It’s easy to overlook fire dampers. They sit hidden behind ceiling tiles or access panels, quietly forming part of a building’s wider fire safety system. But when they aren’t tested – or haven’t been checked in years – the consequences can be serious.
In one recent inspection, our team at BCS found 20 out of 61 fire dampers were inoperable. That’s a third of the system unable to perform its basic safety function. If a fire had broken out, smoke could have spread unchecked through the building’s ventilation system, putting lives and property at risk.
In the eyes of fire safety law, failing to carry out regular inspections could be construed as negligence, especially if records show a significant gap in testing. Under the Fire Safety Order 2005 and BS?9999 guidance, responsible persons have a legal duty to maintain all fire safety assets, including dampers, and ensure they function correctly.
This isn’t about box-ticking. It’s about compliance, risk reduction, and ultimately protecting people. And that starts with planned, preventative maintenance.
Why Fire Dampers Matter
Fire dampers are designed to contain smoke and fire within HVAC ductwork. If they fail, that containment barrier disappears, allowing fire and smoke to move quickly from one area to another. According to industry data, 22% of dampers fail routine inspections (Facilitate Magazine), and only 1% of buildings have had their dampers properly tested.
Buildings with regularly tested and maintained fire dampers are up to 40% less likely to suffer severe smoke damage, and injury rates drop by nearly 50% in the event of a fire.
Who We Work With
We carry out fire damper inspections and remedial works across a wide variety of venues. These include:
- Schools, colleges, and university estates
- Hotel chains and independent hospitality venues
- Offices, commercial units, and light industrial premises
- Student accommodation providers and private landlords
- Hospitals, clinics, and care homes
- Retail centres, shopping precincts, and leisure complexes
Our clients range from national property management firms and FM contractors to individual estates managers and H&S teams. Whether it’s a single-site inspection or a regional testing programme across dozens of buildings, we help teams stay compliant and audit-ready.
“It’s very common to find dampers that are seized, damaged, or not connected to the building’s system,” says Liam Hodgson, Client Services Manager at BCS. “In one case, a third of the units simply didn’t close. That’s a huge fire risk. We carried out electrical and mechanical repairs, replaced actuators, and ensured everything was properly recorded. Clients are often surprised at how much can go wrong behind the scenes.”
Avoiding the Domino Effect
When one damper fails, it can compromise entire zones of a building, especially in multi-occupancy or high-footfall environments. Add in the cost of emergency repairs, operational disruption, and potential fines, and the price of inaction becomes clear.
“This isn’t just about ticking a compliance box,” says Mark Biffin, Director at BCS. “It’s about knowing that if something goes wrong, your building has done everything it can to prevent loss of life and smoke damage. Fire dampers play a critical part in that. Our job is to make sure they work as they should – and to help clients fix what isn’t working quickly, properly, and with minimal fuss.”
Our UK-Wide Service
We offer full fire damper inspection, reporting, and remedial work across the UK, with no added travel charges. Our engineers provide:
- Drop-test inspections with mechanical and electrical checks
- Clear pass/fail reports and photographic evidence
- Transparent remedial quotes for any repairs
- Post-service certification suitable for audits, insurers, and fire assessors
We work to your schedule – including evening and weekend appointments, and deliver fast, reliable reporting.
The Cost of Not Testing
Emergency repairs are always more expensive than planned maintenance. More importantly, the human cost of a preventable incident is immeasurable. Every building deserves occupants who can trust that the safety systems will work when needed.
We’ve seen the relief on facility managers’ faces when they receive that final compliance certificate. It’s not just about ticking boxes – it’s about sleeping better knowing you’ve done everything possible to protect the people in your care.
The good news is that once you establish a proper testing routine, maintaining fire dampers becomes straightforward. Most systems only need annual inspections, and many issues can be resolved quickly and cost-effectively when caught early.
Don’t wait for an incident to reveal gaps in your fire safety strategy. The dampers hidden behind your ceiling tiles are working hard to keep your building safe- but only if they’re actually working.
Ready to find out what’s really happening with your fire dampers? We’re here to help you get ahead of the risks, not just react to them.
Don’t wait for an inspection to uncover problems. Let’s get ahead of them.
Get in touch with BCS to schedule your next fire damper test and keep your buildings safe, certified, and fully compliant.
