Smoke & Fire Protection Feature
Safety & Security
Maintaining smoke control systems
Recent high-profile incidents have reaffirmed the need for regular smoke control system maintenance carried out by competent contractors. David Mowatt from the Smoke Control Association (SCA), examines the latest maintenance requirements
W
aiting until it is too late to find out that a smoke control system isn’t functioning as intended can have catastrophic consequences, putting property at risk and endangering the lives of building
occupants. Put simply, a smoke control system that is regularly tested and maintained by a competent, qualified person can be a life saver.
RESPONSIBILITIES BS 7346-8: ‘Components for smoke control systems. Code of practice for planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance’ provides details of maintenance requirements and templates for test records and service certificates. Building owners and managers should ensure they have documented performance criteria for the installed system that confirms the basis of its compliance with the building regulations. Tis should include a detailed cause and effect which then forms the basis of the test and maintenance regime. Tis regime should include daily, weekly, monthly, three-monthly, six-
monthly and annual testing and maintenance. Some of these tasks may be undertaken by a suitably trained in-house individual but others will require a certified and accredited service provider. A qualified contractor can carry out regular maintenance on the system and ensure that any faults occurring are rectified promptly. Tere is now also a
requirement to notify the local fire and rescue service of any faults that are not rectifiable within 24 hours.
TESTING AND MAINTENANCE PROCESSES Although it isn’t unusual to find smoke control system maintenance bundled in with fire alarm maintenance, the skillset of a smoke control engineer is different from that of a fire alarm engineer, encompassing air flow and pressure differential measurement, fan, damper and ventilator testing as well as smoke and CO detection. A fire alarm engineer may not be equipped to carry out the measurements required to confirm the correct operation of most mechanical smoke control systems. Testing a smoke control system is more involved than a regular fire alarm
test – particularly for high rise residential buildings where a comprehensive test will involve visiting every floor of a building. For residential buildings there is rarely a permanent on-site maintenance presence and it can be a costly exercise to employ someone to complete these tests. A culture change is required to ensure that building owners understand the
importance of smoke control systems and make sufficient provision for regular testing and reporting of faults. Smoke control systems should be maintained by a competent specialist and BS 7346-8 recommends third party certification as a measure of competence.
www.housingmmonline.co.uk | HMMOctober/November 2023 | 37
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