Fire Damper Testing for Factories & Warehouses

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For Safe and Compliant Premises

Fire dampers are an essential part of fire safety for commercial and industrial properties including factories and warehouses. These types of buildings are often large scale and can contain different machinery, materials, chemicals, equipment and anything from a few dozen to hundreds of employees, meaning that fire safety should always be a priority.

At Swiftclean, our dedicated team provides professional fire damper testing services for factories and warehouses of all size, scale and complexity. Our experienced engineers work to make sure that all fire dampers are drop tested and maintained in order to ensure they are compliant and in full working order.

What are Fire Dampers?

A fire damper is a crucial passive fire protection device that is installed inside of heating, ventilation and air conditioning ducts (HVAC). There are different types available, but they are all designed to do the same thing and that is to protect the people in the building and give them as much time as possible to escape by holding back smoke and fire, in the same way as the fire barrier into which they are installed.

Most fire dampers will have a thermal element or fusible link that melts and is therefore ‘activated’ when the temperature goes above a certain threshold.

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When this happens, the shutter-like system of the damper springs closed, slowing fire and smoke from spreading inside the ductwork and through fire-resistance rated barriers such as walls and floors.

Without fully functioning fire dampers in place, fire and smoke can quickly and easily spread through ductwork to other areas of the building, compromising escape routes and drastically cutting down the amount of time occupants have to safely evacuate in a fire scenario.

Fire dampers quite literally save lives, which is why it is so important to ensure that they are in full working order with regular drop testing and maintenance.

Fire Damper Testing

There are a lot of different types of buildings that are fitted with fire dampers, but they are usually hidden, tucked away inside ductwork and above suspended ceilings, which can make them very difficult to access and maintain. This means that it is not unusual for the more visible fire safety equipment such as smoke detectors, fire alarms and sprinklers to be properly checked and tested, whilst fire dampers are left neglected which can cause them to fail when they are needed the most.

Fire dampers for factories and warehouses should be tested upon installation and annually following that, unless they are installed in areas that are affected by high levels of dust or pollution, then they may need to be checked more frequently.
Ensuring that fire dampers have been professionally drop tested and maintained not only gives complete peace of mind in knowing that the property and its occupants are safe but that the building is compliant with the necessary fire safety requirements and has the documentation to prove it.

Professional Fire Damper Services

At Swiftclean, we will take care of everything so that you don’t have to, from creating access panels where necessary to the drop testing, cleaning and servicing of every fire damper on the premises. We will also provide a comprehensive fire damper report with accurate records of all your fire dampers locations, types, specifications and test results along with photographic evidence and details of any remedial work that is required.

If you have any questions about our factory and warehouse fire damper testing services or would like to know more then please get in touch and a member of our friendly team will be happy to help.

FAQ’s

What is involved with testing Fire Dampers?

Visual inspection

Has the fire damper been properly installed
Is there any visible damage, blockage, or corrosion
Are the internal blades operating and able to fully close
Is the spring mechanism working
Are all channels and side rails clear of obstructions
Is the fusible link in-tact
Check if the levels of dust, dirt, debris and contamination could prevent the damper from closing fully or operate correctly

Drop test

The fire damper is manually ‘dropped’ to observe how it shuts and that the integrity of the closure is in correct working order
Once dropped, other elements are checked to identify any other faults that could occur
The fire damper is reset

Is it common to find issues with fire dampers when testing?

It is often shocking what is discovered when testing and checking fire dampers, especially when they haven’t been regularly maintained as they should be. It is not uncommon for engineers to come across a number of issues associated with fire damper failure during their inspections such as;

No access panel installed to check the dampers
There is access but it has been blocked off
Dampers installed incorrectly or even upside down
Data cables, wires and tubing from other services have been put through the damper which prevent it from closing
The damper is held or propped open on purpose by an object
Broken fusible link
Large build-ups of dust, dirt and debris

Who is responsible for the fire safety of a building?

It is the responsibility of the person who owns, manages or oversees the building to ensure that all fire dampers are in full working order and have been tested regularly using the ‘drop testing’ method. In accordance with BS 9999, all fire damper types should be drop tested and inspected at regular intervals not exceeding 12 months, but this can be required more frequently in high-risk facilities.

The person responsible for the fire dampers must ensure that the crucial maintenance and testing is carried out, failure to do so and be able to provide evidence that it has been done sufficiently can result in fines and even prosecution.

Swiftclean commitment:

Identify and locate each fire damper
Retrofit access doors if any of these are inaccessible
Carry out fire damper testing, cleaning and drop testing and reset each fire damper
Provide accurate records of fire damper testing, cleaning and drop testing, including before and after photographs of cleaning
Identify any problems and recommend remedial action
Carry out remedial work where required

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