08/12/2025
Turning up to service a fire damper and being met with a tiny access hatch that won’t even allow a proper drop test is beyond frustrating — and it’s happening far too often.
If we can’t access the blade, spring, fusible link or actuator, we cannot confirm it will close in a fire. A quick look through a small panel is not a compliant test.
So the big questions are:
Who signed this off?
Who ticked the witness testing box?
And was that done before the connecting ductwork was even installed?
Because once the duct is on and access is restricted, proper testing becomes impossible without remedial works.
What makes it worse is that simple solutions exist — such as using an outside arm, accessible lock and latch fusible link, which would allow proper testing without needing large internal access panels.
Standards like BS 9999, BS EN 12097 and DW/144 are already clear — fire dampers must be accessible for inspection, testing and maintenance. If they aren’t, the system is compromised from day one.
This isn’t about inconvenience.
This is about life safety, legal compliance, and accountability.
Fire safety is not a tick-box exercise.
