REGULARS: QUALITY MATTERS
T
he purpose of a smoke and heat
exhaust ventilation system is to
ensure that a smoke-free clear layer
of at least 2.5m above the highest occupied
space is maintained to ensure the
occupants are safely evacuated, therefore it
minimises the risk of smoke inhalation that
may cause injury or death.
Compliance to the latest codes and
design may have a major bearing on
whether someone lives or dies.
Compliance can be broken down
as follows:
• Design compliance – Have the installed
smoke ventilators been correctly
designed to achieve compliance? Is the
system backed with the required test
reports that support any such claims?
• Specification compliance – Does the
system that is going to be installed, fully
mirror what was claimed in the
test report?
• Installation compliance – Have the
smoke ventilators been correctly
installed with all the compliant
components, to achieve the design, as
per the test report?
• Performance compliance – Have the
smoke ventilators been inspected and
maintained every year to achieve the
required performance when required?
All levels are key to ensure the smoke
ventilators perform exactly the way they are
intended to perform.
Design / specification
compliance
There are many areas to design compliance
that need to be considered for test
certificates to be made available.
The project engineer should always be
asked about the wind loading compliance
of the smoke ventilators. Many people will
ask about the imposed load, such as the
weight of the smoke ventilator