The most common identified cause of death from a fire incident within a building is being overcome by smoke or gas. The fire and rescue services state that during 2007, 44% of all fire related deaths were due to smoke inhalation with a further 20% of deaths being attributed to both smoke inhalation and burns. Having a fully maintained fire/smoke damper system can help ensure against smoke inhalation injuries in the event of a fire and will help prevent fire spreading around a building.
The nature of fire/smoke dampers and their control systems means they are usually obscured from view or difficult to access and therefore, do not get the same attention as other safety features such as fire extinguishers. This means dampers are often overlooked during service regimes of other life saving fire safety equipment. If the fire/smoke damper system is not regularly inspected, the reliability of the system is unknown and could fail when it is most needed.
With the change to law in 2006, the regulatory reform (fire safety) order 2005 places responsibility on an individual to carry out effective risk assessment to ensure minimum levels of fire safety are maintained. This means all fire safety systems within a building need regular inspection to ensure they work satisfactory.
To comply with the regulatory reform (fire safety)order 2005, Disys recommend regular maintenance checks of dampers and their control systems by Disys Technologies fully trained engineers. The RRO does not specify timescales for maintenance of fire/smoke damper systems but BS 9999:2008 recommends annual maintenance for smoke control systems. Disys can also provide maintenance for local health boards, in accordance with the relevant Health Technical Memorandum and mentioned regulations.
After 12 months Disys Technologies recommend that one of their engineers checks and certifies the operation of the damper control system at least once a year. Disys Technologies are happy to tailor a maintenance package to your requirements, however the most popular package is the full maintenance package complete with annual, bi-annual or quarterly certification according to building usage. Disys Technologies can fulfill a variety of maintenance contracts on their damper systems and those controlled using Kentec panels, please contact Disys Technologies for more information on maintenance.
Due to limited supplies of spares, Disys Technologies can only provide support and maintenance for Microlec Systems and Classic Controls International equipment to maintenance contract holders.