White Paper

Many of the Fixed Fire Suppression systems in today’s facilities have reached or even passed their 10-year lifecycle.

Ed Chivers of Fike Protection Systems Ltd. points out that many Facility Managers do not realise there is an obligation to remove these systems to have the pressure vessels (cylinders) inspected and hydro-tested so they qualify for reinstallation and an additional 10 years of operational life.

Cylinders containing extinguishing agents are required to be submitted for periodic testing under the Pressure Equipment Directive (97/23/EC), the Transportable Pressure Equipment Directive (1999/36/EC), and The Carriage Regulations as stated in the relevant British Standards:

• BS EN 1968:2002, British Standard for Transportable gas cylinders - Periodic Inspection and Testing of Seamless Steel Gas Cylinders• BS EN 1802:2002, British Standard for Transportable gas cylinders - Periodic Inspection and Testing of Seamless Aluminium Alloy Gas Cylinders• BS EN 1803:2002, British Standard for Transportable gas cylinders - Periodic Inspection and Testing of Welded Carbon Steel Gas Cylinders

All of these standards state in clause 3, that: In the case of cylinders used for emergency purposes (e.g. fire extinguishers, breathing apparatus), it is the responsibility of the person in possession (owner or user) to submit it for periodic inspection within the interval specified in Annex B.

Annex B states the interval for cylinders containing CO2, Compressed gases and mixtures (e.g. Nitrogen and Argon etc.) and liquefiable gases (HFC’s) is 10 years.

“The Safe Use of Gas Cylinders” - a guidance document issued by the Health and Safety Executive - under the heading “How to reduce risks”, sub heading “periodic examination,” makes references to Instruction P200 in ADR, as required by the Carriage Regulations. Instruction P200 also gives the periodic inspection intervals for cylinders containing CO2, Compressed Gases and Mixtures (e.g. Nitrogen and Argon etc.) and liquefiable gases as 10 years.

In summary, all extinguishing agent cylinders (e.g. those containing inert or chemical extinguishing agents) that are found to be 10 years old or more, must be inspected, re-tested and certified accordingly. Note: The previous dispensation, under BS5430 Part 1 and Part 2, for fire protection cylinders to have re-testing deferred to 20 years no longer applies.

As a conscientious manufacturer of Fixed Fire Suppression Systems, Fike has recently commissioned a comprehensive Pressure Test Facility which provides for Hydrostatic Testing of Fike Fire Suppression Systems. This approved facility is able to fully decant, pressure test, refill and re-paint Fike Fire Suppression Systems ensuring that our customers can stay in compliance with Pressure Equipment Directive. Guidance on the periodic testing of transportable gas cylinders used for fire fighting is available for download at the FIA website: www.fia.uk.com

In the case of cylinders used for emergency purposes, it is the responsibility of the person in

possession (owner or user) to submit the cylinders for periodic inspection. For cylinders containing CO2 ,

compressed gases and mixtures, and liquefied gases, the standard inspection interval is 10 years.

Hydrostatic Testing of Pressure Vessels used in Fixed Fire Suppression Systems

By Ed Chivers, Fike Protection Systems, Ltd.

Inert gas suppression systems often contain banks of many cylinders that need to be ‘H’ Tested every 10 years, along with associated replacement of discharge hoses and Nitrogen Actuators.

www.fikeps.co.uk fps.int@fike.com

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