AIR CONDITIONING
Fire damper guidance: necessary measures to ensure that buildings conform
Mike Gosling, technical director at Trox UK, answers questions about the recently published NAAD22: Fire Dampers Guidance document, and reviews some of the recommendations for specifi cation, installation, testing and maintenance.
Q. What has driven the publication of new industry guidance? In recent years key aspects of building safety have been under review. Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review following the fi re at Grenfell Tower (Building a Safer Future, published in May 2018) contributed fi ndings which have been incorporated into the new Building Safety Act, which became law in April 2022. A signifi cant amount of secondary legislation is being introduced, and those of us involved in the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of fi re dampers for air conditioning systems had been waiting for publication of new guidelines for some time. These are now available, in the form of the National Association of Air Duct Specialists fi re dampers guidance document (NAAD22). The priority now is to understand the implications of these requirements, in order to assist building owners and occupiers to comply with the new building safety regime for existing building stock and new build projects.
Q. How widely are fi re dampers employed in UK building stock?
In 2021 the latest fi gures from BSRIA estimated that around 146,000 mechanical curtain dampers and 70,000 motorised dampers are installed every year. These are for new builds and replacements, which account for just 1% of the annual market, suggesting that the total number of dampers already installed in UK buildings could be as high as 100 million. There is evidence to suggest, however, that only a small proportion of these are meeting regulatory requirements with respect to regular inspection and maintenance.
Q. What are the key changes coming out of the Building Safety Act 2022 in regard to fi re dampers? An important change is the requirement now placed on individuals designated as Accountable Persons and Duty Holders to carry out weekly as well as (at least) annual checking/testing regimes on fi re dampers. These are clearly defi ned in the new NAAD22 guidance document. Under the Building Safety Act 2022, certain categories of building are designated as Higher-Risk Buildings. These include buildings more than 18 metres in height, or with at least seven storeys. Hospitals, care homes and buildings containing at least two residential units also fi t within this category. All existing buildings in this category were required to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator by 30 September 2023. From 1 October 2023 all new builds categorised as Higher-Risk Buildings are required to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator prior to occupation. The testing regimes for fi re dampers are dictated by the categorisation of the building involved, with additional responsibilities for those designated as Higher-Risk.
Q. What are the key topics covered by the new NAAD-22: Fire Dampers Guidance Document The NAAD-22 document covers design, selection, installation and maintenance of fi re dampers. In addition to providing an overview of damper types, NAAD-22 provides guidance on minimum regulatory
24 September 2024 •
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