Reminder of fire hydrant responsibilities for fire hydrants located on private land
Our fire safety consultancy team have put together the following report to highlight and advise on the importance of fire hydrant maintenance within private land, for example externals of business/retail parks and industrial estates.
British Standard BS9990:2015 states that where a fire hydrant exists on your premises, arrangements should be in place by the owners or occupiers for annual maintenance – they will not be maintained by either the fire service or the water company. A fire hydrant is used to access water directly from the local mains supply and is equipped with a fire hose connection for use in the event of a fire. You should instruct a competent company to carry out an annual fire hydrant maintenance check in accordance with guidelines as detailed in British Standard BS9990:2015 to ensure readiness of water when required. This consists of pressure and Flow tests which involves:
- Flushing out of the outlets
- Checking inlet connection
- Measuring and recording the flow and pressure rates
- Operation of frost valve, checked on completion
- Leaving hydrant pit empty and clean
The maintenance visit will also include:
- Checking of pits, frames and covers
- Condition of surface paving around the edges of the frame
- Depth of outlet below frame
- Ensuring signage is compliant
Certificate of Conformity
All hydrants tested and found to comply with British Standards BS9990:2015 will be issued with a Certificate of Conformity. In the event of an incident, fire investigators will ask to see a copy of this Certificate of Conformity.
In addition, there is also a requirement under the Fire Safety Order Article 38 regarding the maintenance of all measures provided for protection of fire-fighters.
“38.—(1) Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of fire-fighters in the event of a fire, the responsible person must ensure that the premises and any facilities, equipment and devices provided in respect of the premises for the use by or protection of fire-fighters under this Order or under any other enactment, including any enactment repealed or revoked by this Order, are subject to a suitable system of maintenance and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.”
The S2 Partnership offers a professional service from experience fire safety experts. For more information, please contact us.
For a full version of the above British Standard, please visit the bsigroup website.