UL’s role and conducting maintenance test in the hospitals
Governing body:
UL stands for the Underwriters laboratory and it is the governing body that checks the working and proper functioning of the life safety equipment used in the HVAC systems. Underwriters listing means the testing and checking of proper functioning of the representative product samples and whether they meet the standard or the Underwriters laboratory requirements. The pre set requirements are based on the Underwriters laboratory published national recognized safety standards. Passed samples then include the listing mark of this governing body on them.
Standard:
National flame protection association NFPA 80 is a standard to provide requirements needed for the installation, testing, inspection and maintenance of flame protection doors and other structures installed for protection that include glass block assemblies, fabric curtains used for flame safety, flame window and flame detectors. After the installation of all these equipment people are worried about the inspection of all this system and UL fire rated dampers.
Operational test:
When the detectors are installed at first an operational test is conducted to make sure their working is normal.
After one year:
When the first inspection after the installation is completed known as operational test then the inspection needs to be conducted after one year.
After every four years:
After the first inspection which is done after the first year now they need to be tested after every four years. But hospitals detectors are not inspected after 4 years as according to the rules they are inspected after every 6 years.
Why after 6 years in hospitals:
Now people might come up with a question that why inspections are conducted after 6 years in the hospitals as compared to other buildings where it is done after 4 years.
Explanation:
Most people might come up with ideas and thoughts that the hospitals requirements should be stricter than other types of commercial buildings. But significant evidences were presented to the technical committee by healthcare industry that the inspection of flame and smoke detectors every years is a hindrance in the hospitals. Hospitals are different then other buildings as they have many critical systems installed for life safety and health of their patients. So inspection of flame detectors after every 4 years can interfere or damage other systems installed for the specific safety of patients.
Safety of other systems:
Other systems located near the UL fire rated dampers and in the ceilings include medical gas systems, sprinkler piping, electrical systems etc. inspection of the equipment in hospitals after every six years allows a reasonable and safe time frame between the two inspections and with it this period also makes sure the hospitals other systems and operations are not interfered.