Fire damper maintenance forms a critical part of any passive fire strategy. Fire dampers are passive fire protection products used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts. If a fire occurs, the fire damper detects the heat and automatically shuts.  This closes off ductwork and creates a sealed compartment with fire-resistant walls and floors to stop the spread of fire.

Fire damper regulations are in place to ensure companies install and maintain systems to set standards. As fire dampers are part of a building’s life safety system, they need maintaining in accordance with the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO). Regular maintenance and remedial works will ensure your fire dampers work correctly when needed. Faulty fire dampers that are not regularly maintained may fail at that critical time and potentially put lives at risk.

BS 9999:2017 also states that fire damper maintenance should only be completed by a ‘competent person’.  A competent person is someone who is fully trained in fire damper inspections, and can provide a full record of testing along with photographic evidence of compliance.

It is a legal requirement to test and inspect your fire dampers annually, at least. BS 9999:2017 legislation states that:

“all fire dampers to be tested by a competent person on completion of the installation and at annual intervals. Spring-operated fire dampers should be tested annually, and fire dampers situated in dust-laden and similar atmospheres should be tested much more frequently, at periods suited to the degree of pollution.”

Buildings such as hospitals, schools and manufacturing facilities are high-risk environments. In these instances, maintenance should be carried out on a more regular basis.

Testing should include at the very least the following:

• an inventory check of all dampers to be tested
• release of all manually resettable dampers to check the integrity of the spring-loaded shutter.
• operation of motorised fire dampers to ensure blades move correctly
• inspection of the fusible link for any defects or damage
• full clean of the fire damper to make sure it’s free from dust or any other debris
• review of the previous inspection report to check if any modifications have been made and reported remedial actions completed

Fire Dampers can fail testing for many reasons. However, the most common problems are related to the mechanism closing which stops the damper closing properly.  Reasons include:

• mechanical failure or corrosion of parts
• grease, dust or debris build up that prevents the damper from closing to create a seal
• incorrect installation
• Non-removal of transit tape following installation
• missing fusible link
• insufficient access to test
• twisted springs
• obstructions

Your fire damper maintenance report will include a full record of the tests performed on each fire damper, along with photographic evidence. More importantly, any failures or required remedial works will be highlighted. These need correcting immediately to ensure you’re compliant with fire safety legislation and your fire dampers operate correctly in the event of a fire.

We have many years’ experience in maintaining and testing dampers here at Fire Plus Security. We provide fire damper maintenance in London and surrounding counties . We fully inspect, maintain and test your systems in accordance with fire damper legislation. Any remedial works required to ensure the integrity of your safety systems remains intact are also highlighted.

Contact us today to discuss your fire damper maintenance requirements.