentation showing that your fire and smoke dampers have been appropriately tested, you may find it difficult to receive compensation for any fire damage on your insurance. If the appropriate fire safety measures aren’t in place and aren’t functioning as intended, fire officials can temporarily close businesses. As a result, you must track how often your fire dampers are tested.
Inspections of the damper are not a luxury but rather a significant obligation. The commercial and safety consequences of failing to maintain them correctly can be enormous. It’s critical to guarantee that they’re working appropriately since doing so presents a significant danger of severe results.
What Does an Inspection of a Fire Damper Include?
When it comes to fire damper testing, there is a well-known and thorough procedure. The building’s fire dampers will be inventoried first, and their location determined. Each fire shutter for any signs of damage, blockage, or visible corrosion will be individually examined by the eye.
After each test, the fire dampers are reactivated, known as “drop testing,” and reset to ensure they are working correctly. All runners and channels will be cleaned after this process is completed. A complete inventory of any damaged dampers and a timetable for necessary repairs will be compiled.
Finally, a detailed report will be created that summarises the dampers’ installation and maintenance and accepted replacements and repairs. It will also contain any recommendations for improving the dampers’ performance and overall fire security, as well as comprehensive exception reports on any malfunctions.
How Do You Get Fire Dampers Inspected And Tested?
If you have installed a fire damper on your premises, you should arrange for a regular inspection schedule with a qualified and experienced service provider. ECS provides a complete fire damper and smoke damper compliance service.
Dampers are marked and referenced to a PDF report in the comprehensive evaluation of fire damper inspections we provide. Dampers are labeled and referenced back to a PDF report in the detailed examination of fire damper inspections. Damper maker, size, and type are all documented in detail. All dampers open, closed, any damper defects, and accessibility concerns have photographic evidence included.
