Beyond the Label: Are Your Smoke Control System Elements Truly Fire-Rated?

Tomasz Kielbasa, Certification Manager: Emirates Safety Laboratory (ESL) delivered his ‘Beyond the Label: Are Your Smoke Control System Elements Truly Fire-Rated?’ talk at the Fire Middle East Conference, and it’s full of thought-provoking questions that we all must ask in this industry.

LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS

He opened by informing the audience: “Today we are looking into aspects of the environment. Aspects of the labelling. And some challenges and misconceptions in the environment.”

He then moved on to breaking down types of products and taking our audience through the standards used to test them. He pointed out: “What kind of certification is considered. In other words, is everything implemented correctly and tested properly?”

WHAT IT TAKES TO WITHSTAND TESTING

Tomasz’ visuals added to the picture he painted- showing the audience how robust ducts and other equipment must be in order to withstand ESL’s testing, including being crushed and damaged, yet still control smoke.

“My recommendation is always to ask for specifics. Never settle for generalisations, (regarding code accreditations).”

MISTAKES THAT COULD COST LIVES

He also warned against making cost savings that could risk lives: “Use the insulation material that works. Sometimes you will want to use cheaper insulation but think about the practical applications.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

By clarifying what it truly means for a system element to be ‘fire-rated’, this session equipped fire professionals with the knowledge to make informed decisions when specifying, selecting or inspecting smoke control equipment.

Find the full talk here.