A Guide to Good Practice for the Installation of Fire and Smoke Dampers (DW/145) has been launched by HVCA Publications, the publishing arm of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association.
The guide clarifies aspects of fire and smoke barrier/damper installation including the responsibilities of all parties involved in the overall sequence from system specification through to a compliant installation.

'This guide highlights many of the basic principles contained in the design and installation process, whilst at the same time identifying the responsibilities that attach to the team as a whole - which, of course, comprises designers, builders, manufacturers and local authorities, as well as mechanical services, ductwork and other specialist contractors' said Kevin Talbot, chairman of the HVCA Ductwork Group, in his foreword to DW/145.

'It identifies, clearly and concisely, the matters that must be addressed when fire and/or smoke dampers are to be installed within a building's ventilation ductwork system,' he added.

The guide covers the design and installation process including the main design criteria and responsibilities, as well as installation considerations. Until recently, it was left to individual ductwork designers, damper manufacturers, and building control and fire authorities to specify how fire and smoke dampers were installed.

An industry guide to their design and installation was developed by the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and HEVAC Association, and published in April 2007 as the ASFP's Grey Book. The Ductwork Group of the HVCA collaborated in the Grey Book's production but said it saw the need for a complementary publication addressing the practicalities of system design and installation.

DW/145 can be purchased online at www.hvca.org.uk/publications or you can call 01768 860405.