We’ve talked through the fundamental points of fire shutters before on the Roller Shutter Services blog, from what fire shutters are to how fire shutters work or when and where to install fire shutters – and, most importantly, how fire shutters can benefit your business.
What we haven’t discussed in more detail yet is the significance of fire shutter servicing. Installing fire-resistant shutters in key areas as part of your building’s fire safety measures is a great first step, but they may not be effective in an emergency without regular maintenance.
Not only should you be operating your fire shutters during fire drills, but you should also make sure to get the system checked by a professional – such as a Roller Shutter Services engineer – in compliance with health and safety regulations.
Here’s what you should know about servicing fire shutters to keep your business safe and stay on the right side of the law.
What is fire shutter servicing?
Just as fire shutters undergo rigorous standardised testing by manufacturers before they can be sold, there are regulated standards for installing and maintaining them. It’s not enough for a fire-resistant shutter to be tested and fitted to the appropriate standards – you need to keep testing it every now and then to ensure it’s operating as it should.
As fire shutters tend to be rolled up out of sight until they’re activated in an emergency, there are many components that could develop a fault during the time they aren’t in use. The last thing anyone wants is for these shutters to fail in a real fire, which is why you should operate them every time you run a fire safety drill.
The UK government requires fire drills at least once a year, but many businesses prefer to carry out at least two or three a year, or even one every month. You must perform a full fire drill after making any changes to your fire safety plan or system, and make sure new employees are taught about the evacuation plan as part of their initial training.
Doing so can help to pick up on small issues that may have developed with the fire shutter or its connected system since it was last operated, allowing you to get them fixed before they can develop into more serious defects. If left unchecked, the shutter could fail to deploy when truly needed, allowing flames and smoke to spread.
Of course, not everyone is trained to recognise such faults, which is why it’s also a legal requirement for a qualified engineer to carry out a full service of fire shutters. This comprehensive inspection will check that your fire shutter system still complies with Building Regulations and fire safety legislation and upholds its fire-resistant rating.
How often do you need to service fire shutters?
In general, Regulation 5 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 mandates that any type of mechanical door must be kept ‘in efficient working order’ and ‘good repair’, with professional servicing at least once a year.
However, when it comes to emergency doors, which include fire doors and shutters, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 specifies that fire shutters must be serviced at least twice a year – once every six months – with full ‘inspection, testing, adjustment, lubrication, repair and cleaning’.
When you hire a fire shutter engineer to service your system, this involves full operation of all units, visual inspections of the shutter and surroundings, and resetting the system to make sure the shutter deploys and retracts as it’s programmed to. If there are any operational difficulties, the engineer will be trained to identify the source of the failure and record it.
The tests and their results will be noted in a report to produce a Declaration of Performance certificate, which either signs off on the shutter’s operational safety or specifies faults that need to be repaired right away. Ideally, you should get the company who installed your fire shutters to inspect and repair them, as they’ll know the system and how it should work inside and out.
Not following instructions for flagged repairs following a fire shutter service can have dire consequences – not only does it pose a safety risk to people and property, but the responsible building owner could also be charged a financial penalty or even face jail time for neglecting their legal obligations to maintain fire safety.
Arrange fire shutter services for your business
If you own the building that your business operates from, you’ll be responsible for following legal guidelines for fire risk assessments and fire safety equipment. Setting up a fire shutter servicing contract to schedule inspections every six months allows you to fulfil regulatory requirements and maintain your peace of mind.
Here at Roller Shutter Services, we don’t just supply and install fire shutters for all kinds of buildings. We also provide round-the-clock roller shutter repairs in Bolton and the wider region, meaning if you have faulty shutters in need of emergency repair, you can count on us to come to your aid swiftly across the North West.
While we carry out many one-off emergency shutter repairs, we also offer ongoing maintenance contracts for shutters, including fire shutter maintenance. Whether you need to order new fire shutters or arrange fire shutter servicing, you can contact our team by phone or email to learn more and request a custom quote.