Fire Damper Testing: Why UK Buildings May Be More Exposed Than Dutyholders Realise
adi Environmental is warning that a lack of proper fire damper testing could be leaving UK buildings exposed, with potentially devastating consequences for occupants and serious liability risks for dutyholders.
Fire dampers are a core part of a building’s passive fire protection, designed to help stop fire and smoke travelling through ventilation systems.
Laurence Bourne, Air Hygiene Manager at adi Environmental explained: “A fire
damper is a passive fire protection device. It effectively acts as a barrier. Most are a steel curtain that stays open 99% of the time, but in the event of a fire they close to help stop the spread of fire and smoke through a building.
“If it’s a mechanical fire damper, there’s a small link that holds the damper open. When that link reaches a certain temperature, it breaks, the damper drops, and that helps stop the spread of smoke and fire. That gives people vital extra time to escape and allows safety measures to work as intended.”
Millions of dampers, but many remain untested
Industry bodies have been warning for several years that damper maintenance is lagging behind legal expectations. In April 2021, the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) said it feared “less than 1% of buildings” had been fully tested in line with legislation, with “huge numbers” of fire and smoke dampers remaining untested.
That concern sits against a large installed base. 2021 trade coverage citing BSRIA market figures puts annual installations at over 200,000 dampers per year. Depending on the assumptions used, published estimates of the UK installed base vary widely, from around 30 million dampers referenced in BESA-linked webinar reporting to “as high as 100 million” in industry commentary, derived from the idea that new and replacement installs represent around 1% of the total market.
“I’d like to say it’s surprising, but when you think about it, it isn’t,” Laurence admitted. “A big part of what I do is education. You’ll find there are responsible persons who are fully aware their fire dampers need annual testing. But I’ve also been to sites where they don’t know how many fire dampers they have, whether they’ve ever been tested, or whether there’s any asset information at all.
“When you explain how important those assets are and why they need annual testing, it becomes clear how big an element of their role this is. Am I surprised by the number that go untested? No. Some of it is a lack of education, some is negligence, and some is finances, because testing is a service that costs money.
“If people aren’t properly informed, they may prioritise spending elsewhere, especially where services are more visible. Fire dampers are often above ceilings, so they can be ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”
False assumptions creating dangerous gaps
Laurence also warned that assumptions, or incomplete information from historic installs, refurbishments or contractors, can create a false sense of security.
“I’ve surveyed a highly populated building where the construction company said they’d installed over 150 fire dampers. When we completed the survey, we found fewer than 55 on site. That led to the customer taking the construction company to court,” he said.
“It’s a scary thing to think about, especially in busy buildings with lots of footfall, because people believe they have systems in place that should save lives, when in reality they may not.”
When asked about the biggest consequence of failing to test dampers properly, Laurence was blunt: “Loss of life. Fire dampers are installed to stop the spread of fire and smoke, giving people more time to escape. In places like hotels, for example, there may be sleeping occupants. If the systems aren’t working correctly, it can lead to fatalities, which is the worst-case scenario.
“If people aren’t getting assets tested, whether that’s fire dampers or other passive or active fire protection systems, and a disaster happens where people lose their lives, there are serious legal consequences.
“People can go to prison, and rightly so, because we’re talking about lives and safety. You can’t be flexible with that, the rules have to be followed exactly.”
Ensuring compliance and peace of mind
If you're unsure whether your fire dampers have been tested, recorded or even located, now is the time to act. adi Environmental provides full fire damper surveys, testing, asset identification and compliance reporting to help dutyholders meet their legal responsibilities and keep building occupants safe.
To arrange a survey or speak to an expert, contact the adi Environmental team today.