Whickham - Room Integrity Testing - 0191 633 0103

The office that covers this area is: Newcastle

Phone Number: 0191 633 0103 Email: whickham@e2consultants.co.uk

Room_Integrity_Testing is sometimes referred to as Room Integrity Testing, Room Testing.

What Is A Room Integrity Test?

Gas fire suppression systems work by releasing gas that either reduces the oxygen level to suffocate the fire or by simply reacting with the fire itself to help extinguish or supress it. Room Integrity Testing is required wherever there's one of these fire suppression system. To work correctly the enclosure needs to hold the gas for a short period of time.

How Does The Test Work?

Room Integrity Testing is used to determine if the room is capable of holding the gas from the fire suppression system successfully. On top of which, the test can predict how long it will take for the gas levels to be reduced to the point where a discharge of the system will be needed. Discharging a fire system can be both costly and disruptive.

Will The Test Disrupt My Business?

No - you and your staff can still work while testing is taking place. The only thing that may affect workflow is the door fan equipment that must be fixed to the main door and will in turn stop people being able to enter or leave the room during this time.

Testing Procedure

Upon arriving at site and unloading the equipment, one of our consultants will inspect the room where the test will take place. Room measurements will need to be taken at this time if they have not been done prior to our site visit. The door fan kit will be set-up by our consultant in the most appropriate door in the room, usually the main door. There will be no requirement for the removal of any doors to make room for our testing equipment as we aim to make as little impact on the environment as possible.

What are the Standards and Guidance?

The main standards that recommend Room Integrity Testing on commissioning of a system and the annual re-testing of an enclosure are BSEN15004, ISO14520, BAFE SP203-3 and NFPA 2001. These are UK and US national and international standards that provide guidance on how to carry out the test and the frequency of re-testing.

Upon setting the equipment up this is the point where nobody can enter or leave this room. Normal work may resume within the room. The consultant on site will now begin to start the fans. The test will depressurise and pressurise the room with computer software generating data to collect.

Upon completion our consultant will check the data against target data provided by our client. If the target is not met our consultants will then begin to diagnose problem areas.

Our consultants are trained to use thermographic cameras to identify leakage areas; these images will be sent to a client with a report. A snag list details leakage areas to be addressed along with pictures of these problem areas. Again, this will be presented to the client with the data report.

How Often Should I Test the Room?

Any room, particularly Electronic Data Processing rooms, often get disturbed by building service work and general building work. Should a small hole be made in the enclosure, or the room size changes, then a retest of the room integrity is required. British Standards recommend that Room Integrity Testing is carried out at least annually to ensure your gaseous fire suppression system will work correctly.