Technical Bulletins published by the FDIA

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Written by Charles Thiongo

Charles Thiongo

Published: 23 February 2017

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When an installation has been completed by a competent installer, the next step is commissioning. The installer will have carried out the installation from a design specification.
Commissioning is a systematic process with documentation that extends from design through installation, testing, and training. SANS 10139:2012 part 11 gives guidance and recommendations on the commissioning and handover process.

The commissioning process ensures that the system is set to function as intended and there are no major issues that will cause false alarms. The commissioner also sees to it that the installation is of an acceptable standard.

The person responsible for commissioning a fire alarm system in accordance with the recommendations of the SANS 10139:2012 standard should possess, at least, a basic knowledge and understand design, limitation of false alarms and Installation of fire detection systems. The commissioner will be disadvantaged and not be able to carry out the commissioning exercise correctly if knowledge lacks in any these disciplines. The commissioner should also have access to the requirements of the designer and any other relevant documentation or drawings that have been processed for the job.

At commissioning, the entire system should be inspected and tested to ensure that it operates satisfactorily.

Below is a summary of SANS 10139:2012 Part 11. These are the minimum points, depending on the requirements and design of the system, that a commissioner should be checking:

1. All manual call points and automatic fire detectors function correctly in accordance with the recommendations in SANS 10139:2012 Part 12.
2. Every manual call point and automatic fire detector, on operation, results in the correct zone indication, and, in the case of addressable systems, correct text display, at all indicating equipment.
3. Where an optical beam detector uses a combined transmitter/receiver unit in conjunction with a reflector, care should be taken to minimize the effect of reflections (e.g. from surfaces close to the transmitter/receiver unit) from dominating the received signal. Unless the equipment has specific features to compensate for such effects, at commissioning, the installed unit should be tested by partial obscuration of the beam near to the reflector.
4. Sound pressure levels throughout all areas of the building comply with the recommendations SANS 10139:2012 Part 8 (i.e. 65 db) and, where appropriate for voice alarms, an acceptable level of intelligibility is achieved in accordance with SANS 7240-16 or SANS 7240-19 throughout all areas of the building.
5. Any facility for remote transmission of fire alarm signals (and, where appropriate, fault signals) to an alarm receiving center operate correctly.
6. Any "cause and effect" requirements of the designer (e.g. in respect of staged alarms or initiation of operation of other fire protection systems and equipment, and safety measures) are fully satisfied.
7. All alarm, control, indicating, printing, and ancillary functions of the system operate correctly and are adequately labelled or identified.
8. No changes to the building since the time of original design have compromised the compliance of the system with this standard.
9. Siting of any detection device complies with, at least, the recommendations of that device as per SANS 10139:2012 requirement.
10. A suitable and accurate zone plan is displayed in close location to the fire panel.
11. Compliance with the provision of any visual alarms, i.e. in areas where persons with disabilities may be or areas where the ambient noise levels exceed 90 db.
12. Compliance with mains power supply (fed from a dedicated circuit breaker and labeled correctly).
13. Standby power supply and calculations to determine battery capacity are provided and correct battery size installed.
14. Correct cabling has been used.
15. There is no obvious shortcoming with the stated category.
16. In radio-linked systems, radio signal strengths are adequate throughout all areas of the protected premises to ensure reliable operation of the system.
17. Adequate records of insulation resistance, earth continuity and, where appropriate, earth loop impedance tests exist.
18. All fault indicators and their circuits should be checked, where practicable, by simulation of faults conditions.
19. All relevant documentation has been provided to the user or purchaser. The documentation should include, an operation and maintenance manual, drawings of the system, certificates of design, installation and commissioning and a panel print out of all devices.
20. An FDIA log book has been supplied and installed next to the fire panel for the client to keep a running account of the system performance.
21. Labels, visible when batteries are in their normal position, should be fixed to batteries, indicating the date of installation.

The client shall be satisfied that the commissioner has provided sufficient training to all staff members in the vicinity of the fire panel on the operation and controls for the system.

On completion of the commissioning process, a certificate signed by a competent person should be issued. The measure of competency is provided by SAQCC Fire, ensure your commissioning engineer carries his approved person card and listed at the level of commissioner. The organization responsible for commissioning the system might, or might not, be the same organization that designed and/or installed the system, but the responsibility for commissioning needs to be clearly defined prior to the start of the installation work.

This signed certificate verifies the installed system operates correctly in accordance with requirements laid down by the designer and that the commissioner carries liability for the correct operation of the system.

By utilizing FDIA registered companies you can rest easy knowing the system will be installed and commissioned correctly and the contracting staff used on site have proven to be competent persons.

This article was published by the Hi-Tech Security magazine: http://www.securitysa.com/56918n

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Written by Charles Thiongo

Charles Thiongo

Published: 25 October 2016

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Automatic gaseous fire suppression systems are installed to suppress fires either automatically or manually. These systems are installed in Server Rooms, Archive Rooms, MCC Rooms, Telecoms environments etc. where a fire can cause a large loss in equipment, downtime or revenue.

There are several factors that determine which type of gas suppression system to use, key among them being the volume of the room to be protected, the contents inside the room, the cylinder mounting position, the altitude of the area where the system will be installed and several other factors. 

The installation and use of gaseous extinguishing systems is a clean, safe, electrically non conducting method for the suppression of fires but present dangers to contractors and end users if installed by persons not skilled in this area of expertise. Some of these systems store gas at pressures up to 300 bar and should be handled with care. The design and installation of these systems is complex and should only be done by competent and experienced persons. Persons handling gaseous suppression systems have to be registered with SAQCC Fire as authorised, competent persons - gas extinguishing.

SANS 14520 is the national standard for gas suppression systems which specifies requirements and gives recommendations for the design, installation, testing, maintenance and safety of gaseous firefighting systems. The document also gives characteristics of various extinguishants and types of fires for which they are suitable for. The extinguishants referenced in SANS 14520 are of electrically non-conductive media and consist of Inerting agents or Halocarbon agents.

All the gases in this standard are total flooding agents where the extinguishing agent is applied to a three dimensional enclosed space in order to achieve a desired calculated concentration of the agent.

Inerting gas agents are pure gasses stored in cylinders of 200 or 300 bar. Halocarbon gas fire suppression agents are chemical liquids that are converted to gas during discharge and are stored at 25 or 42 bar pressure.

Inert gas fire suppression agents will contain a combination of either Nitrogen, Argon, or CO₂.

Inert gasses work by displacing the oxygen in the protected area to a point where it will not support a fire, but still high enough to support life.

Chemical fire suppression agents extinguish a fire by removing the free radicals or heat elements from the fire triangle.

An engineered system entails the supply of extinguishant media stored centrally and discharged through a system of pipes and nozzles in which the size of each section of pipe and nozzle orifice has been calculated in accordance with relevant regulations and specific approved software design packages.

A pre-engineered or Modular system consists of a supply of Halocarbon extinguishant of specified capacity directly from the cylinder.

CO₂ gas has been used as a fire extinguishing agent since 1900 and is effective for extinguishing fires on electrical risks as it is non conducting, clean and dry. CO₂ is unique as it can be used as a local application where the extinguishing agent is applied directly onto a fire usually a two dimensional area, or into the three dimensional region immediately surrounding the substance or object on fire. There is usually no physical barrier enclosing the fire space in local application.

CO₂, however, has lost popularity due to its danger to human beings as it does not support human life.

Caution should be taken with a gaseous system when discharging extinguishant into potentially explosive atmospheres. Electrostatic charging of conductors not bonded to earth may occur during the discharge of extinguishant. These conductors may discharge to other objects with sufficient energy to initiate an explosion. Where the system is used for inerting, pipe work shall be adequately bonded to earth.

Whichever gas extinguishing agent or contractor you use, make sure the products carry approvals and that the installers have had training on the installation of these products and are registered and competent to carry out these tasks.

Feel free to contact FDIA via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for any questions, comments or concerns regarding gaseous fire suppression systems.

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Written by Charles Thiongo

Charles Thiongo

Published: 24 January 2017

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There is need for some sort of rules, written or verbal, if a group of people is to live harmoniously together. It is to this end that the FDIA was formed in 1999, to provide some guidelines and self-regulation in the industry where companies conduct their business in the field of the installation of fire detection and suppression systems. The FDIA is continuously uplifting the standards in the industry by the various functions and services the association provides to its members and the industry at large, since its formation.

Membership is open to any company which gains its income from, or has an interest in, the supply, design, installation or servicing of fire detection systems, gaseous extinguishing systems or evacuation systems. Membership to the FDIA is for companies and not individuals. The FDIA website www.fdia.co.za provides the requirements and cost implications for companies wishing to join the association or maintain their membership with the association.

Members are provided with the current standards in the industry and encouraged to attend the various approved and accredited training courses that are available all year round. Each year in February, the FDIA holds its Annual General Meeting- AGM- where new committee members are elected and the various issues affecting the association and industry are discussed and deliberated upon.

The FDIA has in the recent past made it easier for new companies to join the association by requiring only one inspection of their installation to be carried out, instead of three inspections as was previously the case. Although after joining one must still have at least three inspections done in order to renew and maintain their membership.

Inspections for fire detection and suppression installations are an important aspect to obtain and maintain FDIA membership though it can be sometimes be a daunting experience for companies, it is akin to sitting for an exam or going for a job interview. The main reason for inspections is to ensure that the installation is up to standard and that the system will work as it was intended. If there are any non-compliances, either minor or major ones, they are noted in the report issued to the installer and the installer is advised on how to rectify them. The FDIA is in the process of considering a service division for companies that are doing more of service/maintenance work than installations. The service division inspections will ensure that systems are serviced and maintained as per the required standards.

The FDIA has also been regularly sending out newsletters to its members, consultants in the industry and interested end-users to keep them updated on developments in the industry on various topics regarding fire detection and suppression systems.

FDIA members recognize the responsibility to have integrity and maintain high standards of the work they do which is to protect life and property by the systems that are being installed. That is why all members are required to abide by a code of ethics which they receive and sign on acceptance of membership.

The benefits for companies to become FDIA members is therefore evident as it most importantly shows the seriousness and commitment that a company has for the work they are doing.

The benefits for end-users is even greater when they utilize the services of FDIA registered members as they are guaranteed that they are getting value for their money. The risk involved in using a non FDIA company is much greater than the money one may think they are saving by using a company that does not have to abide to any code of ethics or try follow any standards or rules.

We therefore encourage companies that are installing fire detection and suppression system to take a step in the right direction and make effort to join the association. We currently have a membership of 44 companies and several pending applications. Membership is increasing as more companies realise and appreciate the benefits of becoming an FDIA member company. End-Users and consultants have also seen the quality of work and integrity of FDIA member companies and they are preferring to use companies that have an active membership with the FDIA.

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Written by Charles Thiongo

Charles Thiongo

Published: 25 July 2016

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Cables used for the purpose of fire detection differ from cables used for other services. Fire alarm cables are designed to operate during the fire condition and not to fail in the event of high temperature imposed on them. These cables are carrying power and data to alarm sounders and visible fire indications during the course of the fire to ensure people in all areas of the building can evacuate safely.

SANS 10139 Section 8.19 has recommendations on cable choice.

The standard makes recommendations for two levels of fire resistance of fire resisting cable systems, termed "standard" and "enhanced", according to the type of building and fire alarm system installed:

• the use of cables with "standard" fire resistance is recommended for general use;
• the use of cables with "enhanced" fire resistance is recommended for systems, in particular building types, in which cables might need to operate correctly during a fire, for periods in excess of those normally required for single phase evacuation of a building.

The distinction between the two levels of performance is, therefore, made in this standard to enable designers and specifiers to specify "enhanced" performance cables in situations in which it is considered that a higher level of fire resistance is desired.

Standard fire resisting cables should meet the PH 30 classification when tested for 30 min survival time, when exposed to 840^o for 30 minutes. Enhanced fire resisting cables should meet the PH 120 classification when tested for 120 min survival time, when exposed to 840^o for 120 minutes.

All conductors should have a cross-sectional area of at least 1.00 mm².

Cable support should be non-combustible and such that circuit integrity will not be reduced below that afforded by the cable used, and should withstand a similar temperature and duration to that of the cable, while maintaining adequate support. The material from which fixings are made from is of utmost importance. Plastic cable clips, plastic cable ties and PVC trunkings should not be used as the sole means of cable support. Plastic cable fixings should only be used for fixing where cables run on top of or in horizontal metal trays. PVC conduit is permitted if special attention is given to the support method of the conduit so as to prevent the collapse of the cable network under fire conditions: i.e. conduit supports should be non- combustible (for example steel). The distance between the conduit supports should not exceed 500 mm.

Read more: Cabling for Fire Alarm Systems