What is an AOV system?
An AOV (automatic opening vent) is a natural smoke ventilator that will open or close automatically when triggered by a control system to evacuate smoke or heat from the common escape routes of buildings. AOV’s are considered to be life safety systems and forms an extremely important aspect of a building’s fire safety strategy.
AOV systems comprise of a number of components; the ventilator, a control panel with battery back-up power supply, and a method of activation (such as smoke detection, a manual switch or fire alarm interface). AOV’s are usually installed on roofs of buildings or on sides of buildings in order to clear smoke or heat from the inside.
It is a legal requirement for both commercial and multiple occupancy residential buildings to provide clear escape routes that are free of smoke to allow occupants unimpeded escape, as well as improving the conditions in the building and providing clear access for first responders and fire crews during an emergency.
Who is in charge of maintaining the AOV systems within a building?
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, it is the role of the ‘responsible person’ to ensure that all fire safety systems in the building are inspected and maintained properly and in good working order. The ‘responsible person’ will be the owner, landlord, employer, or anyone who holds a level of control of the management and/or upkeep of the building. Failure to maintain fire safety systems is an offence that can result in the prosecution of the responsible person.
How often to maintain AOV systems:
British Standards Bs 7346:1-1990, BS 5588:12-2004 and the Buildings Regulations Approved Document B (ADB) requires systems to be serviced regularly and maintained to a high standard. These standards are mandatory for all building owners.
We recommend and advise bi-annual inspection and maintenance to ensure your system is in a working operational condition. This should be carried out by a third-party certified smoke control specialist to ensure compliance. Additionally, we highly recommend that systems be tested on a weekly, monthly, and 3 monthly bases by a person who is familiar with the system (such as the responsible person).
How can Greenwood Louvre help you?
Our maintenance is comprehensive and conforms to British Standards. All work undertaken will be in line with your building’s fire risk assessments and fire certificates. We can arrange maintenance at times that suit your business and ensure that there is a minimum amount of disruption to work environments.
