PARTIES INVOLVED AND THE PROCEDURES TO CONDUCT THE

INSPECTION, TESTING AND COMMISSIONING OF THE TYPICAL EQUIPMENT/SYSTEMS INSTALLED

IN MALAYSIA

Introduction

• Fire safety regulation for buildings in Malaysia focused on the design and construction of adequate life safety, fire prevention, fire protection and fire fighting facilities in new buildings.

• Its main purpose was to prevent fire outbreak as well as to ensure the safety of occupants should a fire break out in those premises.

Parties Involves during the Inspection, Testing & Commissioning

• Architect

• Consultant Engineer

• Main Contractor

• Mechanical and electrical contractor

• Fire contractor

• Building owners

Procedures of Inspection, Testing And Commissioning

Processing of Architectural plan

Processing of M&E plan

Inspection and issuance of letters of support for CCC

Inspection and issuance of letters of support for CCC

Step 1

i.The Approval Letter which shows the File Reference & Date.

ii.The Bomba Approved & Stamped Drawings which will show all the Fire Fittings such as Fire Doors, Emergency Lightings, Exit Signs, Fire Extinguishers, Hose Reels, Emergency Fire Pumps, etc, etc.

iii.The Blue Form, Forms C1, C2, C3.

Inspection and issuance of letters of support for CCC

Step 1

iv.The Blue Form "Perakuan Pemasangan Peralatan dan Sistem Kebombaan" is to be orginally signed & stamped by the Consultants, the Architect one set, and Engineer one set separately. The Consultants are also required to originally sign & stamped Form C3 separately, one for each fitting types.

v.The Fire Fittings Contractor, Suppliers or Vendors should complete Forms C1 & C2, signed & stamped, one for each fitting.

vi.The Contractor, Vendor need to also supply the Fire Fittings Certificates.

vii.Form for Schedule of Payment "Permohonan Pemeriksaan dan Ujuan" to be filled by Contractor or Vendor bringing Bomba personnel to site.

Inspection and issuance of letters of support for CCC

Step 2

i.The Consultants, Architect and Engineer separately write an original letter to BOMBA enclosing all the above Step 1 original documents, calling for Inspection for Fire Fitness.

ii.Client would also need to enclose a Local Cheque or Cash Payment for Bomba Inspection & Testing, latest rates to check with Bomba, something like RM5 per fitting, and RM100/ per building, etc.

Inspection and issuance of letters of support for CCC

Step 3•Client would need to coordinate a date and time to suit Bomba personnel for a Joint Inspection of the building premises, and be prepared to do field tests. •The Contractors personnel, fire fittings vendors need be present. •Consultant’s representative is preferred to be in attendance but not necessarily required as the Contractor, Vendors will do all necessary tests & briefings on their systems.

Inspection and issuance of letters of support for CCC

Step 4•If everything is tested functional, then Bomba will issue the Fire Fitness Certificate. If not, Bomba will advise rectification works and re-inspection & retesting would be required.

Case Study

Fire protection system (fixed installation) found in the building at the new block are:

• Hose reel system• Fire alarm system

• Automatic CO2 Extinguishing System

• Portable Fire Extinguisher

Hose Reel Testing and Commissioning

• Check the hose reel tubing can be drawn out freely and easily in any direction without obstruction.

• Check the hose reels capable to cover within 6 m of each part of the occupied area.

• Check the hose reels capable to project a water jet of 6 m or greater and min. flow of 24 L/min

• Check the water tightness of the stop valves, nozzles, and tubing connections satisfactory when the water pump is running

Hose Reel Pump Testing and Commissioning

• Check the water pumps and motors run at the designed discharge water pressure and operating electrical current.

• Check the water pumps run at an acceptable noise and vibration levels.

• Check the water pump control switches and indicating lights function properly.

• Check the water pump protective devices function properly.

• Check the pressure gauges function properly.

Hose Reel Pump Testing and Commissioning

• Check water leakage from the pump shafts at an acceptable level.

• Check the pressure switches controlling the jockey, duty and standby pumps operate properly.

• Check is the pumps fully operational within 30 sec. after starting.

Fire Alarm System Test and Commissioning

• Upon actuation of any detector in the building, the correct audio/visual warning device for the fire

• Alarm and detection system is started.• The sensitivity of smoke detectors is

correctly adjusted/ set and checked in full accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• The zoning of detectors is correct.

Automatic CO2 System Testing and Commisionning

• Check AUTO/MANUAL selector key switch function properly.

• Check detectors operate satisfactorily.• Check operating alarm/indication function properly.• Check actuating solenoid operate satisfactorily.• Check selector/distributor valve operate properly.• Check fire damper closing devices operate satisfactorily.

(If time delay of not more than 30 sec is incorporated,does it function properly)

Portable Fire Extinguisher

• Cylinder body should be red/blue with medium colour coded in respective colour

• All label marking wordings, diagrams and pictograms shall be in white colour and shall be fully visible from the front

• Label should carry SIRIM product certification logo

• Extinguishers shall have valid Fire and Rescue Department Approval Letter

• Each extinguisher shall have a valid Fire and Rescue Department H13 certificate

• Extinguisher meter indication should indicate adequate pressure (Green Zone) within the cylinder

• Cylinder body and valve should be rust free

• Safety pin should be in place and secured

• Discharge Hose should have no cracks

EMERGENCY LIGHTING AND EXIT SIGN TESTS

• For those emergencies lighting system with battery and backed up by emergency generators, each emergency generator shall be started up and allowed to energize the emergency lighting system for a continuous period of at least 1 hour. During this period all luminaires or signs shall be examined visually to ensure that they are functioning correctly.

Conclusion

Fire fighting system have become an important requirement to be installed in every building that been constructed.

These systems not only function to extinguish the fire, it also used to save the human life from the conflagration.

In Malaysia, Bomba is an organization that playing a role to give a certificated whether the building is safe or not to occupied.

A building that installed with fire protection system is safe to occupied by human.