FEATURE DAMPER DUTY
Liam Nevins TIFireE, Product Technical Manager of Fire Protection at TROX UK, takes a close-up look at fire dampers, with essential information for compliance with the Building Safety Act.
Health and safety professionals, especially those with a remit involving building stock, need to be aware of important recent changes to the requirements for fire dampers. Additional responsibilities have been placed upon Dutyholders under the Building Safety Act 2022, as well as those providing these individuals with fire protection advice, products and services.
Fire dampers are installed in the ductwork of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to isolate and prevent the spread of fire. When a rapid rise in temperature occurs, the fire damper is activated to close. Use of fire dampers is extremely widespread in UK building stock. In 2021, 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.
Since the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is the employer’s responsibility to maintain their fire safety systems. In order to comply, damper testing should be carried out annually as a minimum. A fire damper test requires a visual inspection of the damper and an activation or a drop test.
Complying with testing procedures can be problematic, however. Everyday maintenance and minor adaptations, such an electrician drilling a hole in a wall to run a cable,
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can impact on fire damper compliance as a fire wall could be breached, undermining the fire and smoke compartmentalisation strategy. Wear and tear (for example, airborne contaminants) can also compromise the effectiveness of fire dampers.
REVIEW OF FIRE-RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review following the fire at Grenfell Tower (Building a Safer Future, published in May 2018) contributed findings which have been incorporated into the new Building Safety Act, which became law in April 2022. A significant amount of secondary legislation has been introduced since that time, and guidelines specific to fire dampers were published in the National Association of Air Duct Specialists guidance document (NAAD22). This document, covering design, selection, installation and maintenance of fire dampers, is available for free download here.
https://www.naaduk.co.uk/naad22-guidance-document-app
The reforms to existing legislation, have changed the way in which custodians of buildings must think, both during design and after construction of buildings. There are important updates for buildings of all types, with specific additional responsibilities for higher-risk buildings (HRBs). This category encompasses 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 fit within this category. HRBs were required to be registered with the Building Safety Regulator by 30 September 2023. Since 1 October 2023 all new builds categorised as higher-risk buildings must
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