It is vital to the effectiveness of
a gaseous fire-fighting system that it is constantly
maintained at peak performance. If in an emergency the system
is called upon to discharge, it is of critical importance that
the concentration of the gas, and the length of time it is
retained in the room, are both at the originally specified
level.
YOUR LEGAL
OBLIGATION
There was a time when
full-discharge testing was the widely adopted method of
assessing the effectiveness of gaseous installations.
However, besides the unwelcome and wasteful effects of
discharging large amounts of gasses – and particularly
Halon 1301 – into the atmosphere, the test method was
imprecise. Discharge testing techniques did not pinpoint the
precise location of enclosure leakages; the test merely
indicated a pass or fail status.
In addition to the growing pressure from insurance companies
for organisations to adequately maintain their fire safety
systems, building occupiers have other obligations. To
ensure continued compliance with the relevant section of BS
5306, it is essential that all gaseous fire suppressant
installations – be they Halon 1301, NAF S-III, FM-200,
CO2, Argonite or any of the other gasses currently on the
market – are regularly maintained. An integral part of
this maintenance activity is testing for leaks.
The Environmental Protection Act further reinforces this
responsibility in the case of Halon installations. The Act
demands that adequate safeguards are in place to avoid the
accidental discharge of Halon – the manufacture of which
was banned under the Montreal Protocol on the basis of its
detrimental effect on the environment. It further requires
that all installations are regularly tested for leaks by
trained engineers.
TEST FREQUENCY
To comply with British
Standards 5306 or NFPA 2001, room integrity testing should
be carried out annually. However there are other
circumstances that bring about the need for unscheduled
testing. Moving a partition, fitting a new door, or in any
way perforating the structure of a room will almost
certainly inhibit its ability to retain the gas for the
prescribed time. Any structural changes should immediately
trigger a re-test.
SAFE IN EXPERT
HANDS
ISO 9001-approved GIELLE is
one of World’s leading fire safety engineers. In addition
to servicing a whole range of gaseous fire suppressant
systems, an associate company – Specialist Pipework
Installations – designs, supplies, installs and
commissions Vesda ASD, FM-200, Argonite, R-102 and CO2
fire-fighting systems.
GIELLE’s room integrity testing engineers use the very
latest equipment and the tests are conducted to National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard 2001 and in
accordance with BS 5306.
In simple terms, special GIELLE apparatus causes pressure to
be created and air to be forced at high speed through any
leaks in the room being tested. A cool chemical smoke or
other air current indicator is used to pinpoint the location
of leaks and give an indication of their size.
Once the test is complete, the GIELLE engineer issues an
on-the-spot computer-printed report, detailing all the test
data, leakage areas and predicted retention time for the
enclosure, as well as any recommendations, along with a test
certificate.
Gielle Srl - Establecimiento y Oficina Via R. Ferri 32 Z.I. - 70022 Altamura (Ba) Italy
Tel +39 0803118998 - Fax + 39 0803101309
E-mail: info@gielle.it
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