How to Avoid a Smoke Control Test Issue We’re Seeing in the Field
It’s our privilege and pleasure to use this blog to help condo building owners, boards, and managers. One of the ways we like to do this is by discussing emerging trends we see in the real world.
This week, we would like to raise awareness of an emerging issue we’re seeing in condo buildings when it comes to Part 7 of the Ontario Fire Code (OFC) and smoke control testing.
Part 7 requires that high-rise buildings have their smoke control systems inspected once a quarter. More specifically, they are to be inspected to ensure that they’re working in an integrated fashion with the other parts of your life safety system.
We’re seeing an increased focus on Part 7 testing from fire departments in recent years. This means more tests are being carried out, which is leading to new issues being found – both on the technical AND documentation side of things.
With that in mind, here is an emerging problem we’ve noticed in recent months and how you can avoid it.
Who Designs Testing Protocol vs. Who Executes it
Let’s take a look at Part 7 Smoke Control testing from the very beginning.
The OFC requires that you have an engineer develop the protocol for your testing. However, the fire code does not require an engineer to sign off on the quarterly test reports.?
From your perspective, an engineer needs to design your protocol, but the actual quarterly testing and reports can be managed by another party. For example, some buildings might have an engineer design the protocol, but they will have their fire alarm service companies manage the actual quarterly tests.
In a lot of cases, this seems to be a cost-effective way of doing things because their alarm service company may roll these tests into a bundle with other services they’re already providing for the building.
Mismatched Documents and Templates
However, we’re now seeing this approach may lead to issues. Most notably, the documents and procedures being used by the service providers don’t always match the protocols and templates the engineer designed.
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This is leading to three major problems:
This can obviously be frustrating for buildings that were making their best efforts to do things the right way.
A Real-world Example
We recently went through the following experience with a client. We had initially designed their protocol and they went with their fire alarm contractors for their quarterly testing. However, a few months later, the fire inspector caught a certain detail that was missing.
FCS was brought back into the fold to determine what was missing. After extensively reviewing the reports, we found that the problem was with a specific detail regarding elevator testing. After further review, we also discovered a second problem with the elevator testing. There were actually two steps missed.
Elsewhere, we’re also seeing instances of condo building managers, boards, and owners finding out that the specifics of what their Part 7 testing requires fall outside of their alarm service provider’s scope of expertise. For example, the company may not do Phase 1 Elevator Recall, or they may not do air pressure readings. These are both required to comply with Part 7.
We’re also noticing small (but important) misunderstandings when it comes to checking actual devices, versus just checking the relays. For example, the protocol may specify, “Make sure the fan shuts down.” However, we’ve seen instances where people simply check to see if the relay has changed position, instead of actually going to the fan and making sure it shuts down properly.
The Key Takeaway
We would recommend using proven fire code experts to administer and manage your Part 7 quarterly testing. We have experienced engineers and smoke control specialists who can expertly design the protocols and manage the quarterly testing requirements.
If you would like to talk to us about your Part 7 testing, or any other aspects of the fire code, feel free to contact us at 1 (800) 281-8863 or by clicking here.