New regulations, like the 2025 Building Safety Act, mean commercial properties are being vetted more frequently. This exacerbates the need for an updated checklist to ensure your property is covered for fire curtain maintenance before every inspection.
Smoke and Fire Ltd has crafted the following guide to ensure your property meets every requirement so that you can sleep at night knowing the people using the facilities are safe to work.
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Why Fire Curtain Maintenance Matters? – Stay Compliant, Stay Protected
According to Mount Sinai in 2018, around ‘10,000 first responders lost their lives from cancer-related diseases following 9/11 due to exposure to the smoke and toxic exposure’. This underlines the long-term effect fires cause on people’s health (even years after the incident).
More recently Grenfell’s lack of fire safety protocol is the reason strict legislation is being accelerated throughout the UK after the deaths of 72 individuals.
Fire curtain maintenance such as checking and updating cavity wall insulations will be a building’s greatest ally when combating hazardous smoke and fire. The extra support it offers allows any building to endure extreme flames and temperatures, keeping occupants safe, but also minimising the property damage as much as possible.
Every building is different meaning every inspection will vary and nothing can be assumed. Fire curtain inspections won’t just give you peace of mind, but also save long-term costs pending a potential smoke and fire incident.
Remember, it’s recommended that automatic fire curtains should be inspected at least twice a year.
Call us today at +44 330 0539660 for further assistance!
Step-by-Step Guide to Fire Curtain Maintenance
Here’s a quick run-through of the fire curtain maintenance checks:
Reviewing for damages: Scratches and tears could have significant ramifications for any fire curtain if not dealt with accordingly. Ensure frequent inspections occur (it’ll only take a few minutes!)
LEDs: Lighting will play a vital role in any incident, especially for more visually impaired individuals. Remember to check those LEDs!
Inspecting for obstructions: Ensure the path of the curtain isn’t being blocked by any objects. It sounds simple but it’s surprising how many issues this causes.
Check the operation: Testing the automatic release systems and operating system of the curtains should be a frequent occurrence (monthly). This is a great starting point to detect any issues, thus indicating if you need a professional call-out.
If so, please don’t hesitate to call our team today!
Manuals: The company that installed your fire curtains should’ve provided an in-depth manual on how to operate and maintain the system. Remember to check this thoroughly as different systems have different considerations.
If you have a query about any of the points above, call us today +44 330 0539660!
Tips: Proactive Suggestions
Fire curtains are an increasingly common and effective active fire safety measure in commercial properties, especially in open-plan spaces, atriums, and areas where traditional fire doors or walls would be impractical or aesthetically undesirable. As with any critical fire safety system, proactive checks are essential to ensure its reliable operation in an emergency.
In the UK, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) places the responsibility on the “Responsible Person” to ensure all fire safety measures, including fire curtains, are maintained in an operational state at all times.
Here are the key proactive checks for fire curtain safety in commercial properties in the UK:
1. Compliance with British Standards and Certification:
- BS 8524 (Parts 1 & 2): This is the primary British Standard specifically for active fire curtain barrier assemblies. It covers specification, design, testing, classification, application, installation, and maintenance. Ensure your fire curtains are certified to this standard. While BS EN 16034 is a European standard that applies to fire curtains when used as pedestrian door sets, BS 8524 is crucial for the operational reliability and overall performance of fire curtain systems in most UK applications.
- Third-Party Certification: Always ensure the fire curtains have valid third-party certification from a recognised body (e.g., LPCB, BSI) to prove they meet the required performance and safety benchmarks.
- CE/UKCA Marking: As construction products, fire curtains should be appropriately marked (CE or UKCA) indicating compliance with relevant harmonised standards.
2. Regular Inspections and Maintenance (Legal Requirement):
- Manufacturer’s Recommendations: Always follow the specific maintenance schedules and instructions provided by the fire curtain manufacturer. These are paramount for ensuring proper functionality and warranty validity.
- Professional Servicing (Bi-annual Minimum): Fire curtains should be professionally serviced by a “competent person” at least twice a year (every six months). For high-usage systems or those in critical areas, more frequent checks might be necessary. This service should include:
- Full System Inspection: Checking the condition of the curtain fabric (for tears, rips, or damage), guide rails, headbox, motor, control panel, and all associated electrical components and connections.
- Deployment Mechanism Testing: Verifying that the curtain deploys smoothly and fully when triggered, and that any gravity fail-safe mechanisms are functioning correctly.
- Battery Backup Check: Testing and replacing backup batteries (typically every two years) to ensure the system operates during a power cut.
- Smoke Seal Inspection (for smoke-rated curtains): Ensuring smoke seals are intact and functioning to prevent smoke leakage.
- Integration Check: Verifying seamless integration with other fire safety systems, such as the fire alarm and smoke control systems.
- Recording: All inspections, tests, faults, and maintenance should be accurately recorded in a logbook.
- Responsible Person’s Checks (Weekly/Monthly): While professional servicing is crucial, the Responsible Person (or a trained member of staff) should conduct more frequent visual and operational checks:
- Weekly (especially on escape routes): Visually check that the area underneath and around the fire curtain’s path is completely clear of obstructions. Obstacles can prevent full deployment and render the curtain ineffective. This also includes checking for any new installations (e.g., shelving, lighting, displays) that might impede the curtain.
- Monthly:
- Test Deployment: Operate the curtain at least monthly (via a test switch) to ensure the self-closing devices and automatic release mechanisms function correctly.
- Sensory Detection Check: Verify that the sensory detection equipment (e.g., smoke/heat detectors linked to the curtain) and self-test facility are functioning.
- Visual Inspection: Look for any obvious signs of damage or wear to the curtain fabric or surrounding components.
- Post-Activation Checks: If a fire curtain has been deployed (even for a test or false alarm), it should be thoroughly inspected and reset by a competent person before being put back into active service.
3. Integration with Other Fire Safety Systems:
- Fire Alarm System: Fire curtains are active systems and typically deploy upon activation of the building’s fire alarm system. Ensure the interface and communication between these systems are fully functional.
- Smoke Control Systems: If the fire curtain forms part of a smoke control system, it should be tested in conjunction with that system (at least quarterly as per BS 8524).
- BMS/Building Controls: Verify that the fire curtain’s control panel and integration with any Building Management System (BMS) are working as intended.
4. Emergency Power Supply:
- Confirm that the fire curtain system has a reliable independent power supply or battery backup to ensure operation during a mains power failure. Test this regularly as part of the professional servicing.
5. Training and Awareness:
- Staff Training: All relevant staff, particularly fire marshals and maintenance personnel, should be trained on the basic operation, visual checks, and emergency procedures related to fire curtains. They should understand the importance of keeping deployment paths clear.
- Fire Drills: Include the operation of fire curtains in your regular fire drills to ensure everyone understands their function and how they impact evacuation routes.
6. Documentation and Record Keeping:
- Maintain a detailed logbook for all fire curtain maintenance, inspections, tests, repairs, and any incidents of deployment. This logbook should include dates, times, nature of work carried out, results of tests, and the name of the person performing the check. This is crucial for compliance, insurance, and demonstrating due diligence.
7. Review of Fire Risk Assessment (FRA):
- Any changes to the building layout, use, or occupancy should trigger a review of the fire risk assessment, which in turn might impact the requirements or configuration of fire curtains. For instance, if a wall is moved, the effectiveness of an adjacent fire curtain might be compromised.
By diligently carrying out these proactive checks, commercial property managers can ensure their fire curtain systems remain reliable and ready to perform their vital role in fire containment and life safety.
Importance of Hiring Professionals
As indicated above, there are multiple considerations when ensuring the rigour of a fire curtain maintenance check. Commercial fire safety saves lives so it’s recommended to call a professional if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Professionals such as Smoke and Fire Ltd won’t just perform the fire curtain maintenance, we’ll also train staff to check for certain damages and potential mistakes that could be overlooked.
If you’re considering fire curtain maintenance in commercial properties call us today at +44 330 0539660 for expert guidance and support!