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Integrity Testing
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. |
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| Present
standards of building design and construction have
been shown by extensive research to be causing excessive leakage
of cold outside air into our buildings. This results in winter
heating loads that can be 50% greater than they need be.
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| Computer
rooms, UPS rooms and control rooms are examples of the type
of areas protected by gaseous extinguishant systems such as
FM 200® and Inergen® . NFPA 2001 and ISO 14250 require
that all new rooms must be integrity tested before acceptance
and be subject to annual re-testing. |
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