The recently published Royal Decree 513/2017, of May 22, approving the Regulation on fire protection installations updates and revises the requirements established in the Regulation, approved by Royal Decree 1942/1993, of November 5.
Thus, the new regulation, in its sole repealing provision, repeals the aforementioned Royal Decree 1942/1993, of November 5, 1993, approving the Regulation on fire protection installations, as well as the Order of the Ministry of Industry and Energy, of April 16, 1998, on the rules of procedure and development of the aforementioned Royal Decree.
New Regulation on fire protection installations
The objective of the recent Regulation is to establish the conditions and requirements to be demanded for the design, installation/application, maintenance and inspection of the equipment, systems and components that make up the active fire protection installations.
In this sense, active fire protection is understood as the set of means, equipment and systems, whether manual or automatic, whose specific functions are the detection, control and/or extinction of a fire, facilitating the evacuation of the occupants and preventing the fire from spreading, thus minimizing personal and material losses.
Companies installing and maintaining fire protection installations are subject to compliance with the provisions of the standard. Likewise, the technical requirements of the Regulation will apply to manufacturers, importers, distributors or bodies involved in the certification or technical evaluation of products, and to all those who may be affected by the regulation.
One of the most important new features of the aforementioned standard is the obligation to carry out an inspection of fire protection systems at least every ten years by an accredited inspection body.
However, in accordance with the Fourth Transitional Provision, installations existing at the time of entry into force of the Regulation must undergo their first inspection 10 years after they are put into service.
Likewise, existing installations ten or more years old since they were put into service must undergo the first inspection within the following deadlines:
a) Facilities older than or equal to 20 years: within one year.
b) Facilities older than or equal to 15 years and less than 20 years: within two years.
c) Facilities older than or equal to 10 years and less than 15 years: within three years.
Finally, it should be noted that the Royal Decree will enter into force six months after its publication in the Official State Gazette.
