FIRE SAFETY
selection of, fire dampers. Some key areas to study are the requirements relating to system design and damper selection, and the importance of detail and quality of workmanship during installation. As an example, the person designing and selecting the fire dampers should understand: 1. The principles of compartmentation. 2. The standards and principles for testing FDs and SCDs. 3. The applications of FDs and SCDs. 4. The correct procedures for the selection and installation of FDs.
5. Building services spatial coordination. 6. The correct procedures for access to, regular testing, and maintenance etc of, FDs.
7. The importance of good behavioural and ethical competence.
Involve manufacturers at an early stage Recognition is given that the required knowledge may not be held by a single party, and thus the involvement of a manufacturer at the early stage of design – who can support the Dutyholder with respect to the certified applications of the dampers, is recommended. In the case of a new-build, once the building has been designed for compartmentalisation, and the damper is being selected, the type of supporting construction into which the damper is to be installed is crucial. The manufacturer must provide a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and Installation & Operating Manual (IOM) to the Dutyholder, specific to the supporting construction. The material structure of the wall itself is crucial. Without both of these documents, there is no guarantee that the installation will meet the required performance. Failure to install a fire damper in accordance with the manufacturer’s IOM, without obtaining permission for an installation deviation, will render the fire damper non- compliant, with responsibility to underwrite the installation falling on those involved in this design decision.
Changes to building use After installation, changes to building use which might impact the required damper classification are also critical, as they could void the original installation compliance. For example, if a change in use results in a fire damper protecting an escape route, a fusible link fire damper would need to be changed to a motorised fire damper. The important thing to remember when specifying and installing fire dampers is that it’s not about the ductwork; it’s all about the walls or floors. When identifying the correct product and determining how it needs to be installed, you need to ascertain details of the compartment element as follows: n Structure type. n Installation location. n Fire stopping execution/material. n Fire integrity requirement. n Connecting duct shape = damper model.
Check these project specific installation details against the
documentation available from the fire damper manufacturer, ensuring that you are able to obtain a Declaration of Performance (DoP) and Installation & Operating Manual (IOM) specific to the specific supporting construction. Dutyholders are required to ensure that ‘The fire damper
shall be installed and sealed as in practice in a supporting construction in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions’. For every application, the installation method (specified by the product manufacturer in the IOM) must be followed. The IOM needs to employ the same installation method and materials as those used in the fire test.
Technical support Given the important role played by these products, and the comparative complexity of the requirements for Building Safety Act 2022 compliance, engagement with the fire damper manufacturer at an early stage is crucial to achieve compliance. Manufacturers with well-established and accredited fire protection laboratories are likely to be the best placed when a health estate project involves numerous types of supporting construction. Trox, for example, has a modern fire protection
laboratory, the International Centre for Fire Protection Technology (ICB) (in Neukirchen-Vluyn in North-Rhine- Westphalia in Germany), and has developed its range of fire dampers for a wide range of supporting constructions encountered in modern buildings – from solid walls and floors to lightweight partition walls (metal and wooden stud), solid wood / CLT walls and floors, sandwich panel walls, asymmetric shaft wall, ribbed concrete, composite ceilings, and hollow deck, among others. This has resulted in 3rd party Notified Body testing and certification of over 400 damper installations. Trox supplies four fire damper variants to meet the requirements of varying system designs, all of which conform to the harmonised product standard (BS EN 15650), have been tested to BS EN 1366-2 / BS EN 15882-2, and classified for integrity (E), insulation (I), and leakage (S), to BS EN 13501-3. We can assist those specifying dampers by providing proven, declared performance within an extensive range of supporting constructions, and with multiple penetration seal options. The full accompanying installation details for the specific applications are available, and specifiers and contractors can be provided with the information necessary to ensure accurate selection and installation of Trox fire protection dampers. This is essential to enable those designated as Dutyholders or Accountable Persons to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance, and to safeguard building safety. For those needing to extend their knowledge of compliance issues, Trox has developed training seminars on fire damper and smoke control damper testing, classification, and installation.
Above left: A Trox FKRS- EU circular fire damper.
Above: A Trox FKA2-EU rectangular fire damper.
Liam Nevins
Liam Nevins is a Technical Product manager – Fire Protection, at Trox. With deep expertise in fire dampers, smoke control systems, and passive fire protection, the company says he ‘brings a robust combination of technical knowledge and industry insight to his role’. He holds a Level 3 qualification from the Institute of Fire Engineers, is a TIFireE member, and actively contributes to technical working groups within the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP). He says he is ‘driven by a commitment to advancing fire safety standards and raising competency across the fire protection and smoke control sectors’. He added: “My ongoing mission is to push the boundaries of fire protection technology, and foster a more informed, safety- conscious, industry.”
October 2025 Health Estate Journal 75
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