Attachment 5- White paper Maintaining smoke control system and the RRO (1).pdf

Maintaining smoke control systems and the RRO

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Colt whitepaper - Maintaining smoke control systems and the RRO

Summary

This whitepaper summarises those provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: SSI No.

1541 (“RRO”) that relate to smoke control systems.

Effective maintenance is a key factor in ensuring that safety critical equipment such as smoke control systems will operate faultlessly when needed. It is backed up by the provisions of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, which are not always fully understood.

The RRO affects every business, no matter how big or small. Many local authority Fire Brigades no longer offer free goodwill advice, taking the view that the rules are set out in British Standards and Codes of Practice and are available to all. However, the rules are open to interpretation and owner or occupier has to look elsewhere for guidelines and advice on meeting the legal standards in a cost effective way.

The purpose of this whitepaper is to de-mystify matters, extracting the relevant provisions in the RRO relating to smoke control systems.

1. The role of the “responsible person”

This Order replaced most of the existing fire safety legislation for workplaces. It created the role of “responsible person”, placing a duty on that person to ensure the safety of occupants. The responsible person has a duty to keep an up to date risk assessment for fire safety and to ensure that all systems required as part of that risk assessment are regularly tested, maintained and kept in good working order. This role entrusts them to identify, manage and reduce the risk of fire.

Enforcement is by the Fire Service and penalties for non-compliance include fines and up to 2 years imprisonment.

2. The clauses that are particularly relevant

8. (1) The responsible person must –

(a) take such general fire precautions as will ensure, so far as is reasonable practicable, the safety of any of his employees; and

(b) in relation to relevant persons who are not his employees, take such general fire precautions as may reasonably be required in the circumstances of the case to ensure that the premises are safe.

9. (1) The responsible person must make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to which relevant persons are exposed for the purpose of identifying the general fire precautions he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed on him by or under this Order.

11. (1) The responsible person must make and give effect to such arrangements as are appropriate, having regard to the size of his undertaking and the nature of its activities, for the effective planning, organisation, monitoring and review of the preventative and protective measures.

17. (1) Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons the responsible person must ensure that the premises and any facilities provided in respect of the premises under this Order or, subject to paragraph (6), under any other enactment, including any enactment repealed or revoked by this Order, are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.

38. (1) Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of fire-fighters in the event of a fire, the responsible person must ensure that the premises and any facilities provided in respect of the premises for the use by or protection of fire-fighters under this Order or under any other enactment, including any enactment repealed or revoked by this Order, are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.

18. (1) The responsible person must […] appoint one or more competent persons to assist him in undertaking the preventative and protective measures.

(5) A person is to be regarded as competent for the purposes of this article where he has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable him properly to assist in undertaking the preventative and protective measures.

A series of Guides support the Order and provide advice to responsible persons. In addition guidance is provided in BS 5588-12 (now withdrawn) and BS 9999.

The guidance provided on testing and maintenance is similar in all these documents.

About Colt Since 1931 Colt has been harnessing the natural elements to provide healthy, comfortable and safe working and living conditions in buildings. Colt is a specialist in smoke control, climate control and HVAC systems, industrial ventilation and solar shading, with a presence in more than 50 countries.

Colt whitepaper - Maintaining smoke control systems and the RRO

3. Summary

• Smoke control systems protecting means of escape should be actuated once a week, ensuring that all equipment operates as intended.

• All smoke control systems should be actuated once every three months, ensuring that all equipment operates as intended.

All zones should be separately tested.

• All smoke control systems should be inspected and tested annually by competent persons, any defects logged and the necessary actions taken and certificates of testing obtained.

• A model format of system logbook is set out in BS 7346-8.

Annex C of this Standard is reproduced on the right.

It should be noted that smoke control systems are designed to protect the specific building layout, processes and contents. Should these change then the smoke control system may no longer provide suitable protection. This should be investigated as part of the process of keeping the risk assessment up to date when any such changes are planned or implemented.

For further advice please contact Colt.

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