Fire & Smoke Dampers

The National Fire Protection Standard (NFPA) 90A – 19.4 and 19.5, 2007 Edition states: Each damper shall be inspected one (1) year after installation and then the frequency shall be every six (6) years for hospitals. MOB’s are required to be inspected every four (4) years.

The following must be performed during an inspection:

Fusible links (where applicable) shall be removed for testing.
All dampers shall be operated to verify that they close fully.
The latch (if provided) shall be checked and moving parts lubricated if necessary.
Confirm that there is no interference with the damper due to rust, misalignment, damaged frames or blades, defective hinges or parts, and/or bent tracks.
All inspections of fire and smoke dampers shall be documented to include the location, date of inspection, inspector, and applicable deficiencies.
If the damper is not operable, the repairs shall begin without delay.

Fire Dampers are used to prevent transmission of flame where air ducts penetrate fire barriers.
Smoke Dampers are intended for installation in ducts and air transfer openings that are designed to resist the passage of air and smoke.
Fire Barrier is a fire-resistant, vertical or horizontal assembly of materials designed to restrict the spread of fire in which openings are protected.

DAMPER INSPECTION SERVICES

FIRE DAMPERS, SMOKE DAMPERS, COMBINATION FIRE/SMOKE DAMPERS
Adhering to all code compliance standards, BRAND performs the following actions during the inspection process of Fire Dampers, Smoke Dampers, and Combination Fire/Smoke Dampers:

Inspection of the external components of each damper for signs of physical damage, obstructions preventing proper functioning, defective and missing parts, and proper labeling.
Clean and lubricate the damper track as required to verify proper sealing of the damper.
Remove the fusible link for testing to ensure full closure and lock-in-place if so equipped.
If the fusible link is damaged or painted, it should be replaced with a link of the same size, temperature, and load rating.
The fusible link needs to be reinstalled after the completion of testing.
The operation test of the damper is to verify that there is no damper interference due to rust, bent, misaligned or damaged frame blades, or defective hinges or parts.
The damper frame must not be penetrated by any foreign objects that would affect fire damper operations.
The damper must not be blocked from closure in any way.
In addition, for smoke and combination dampers, the damper must be actuated and cycled by removing the power source at the damper location to verify closure.

BRAND offers an annual maintenance program that is designed to inspect 25% of facilities dampers each year. In addition to inspecting the dampers, BRAND will seal and correct any Firestop deficiencies located near the damper and within the barrier. This program benefits facility budgets by spreading the inspection costs over a four-year period while keeping your dampers compliant with The Joint Commission, state and federal codes.

Clear and exact documentation is imperative for the AHJ. You need to be able to show that each damper has passed inspection or that a failed damper has been repaired and brought to a PASS standard. BRAND provides the following documentation:

Date of inspection
Name of inspector
Location of the damper
Damper identification number
Type of damper
Vertical or horizontal placement
Fusible link status
Pass or fail
Fail status damper lists required repair to bring the damper to code compliance

BRAND DOCUMENTATION
BRAND's Master Report includes an Inspection Report, Deficiency Report and Summary Report:
Inspection Report:

Damper ID#, Manufacturer, Damper Location, Damper Type, Design, Link status and pass/fail status

Deficiency Report:

Damper ID# and non-complaint issue – This report allows facility personnel to view all deficient dampers and assists BRAND and Facility Personnel to create an Compliant Plan

Summary Report:

ThisDamper ID #, pass/fail status and non-compliant issue status

The Summary Report is issued as a living document starting with each damper’s first inspection. Each subsequent inspection or repair will be documented within the same reports. This allows Facility Personnel and AHJ’s to see the history of each damper in one document; creating a more convenient and less confusing way to track each damper during its useful life.

As an added convenience, BRAND provides 24/7 access to your documentation via our website. In addition, we archive all documentation indefinitely and can provide additional copies in the event they are misplaced or lost.