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RR(FS)O applies, and to any material
change of use. For these buildings, the
person carrying out the work is required
to give fire safety information to the
Responsible Person (as defined under
the RR(FS)O).
The purpose of Regulation 38 is to
assist the Responsible Person in fulfilling
their duties in respect to fire safety for
the building, allowing them to operate
and maintain the building or extension
with reasonable safety. The information
required relates to the design and
construction, and the services, fittings
and equipment provided.
For simple buildings that may be as
basic as a location plan of fire protection
measures and key elements of
compartmentation. For complex
buildings more detail of the fire safety
strategy should be provided, including a
design risk analysis, highlighting
fundamental assumptions (such as fire
load) and any consequences for building
management and operation.
It is important to check that the
information supplied is valid and
correct. Critical systems, such as fire and
smoke curtains, should be accompanied
by a completion certificate which
provides details of exactly what has been
installed. This should be checked against
the original design specification.
Regulation 7 of the Building
Regulations and BS 8524 recommend
Regular tests to be undertaken by the Responsible Person
• Ensure maintenance staff have received training from curtain manufacturer/supplier
• Check that all curtains are free of obstructions within their descent path
• Check that there have been no additions to walls or surfaces in the vicinity or in
the descent path, which could interfere with the curtain deployment
• Operate all units in test mode to their fire operational position
• Visually inspect curtains for signs of damage
• Reset system and ensure all curtains retract to their fire ready position
• Enter test time, date and inspectors name on record sheet
Report any operational difficulties or failures to your specialist fire curtain service
provider
third party certification as a way to
ensure the use of quality products and
installers, such as Coopers Fire.
Completion certificates, fire test
certificates and any information
supplied should be checked against the
information on the issuing authority’s
website to ensure that the product
installed matches the design
specification.
Ensuring competency
BS 8524 requires that planned
inspection, testing and maintenance
should be carried out by a ‘competent
person who is able to check and confirm
that barrier assemblies are operating and
performing effectively, when required’
and that all such tests are accurately
logged. Similarly, it recommends that
maintenance, servicing and testing are
As part of
their regular
risk
assessments,
clients should
check for
obstructions
that might
prevent the
curtain from
deploying.
conducted in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions.
Manufacturers, such as Coopers Fire,
offer specialist after care packages,
tailored to your specific
requirements.This is the best way to
ensure that fire curtains will operate as
expected in the event of a fire. While
many general facilities management
firms may offer contracts to maintain all
systems and offer local service
agreements that ensure a rapid response,
many of these contracts do not take into
account competence. While they may
arrive quickly, they may be unable to
solve the problem, as they will not have
the necessary parts or expertise.
This is a specialist area so it is
important to employ those who
understand it and have the technical
back up. Coopers Fire products are
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