Inspection of fire-fighting installations

Royal Decree 513/2017, of 22 May, which approves the Regulation on fire protection installations, defines the conditions that must be met by the apparatus, equipment and systems used in fire protection, as well as the periodic inspections to which they must be subjected by Authorised Control Bodies. The Royal Decree also includes fire protection systems which, being newly created, were not covered by the previous regulations.

Types of inspection

Fire-fighting installations must undergo regulatory inspection by an accredited control body at least every ten years, when they are located in buildings intended for the following uses:

• Administrative use with a built surface area greater than or equal to 2000 m2.
• Educational use with a floor area greater than or equal to 2000 m2 * Commercial use with a floor area greater than or equal to 2000 m2
• Commercial use with a floor area greater than or equal to 500 m2 * Public use with a floor area greater than or equal to 500 m2
• Public use with a floor area greater than or equal to 500 m2 * Public use with a floor area greater than or equal to 500 m2
• Parking use with a built-up area greater than or equal to 500 m2 * Parking use with a built-up area greater than or equal to 500 m2
• Industrial establishments not covered by Royal Decree 2267/2004 * * Public residential use
• Public residential use
• Hospital use

Periodicity

Fire protection installations in the above-mentioned buildings must undergo their first periodic inspection ten years after they have been in service. For installations ten or more years old since they were put into service, the following maximum periods are established for the first inspection, to be counted from 13 December 2017 (date of entry into force of the new Regulation):

• Installations older than or equal to 20 years: one year.
• Installations older than or equal to 15 years but less than 20 years: two years.
• Installations older than or equal to 10 years and less than 15 years: three years.

Affected installations

• Fire detection and fire alarm systems
• Fire water supply systems
• Fire hydrant systems
• Fire extinguishers
• Equipped fire hydrant systems
• Dry standpipe systems
• Fixed automatic sprinkler and water spray extinguishing systems * Water mist extinguishing systems
• Fixed water mist extinguishing systems * Fixed water mist systems
• Fixed physical foam extinguishing systems
• Fixed powder extinguishing systems
• Fixed gaseous extinguishing systems
• Fixed condensed aerosol extinguishing systems
• Smoke and heat control systems
• Fire blankets
• Emergency lighting
• Luminescent signalling systems