NFPA 80 and 105 require that non-healthcare facilities have their fire and smoke dampers inspected and tested every 4 years, while healthcare facilities have their dampers inspected and tested every 6 years. What?! That seems backwards. Wouldn’t it make more sense for a healthcare facility to have their inspections done more than every 6 years? Well, hospitals get an exemption from the 4 year inspection because they have many critical operations located near their fire and smoke dampers, making it a more difficult process. But it is still important. According to NFPA:
- Almost 70% of all building deaths are associated with Smoke Inhalation.
- Most victims are not located in the same room as the fire’s origin.
- Smoke Travels 120 – 420 feet per minute under fire conditions.
Places like Hospitals, Nursing Homes, and Assisted Living facilities have patients and residents who have low to no mobility. They may be tied to life support machines or going through an operation, making it difficult to evacuate from the building in case of emergency. Residents who are unable to be moved or are not able to move quickly won’t be able to escape from the fire and smoke.
Based on the inspections that Life Safety Services® preforms, approximately 22% of dampers fail their inspection. Out of facilities that are not regularly inspected, 35% of dampers fail there inspection. The most common reasons for failures of fire and smoke dampers include:
- Inoperable actuators
- No air to actuator
- Linkage out of alignment or broken
- Bound in tracks (racking)
- No power to actuator
Dampers are out of sight out of mind, and with NFPA only requiring inspections every 4-6 years it’s easy for them to be out of compliance. Fire and Smoke Dampers and all life safety components for that matter must work and be maintained in healthcare facilities. If not, the loss of life could be tragic and immense. This is why testing requirements have been strictly enforced and should continue to be strictly enforced.
