Annual drop testing, cleaning and reporting to keep your building compliant with BS 9999 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
A Critical Layer of Passive Fire Protection
Tested, cleaned and certified by competent engineers
Fire dampers are built into your ventilation system to stop fire and smoke spreading between fire compartments. When they’re untested, obstructed or seized, that protection quietly fails — and the responsibility for proving they work sits with the building’s Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Deduct delivers a documented annual programme of drop testing, cleaning and remediation across commercial, healthcare, education and industrial estates — giving Responsible Persons and facilities teams the evidence they need for their fire safety log.
How Fire Dampers Work
Fire dampers sit inside your ductwork at points where it crosses fire-rated walls and floors. In normal use they stay open. When a fire is detected — thermally via a fusible link or electrically via the building’s fire alarm — the damper closes, sealing the duct and maintaining the integrity of each fire compartment.
How Fire Dampers Work
Fire dampers sit inside your ductwork at points where it crosses fire-rated walls and floors. In normal use they stay open. When a fire is detected — thermally via a fusible link or electrically via the building’s fire alarm — the damper closes, sealing the duct and maintaining the integrity of each fire compartment.
Why Dampers Fail
Dust, grease and debris build up inside ductwork over time. Linkages corrode, blades seize, fusible links get painted over and access panels get blocked by later building works. The damper looks fine from the outside — but on the day it’s needed, it won’t close. Annual testing is the only way to prove otherwise.
Why Dampers Fail
Dust, grease and debris build up inside ductwork over time. Linkages corrode, blades seize, fusible links get painted over and access panels get blocked by later building works. The damper looks fine from the outside — but on the day it’s needed, it won’t close. Annual testing is the only way to prove otherwise.
Your Compliance Obligation
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and BS 9999, the Responsible Person must ensure fire dampers are tested at least annually and that records are kept. Deduct provides a full inventory, individual drop test on every accessible damper, cleaning and remediation where required, and a written report suitable for your fire safety log and insurer.
Your Compliance Obligation
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and BS 9999, the Responsible Person must ensure fire dampers are tested at least annually and that records are kept. Deduct provides a full inventory, individual drop test on every accessible damper, cleaning and remediation where required, and a written report suitable for your fire safety log and insurer.
How Fire Dampers Are Triggered
Fire dampers close in one of two ways, depending on their design and how the building’s fire strategy is configured:
Thermal (Fusible Link)
A heat-sensitive link holds the damper open. Once duct temperature exceeds the link’s rating (typically 72°C), it parts and the damper closes under spring tension.
Electrical (Motorised)
The damper is wired into the fire detection and alarm system. On activation, the actuator releases and the damper closes — often well before duct temperatures rise.
How Often Should Fire Dampers Be Tested?
BS 9999 recommends drop testing every fire damper at least once a year, with a full inspection at installation and after any building works that affect the ductwork. High-risk environments — kitchens, laboratories, healthcare wards — may warrant more frequent testing. We’ll set a schedule that matches your building’s risk profile and fire strategy.
What Our Fire Damper Testing Includes
Every visit follows the same documented process:
- Full asset register and location plan of every accessible fire damper
- Visual inspection for damage, corrosion, debris and obstructed access
- Individual drop test on each damper to confirm it closes correctly
- Cleaning of damper, linkage and surrounding ductwork as required
- Minor remediation — fusible link replacement, blade re-setting, lubrication
- Photographic evidence of each damper before and after
- Written report with pass/fail status and any recommended follow-up works
The report is suitable for inclusion in your fire safety log, insurer audits and any third-party compliance review.
To schedule fire damper testing across your estate, call us on 0333 772 0089.
What Causes a Fire Damper to Fail a Test?
The most common failures we record are seized linkages from heavy grease or dust loading, fusible links painted over during redecoration, access panels covered or removed by later trades, and dampers physically obstructed by services installed after the original ductwork. Each of these is straightforward to put right once identified — which is the point of annual testing.
Where we find a failure, you’ll receive a clear remediation quote alongside the report so you can act on it through the same supplier and keep a single audit trail.
To book a survey, call 0333 772 0089 or request a site visit online.