Fire Prevention

Current Legislation

As a highly specialised and heavily regulated area, Fire and Smoke Prevention is essential that regular, preventative maintenance is carried out by qualified and competent personnel. Under current legislation it is the responsibility of The Property Management Company or Owner of the Premises to ensure that this is carried out.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 stipulates that for life safety equipment such as smoke ventilation systems, the Building Operator or Owner is required by law to provide a suitable system of maintenance to keep the system in efficient working order and in a state of good repair.

The regulation does not specify a maximum time interval for maintenance, but BS 9999 recommends annual maintenance of smoke control systems. An annual service of smoke ventilation systems and AOVs is recommended in both BS 9999 and BS 7346 part 8 in the Buildings Regulations Approved Document B.

Preventative Maintenance

Guidelines issued by the MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, formerly the ‘DCLG’ – The Department for Communities and Local Government), suggest that, “The smoke control system should be maintained by a competent person who is familiar with the fire engineering performance specifications of that specific system.” This continuity of service and familiarity with the installation follows best practice guidelines in ensuring that the smoke ventilation system is properly maintained.

All equipment has the potential to fail – including those designed, manufactured, installed and commissioned to the highest standards. The possibility for failure cannot be ignored and fire safety risks must be mitigated. Regular and scheduled preventative maintenance can extend the life of a system and its components, reduce the likelihood of downtime, and prevent larger and more expensive failures. Continuous maintenance also allows the smoke ventilation equipment and systems to be updated in line with the latest technological advances and standards. Incremental upgrades and preventative maintenance are the cost-effective approach to meeting the required safety standards and ensuring that you remain compliant.