Why good maintenance matters

Poor maintenance of essential fire safety measures is one of the leading causes of delays in submitting an Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS), and delays in submission of an AFSS for your facility can be more than just a headache, they can incur real financial costs in the form of fines. If you need assistance in submitting a Stay of Infringement (SOI) contact Futura Fire to discuss options that suit your business requirements.

Is my fire hydrant system being maintained correctly?

Maintenance of fire hydrant systems is governed by AS1851, but what does that mean? How can you tell if you are currently getting the service you are paying for? Here is a non-exhaustive look at some of the things your service contractor should be doing as part of their routine servicing.

Monthly

Monthly servicing of fire hydrant systems is only required if the hydrants are connected to a pumpset. Every month your service provider should:

• Check all isolating valves and pressure switches are secured in the correct position

• Start the pumps using both automatic and manual starting devices

• Record the starting pressures of the pumps

Six-monthly

Every six months your service provider should:

• Operate all water supply valves and check they are locked fully open

• Check all hydrant valves are in good condition

• Check all hydrants valves have an appropriate connection for the fire brigade to connect to

• Check the block plan for legibility and appropriate location

Yearly

Every year your service provider should:

• Complete all six-monthly items

• Open all hydrants to prove the presence of water at each point

• Conduct flow rate testing on the hydrant system

• Survey exposed sections to check for damage and corrosion

• Check for obstructions that could impede operation of or access to the hydrants

• Check that hydrant design remains appropriate for the building