Dry Risers, Ground Hydrants & IS391:2020
Dry Risers – Sites Responsibilities
Dry risers are a vital element in fire protection, delivering vast volumes of water direct to each floor enabling instant access for the fire brigade.
The person responsible for a building or site is required to maintain all firefighting equipment, including Dry Risers.
Current Irish standards require recommend a full annual pressure test and six-monthly visual check for dry risers.
Standards state that inlets, landing valves, drain valves and landing valve boxes should be inspected every six months and that wet tests be carried out annually when the riser can be checked for leaks. They also state that maintenance and repairs should be carried out by a competent person.
Dry risers can be prone to vandalism, because they are situated on each floor, the valves are sometimes in allocated cabinets or they can be left in the open. Therefore, it is important to have them regularly maintained and serviced.
Hydrants – Sites Responsibilities
The person responsible for a building or site should ensure that your hydrants are capable of delivering firefighting water at the required pressure and flow to fight a fire. They should ensure that your hydrants can be accessed and operated properly. The reponsible person should bear in mind that in addition to good maintenance, fire brigades encourage organisations to have their hydrants properly signed and plated to allow fast and easy identification, particularly at night.
If you own, operate or are responsible for a site that has Ground Hydrants in situ you may find that it is a condition of your insurance policy that your private hydrants are tested and checked on a regular basis.
KSS can help you to get on top of your responsibilities and make sure that you’re safe and prepared should your hydrants need to be operated.
