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Fire Damper and Smoke Damper Inspection Services

NFPA, The Joint Commission, ICC, and Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. require the periodic inspection of fire and smoke dampers to ensure that the dampers are operable.

This includes:

• Operating all dampers (with fusible links removed where applicable) to verify they fully close.
• The latch, if provided, shall be checked; and moving parts lubricated as necessary.
• Verify the fire damper or smoke damper operation is not obstructed.
• Verify that there is no fire damper or smoke damper interference due to rust, bent tracks, misalignment, damaged frames or blades, or defective hinges or parts.
• If the fusible link (if applicable) is damaged or painted, it should be replaced with a link of the same size, temperature and load rating.
• All fire damper and smoke damper inspection and testing needs to be documented indicating the location of the damper, date of inspection, name of the inspector and deficiencies discovered.
• All documentation must be maintained and made available for review by the AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction).

(UL) Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. reminds all property owners whose buildings are equipped with fire, smoke and combination fire/smoke dampers to comply with the NFPA.

Is Your Facility in Compliance?

What will Life Safety Services do when performing Fire and Smoke Damper Inspections to allow your facility to meet these requirements?

Life Safety Services provides our clients a survey and inspection of the fire dampers and smoke dampers in their facility. Whereas many contractors only inspect the dampers listed on a set of drawings that frequently are inaccurate, Life Safety Services will perform a detailed survey of the entire facility to ensure the fire dampers and smoke dampers are located.

The fire and smoke damper inspection process will entail:

• Locate and operate (i.e. actuate) all fire dampers and smoke dampers in the facility, removing and resetting the fusible link, to verify the damper fully closes.
• Replace all fusible links that are compromised (per NFPA Code).
• Mark the location of the fire and smoke dampers and its corresponding number on the facility’s drawings. The damper number will coincide with the number on identification sticker that Life Safety Services’ technicians will affix to the ceiling denoting the damper location.
• Lubricate all moving parts of the fire damper.
• Manually activate electric smoke dampers and pneumatic smoke dampers to ensure that the actuator is operable and to verify full closure of the smoke damper.
• In facilities such as hospitals, pharmaceutical manufactures, and research laboratories, Life Safety Services’ technicians will strictly adhere to the procedures set-forth by the facility’s safety managers. Our technicians are experienced and versed in Infection Control Procedures, the use of negative pressure containment tents, and following Healthcare Facility’s Infection Control Department’s ICRAs (Infection Control Risk Assessment) Guidelines. Additionally, Life Safety Services’ technicians have completed the 10-Hour OSHA safety training needed to work in most manufacturing facilities.