Fire Damper Surveying, Testing and Remedial Works for Canford Healthcare.

Client Overview

Canford Healthcare operates a portfolio of care and residential homes across the UK, providing high-quality care in safe, comfortable, and compliant environments. As part of their ongoing commitment to safety and regulatory compliance, Canford Healthcare commissioned a comprehensive programme of fire damper surveys, testing, and remedial works to ensure alignment with current BS 9999 and HTM standards.

Project Partner

Nitor Ventilation Ltd, a specialist in ventilation and fire damper compliance, was appointed to deliver full fire damper asset tracing, intrusive surveys, functional testing, and remedial work proposals across multiple Canford Healthcare sites.

Objectives

The project aimed to:

• Identify and record all fire damper assets across each site through intrusive inspection and trace surveys.

• Evaluate compliance in accordance with British standards, manufacturer details, guidance, and best practices. Functionality test all accessible dampers to assess operational integrity and compliance.
• Evaluate performance against current fire safety and maintenance standards.

• Provide detailed remedial action plans for any non-compliant or defective dampers.

• Deliver all works with minimal disruption to residents and staff within active care home environments.

 

 

 

Approach

 

Pre-Survey Planning

Conducted a review of available drawings and previous records to understand existing installations.

Developed method statements and risk assessments specific to care home settings, prioritising infection control, noise management, and safeguarding considerations.

Intrusive Survey and Tracing

Nitor’s engineers carried out targeted access works to locate and verify fire damper positions across concealed ductwork systems.

All assets were tagged and recorded using Nitor’s digital asset management system to create a reliable, auditable record.

Testing and Evaluation

Each fire damper was manually tested to confirm correct operation and return functionality.

Defects, obstructions, or accessibility issues were documented with photographic evidence.

Reporting and Remedial Proposals

Comprehensive reports provided a site-by-site compliance overview, including risk categorisation and prioritised remedial actions.

Recommendations included repairs, access improvements, and maintenance scheduling to ensure future compliance. particular consideration due to the risk of sleep and evacuation procedures had to be taken into account t when selecting the correct route to remedial

Health and Safety Considerations

Given the live operational nature of the care homes, strict H&S protocols were observed:

All engineers were DBS-checked and trained in care home working environments.

Daily coordination with site managers ensured safe access planning and zero disruption to residents.

Works were conducted under infection control measures and in accordance with Care Quality Commission (CQC) expectations.

Results and Outcomes

Complete and verifiable fire damper asset register established across Canford Healthcare sites.

Identification of critical remedial works, supporting compliance with fire safety legislation and insurer requirements.

Improved visibility, traceability, and assurance for Canford Healthcare’s fire safety management.

Strengthened partnership between Nitor Ventilation and Canford Healthcare for ongoing planned preventative maintenance (PPM).

 

Key Takeaways

This project demonstrates Nitor Ventilation’s capability to deliver comprehensive fire safety assurance in sensitive, high-risk environments. Through structured planning, technical expertise, and an empathetic approach to care home operations, Nitor supported Canford Healthcare’s mission to maintain safe, compliant, and resilient buildings for residents and staff alike.

Our clients.