Inspection of Fire Dampers
CEAG, HELIOS, KUFLER, NORDLUFT, SCHAKO, STADLER, STRULIK, TROX, WILDEBOER


Overview of the most important dates:
- at the latest until 30 September 1984 (depending on the manufacturer), TROX until June 1981:
asbestos-containing damper blades, stop gaskets and other construction elements - until 31 July 1988 (TROX, SCHAKO), until mid August 1988 (WILDEBOER):
asbestos-containing stop gaskets ("Litaflex") and sporadically fiber cement - at the latest from the beginning of 1989 (for all manufacturers): asbestos-free


Nowadays, about 500,000 of the old asbestos-containing fire dampers are still in operation. After a long period of operation, many of them show clear symptoms of aging (especially at the stop gaskets).

with adhesions on the flap

In the current "LV 45 Guidelines on the Ordinance on Hazardous Substances" of the LASI (Länderausschuss für Arbeitsschutz und Sicherheitstechnik - State Committee for Occupational Safety and Safety Technology) of October 2018, the new knowledge about the fiber release potential, especially during inspection/maintenance work, is already taken into account.
In addition, the protective measures listed in the Hazardous Substances Ordinance for asbestos exposure (multi-chamber airlocks with negative pressure maintenance, etc.), which correspond to the specifications of TRGS 519 for "Demolition and Restoration Work on Weakly Bound Asbestos Products" (Section 14), must also be taken into account.
Due to the current legal requirements, the overall cost of operating and maintaining (functional testing) fire dampers containing asbestos has increased significantly, so that in addition to the fire protection aspects, a reconstruction is now also recommended from an economic point of view.


The current state of the art is an individual assessment of the fire dampers with regard to their condition by an asbestos expert and the grading of the fire dampers into damage categories depending on the assumed risk of fiber release.
For this purpose, the Gesamtverband Schadstoffsanierung (GVSS) published in March 2021 the „Handlungsempfehlungen zum Umgang mit asbesthaltigen Brandschutzklappen“ (Recommendations for the handling of fire dampers containing asbestos) prepared by the working group "Asbesthaltige Brandschutzklappen" (Fire dampers containing asbestos), in which the LGA-IUA is also involved. The publication summarizes the current state of knowledge in the handling of fire dampers containing asbestos. It is aimed at operators and building owners, construction experts and specialist companies in the fields of fire protection and technical building equipment. The aim is to provide recommendations for the safe handling of fire dampers containing asbestos from an expert's point of view, as long as there are no corresponding specifications from the state and/or the professional associations.
Since it is often not possible to replace all the fire dampers in a building at the same time for organizational and financial reasons, the "prioritization" by the asbestos expert with recommendation of the sequence of demolition or reconstruction introduced with the „Handlungsempfehlungen zum Umgang mit asbesthaltigen Brandschutzklappen“ (Recommendations for the handling of fire dampers containing asbestos) is useful. This also serves as a basis for coordination between the building owner, building authorities and fire protection experts.
During the inspection, the asbestos expert also documents the environment of the fire damper (access, room dimensions, etc.) and analyzes it for the presence of other materials suspected of containing asbestos (fire protection boards, mortar, fillers, flange gaskets, etc.) and other components containing harmful substances (e.g. old mineral wool). These aspects must also be taken into consideration during a demolition or reconstruction.
Our services to you include:
- Expert assessment of fire dampers with analysis for evidence of asbestos
- Assessment of the current condition and grading into damage categories / priority levels according to the GVSS recommendations for action
- Technical investigation in the surrounding area of the fire dampers (collection and analysis of material samples)
- Contaminant register
- Renovation and disposal concepts
- Occupational safety concepts
- Bidding documents
- Project management, remediation and dismantling supervision
The General Association of Hazardous Material Remediation (Gesamtverband Schadstoffsanierung, GVSS) has certified us as "Remediation experts for surveying and planning" for the remediation of buildings and plants impacted with contaminants.
Moreover the LGA-IUA is qualified as "Examination Center for Contaminated Building Materials and Construction Waste" to perform external quality controls and take on tasks as head technical expert.
The German Demolition Association (Deutscher Abbruchverband, DA) has officially recognized Dr. Kisskalt as an "expert advisor" for the categories "general demolition", "hazardous building materials" and "waste management".