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 -
Idari Ofis 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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