FEATURE
compartmentation. Change-control arrangements should therefore trigger review of the drawings, register and inspection programme.
INSPECTION AND TESTING: FOUR STAGES
Type 1 – Handover or first verification: For a new installation, this confirms that the damper and associated details match the design, manufacturer instructions and fire strategy. The asset reference, location, access, photographs and initial test evidence should be captured before areas are covered.
Type 2 – Post-completion verification: Normally undertaken after the building has been in use, this checks that the installed condition, access and operation remain consistent with the handover information and identifies any early defects or changes.
Type 3 – Find and verify: Used in existing buildings where information is incomplete, this process locates and identifies dampers, checks the installation and penetration seal, assesses access and carries out functional testing. The resulting evidence establishes the baseline for future maintenance.
Type 4 – Planned periodic inspection and testing: This is the ongoing programme used to confirm that dampers remain accessible, undamaged and operational. BS 9999 recommends inspection and testing at intervals not exceeding 12 months. The programme should also respond to changes in use, occupancy, risk, defects and building work rather than treating the annual visit as a stand-alone exercise.
COMPLIANCE IS KEY
Compliance is an essential part of keeping occupants safe and avoiding hefty insurance claims. By meeting the requirements of DW145 and maintaining golden thread information in-line with the Building Safety Act 2022, you can be sure that everything is working as it should and will perform in the interest of safety when
It’s essential that whoever you choose to support your fire safety requirements has the appropriate qualifications, experience and quality assurance processes. Compliance is not a box ticking exercise, when it comes to crucial safety assets, it’s essential to preventing disaster.
https://swiftfirecompliance.co.uk
FIVE PRACTICAL STEPS TO ENSURE FIRE DAMPER COMPLIANCE:
1. Establish ownership. Confirm who is accountable for the fire damper register, inspection programme, defects and golden thread information.
2. Validate the asset list. Compare drawings, registers and physical surveys; investigate gaps rather than assuming that unrecorded dampers do not exist.
3. Plan safe access. Identify inaccessible assets and coordinate remedial work so that every damper can be inspected without creating new hazards.
4. Prioritise and close defects. Record risk, assign actions, set timescales and retain evidence of repair and retesting.
5. Audit the evidence. Sample reports, photographs and asset references to confirm that records are complete, traceable and kept current after building changes.
needed. This evidence-led approach will also protect businesses from fines should something go wrong.
We want to help businesses ensure this compliance, which is why we set-up Swift Fire Compliance 12 months ago, a subsidiary of our main business, Swiftclean. Through our Training Academy we supply BESA approved Fire Damper installation and remedials courses, in-line with the requirements of DW145, as well as delivering these services ourselves.
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