PROTECTION AND MAINTENANCE
operations to confirm compliance. This includes: n Office – demonstrating that they operate a management system which allows all work for contracted clients to be tracked and recorded over time. This should include specific information about the products that are fitted and their ongoing maintenance and inspection logs.
n Site installations – auditing a selection of completed and ongoing installations to demonstrate that staff have the necessary training and understanding of systems they are installing, and that works are being completed in line with the contract drawings and installation instructions.
n Maintenance – evidencing that service and maintenance activities are only undertaken by suitably qualified individuals, that they are maintaining a database of all the contracts they operate and the systems installed within the buildings, and that there are clear processes in place for the inspection, maintenance and reporting of any issues to the client/end user.
Achieving certification under this scheme is only the start of the process. Once a company is certified, it is required to log every contract it takes on to IFC Certifications’ database, along with all staff who are recognised as competent by IFC Certification through training and assessment. The company will then be subject to a process of annual office audits along with interim site audits of a range of jobs based on a variety of factors including: n Size and complexity of the installation. n Type of system. n Contractor activity level.
Any non-compliance issues will lead to additional audits and can result in accreditation being suspended and ultimately withdrawn. This certification and audit process provides clear
assurance to estates teams that firms which meet the definition of Competent Maintainer have the knowledge and skills to undertake effective long-term maintenance and repairs on smoke control systems as necessary. It is important to be aware that some companies which offer smoke control service packages are not accredited
under the SDI 19 scheme and therefore do not meet the definition of a Competent Maintainer. This can mean their staff only have the knowledge and experience to carry out the regular inspection works. If any issues are discovered, requiring repair or maintenance, this work may then have to be contracted out to a separate third party. For estates managers, this can mean that works on critical building safety systems – for which you have ultimate responsibility – are being carried out by a third party you have no existing relationship with. This places additional responsibility on you to ensure that they are suitably qualified and that works have been completed and documented correctly. It can also significantly raise the cost of the maintenance work as third parties will charge on a job-by-job basis, and your actual service contract provider may charge an additional mark-up fee on top of this.
Some companies which offer smoke control service packages are not accredited under the SDI 19 scheme. This can mean their staff only have the knowledge and experience to carry out the regular inspection works. If any issues are discovered, work may then have to be contracted out to a separate third party
Service engineers By appointing smoke control service engineers who meet the definition of a Competent Maintainer, estates teams can have confidence that the works will be overseen by firms which have staff that are properly trained to carry out both service and maintenance works, ensuring these life critical systems are functioning correctly. Smoke control systems play a vital role in ensuring the
safety of occupants in the event of a fire, and help to limit damage to building assets and contents. The new SCA guide helps to supplement the sector specific guidance given in Health Technical Memorandum 05, providing clarity both on how these systems should be proactively inspected and maintained, and – through the defined role of Competent Maintainer – who estates managers should look to appoint to ensure these works are completed to the necessary standards.
References 1 NHS Digital. Estates Returns Information Collection (ERIC) 2023-24. Available from:
https://digital.nhs.uk/data- and-information/publications/statistical/estates-returns- information-collection/summary-page-and-dataset-for- eric-2023-24.
2 UK Government. Fire Statistics Data Tables. Available from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fire- statistics-data-tables.
3 UK Government. Fire Statistics Great Britain. Available from:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fire-statistics- great-britain.
Routine servicing of smoke control equipment is a key step in keeping systems operational and legally compliant.
Conor Logan
Conor Logan has over 35 years’ experience working in the smoke and climate control industries in the UK and Far East. As Technical director of Colt International, he is responsible for overseeing the design and implementation of smoke control and related fire engineering systems and strategies, building climate systems and solar shading and louvre systems. Conor is actively involved in a number of key industry bodies and working groups. As a committee member and former chairman of the Smoke Control Association (SCA), he has helped to develop best practice guidance for the industry, supporting improved smoke safety standards within the UK built environment.
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 123
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