P A Testing of fire fighting equipment

[eletricaz]

Good evening all

Just a quick question regarding P A Testing of fire fighting equipment.

The equipment in question is a portable misting machine, it is like a large pressure washer but holds the water in a tank attached to the machine.

The question is how often would you test these units? I would have thought thy would be every quarter (3 months) but please correct me if i am wrong.

When thinking about this please take into account that these units are being used by non electrically trained persons (prison officers), they are simply trained on how to use them, i.e. Remove unit from cupboard, plug unit into wall, pull out hose, aim at fire, pull trigger!!!!

I have suggested RCD protection on the equipment itself and not on the circuit and also bespoke plugs and sockets so nothing else can be plugged in to the circuit and trip it out like the 't' plugs by MK, and also dedicated circuits for the units.
If anybody has any other suggestions please put them forward all are welcome.

Thanks on advance.


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[Knobhead]

RCD protection on fire fighting equipment is a NoNo

 

[eletricaz]

RCD protection on fire fighting equipment is a NoNo

Im presuming no RCD protection on fire fighting equipment just in case it trips out ..... Does this also go for the dedicated circuit?

I only ask this because the fuseboard cupboards are locked on a different key that officers don't have access to only the electricians. And some are miles away.

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[Knobhead]

The circuits shouldn’t have RCD’s either.
With fixed installations the motors don’t even have overloads.

 

[eletricaz]

Can somebody recommend a time between tests or ostensibly it up to me to decide?

Also if i have stuck this in the wrong forum can one of the mods move it to the right one?

Thanks

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[Lighthouse Phil]

The frequency of the testing depends on a number of factors. How often are they used, what kind of treatment do they recieve when in use, their storage, their age.
If the prison grauds are using them monthly for training, I'd be thinking about testing every 3 or 4 months.
Do the grauds do their own visual checks ?

 

[eletricaz]

The frequency of the testing depends on a number of factors. How often are they used, what kind of treatment do they recieve when in use, their storage, their age.
If the prison grauds are using them monthly for training, I'd be thinking about testing every 3 or 4 months.
Do the grauds do their own visual checks ?

Thanks for the reply Phil.

They are tested visually every week or supposed to be by the prison officers, and functionally every month by the fire officers (operational support grades with a badge for fire officer so not real fire officers). Some are more used than others ie in the seg where the naughty ones are kept, these are kept all around the prison over 30 in total and most of the residential ones are rarely used. Hope this helps

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