Essex · Fire damper testing
Fire Damper Testing in Abbey Field
One call covers fire damper testing in Abbey Field: survey, fixed quote, work and sign-off. CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, ISO 9001 and fully insured.
- Dampers clogged with dust or grease
- Dampers overdue for their annual drop test
- Blades that jam part-way when released
Fire damper testing for kitchens and businesses in Abbey Field
Under BESA guidance, every fire damper is tested on completion of installation and then at least once a year. Spring-operated dampers need testing every year as a minimum. Our job is to do the testing and hand you the paperwork that shows it. The work covers motorised smoke dampers, wall and floor dampers and riser dampers, and common reasons people get in touch are smoke dampers with no recent test and fire damper items raised by an assessor.
Buildings around Abbey Field may have just a handful of dampers, but each one still needs drop testing at least once a year, with a record of every result.
We are CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, we hold ISO 9001 and we are fully insured. On top of that, we are a BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite member, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease, trading since 2009.
- Place
- Abbey Field (CO2, CO3)
- Region
- Essex
- Reporting
- Report and photos after the visit
- Quotes
- A fixed price before any work starts
- When we work
- After hours by arrangement; emergencies any time
- Call
- 0345 646 2711
- Page updated
- 30 October 2026
What affects the cost of fire damper testing
Before we fix a price, we need to know a few things. We look at:
- The size of the system
- The condition of the system
- The times the site is available
- Site requirements such as sign-in and permits
One small site or a whole estate, we price it on the same basis: the work involved, the access and the timing. You will have a fixed price before we start.
What we need to know
What to send for a quote:
- The postcode and the type of business
- How we’d reach plant on a roof or in a plant room
- Your last certificate, test record or report
- Any access panels or hatches you can see
There’s no standard price list, because every site is different. Instead, we look at your site first, from pictures or a survey, then send a fixed quote. To get going, call us on 0345 646 2711 or drop us a line.
What your team can do, and what needs us
Some jobs should never be done in-house: opening up ductwork, cleaning fans, drop testing fire dampers and measuring grease call for the right kit, training and safe access. Leave those to us.
Good housekeeping makes our visits easier, not unnecessary. Regular in-house cleaning slows the build-up, but hidden parts of the system still need specialist attention.
When something else is needed
We’d rather tell you now than book work that will not help, so these are the things it won’t cover:
- Gaps in the wall or floor around the damper
- Faults in the alarm or building controls that signal smoke dampers
- Signing off a building’s overall fire safety
If you’re not sure, just phone us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email and we will give you a straight answer.
Parts of the system we cover
- Fusible link fire dampers
- Riser dampers
- Offices and schools
- Hospitals and care homes
- Motorised smoke dampers
- Wall and floor dampers
Abbey Field buildings and fire safety
There are about 16 schools, colleges and universities, about 24 caring premises (care homes, nurseries and hospitals) and about 6 hotels, B&Bs and guest houses on the FSA’s food hygiene register across Abbey Field and its immediate surroundings (about a mile and a half). If any of them has ducted ventilation, its dampers need an annual drop test at least. For Abbey Field, the closest hospital is Essex County Hospital, roughly 1.2 miles north. Healthcare buildings rely on fire compartments to protect people who can’t easily move, and dampers keep those compartments sealed. The fire and rescue service for Abbey Field is Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. In most workplaces and other non-domestic buildings, it’s the fire and rescue authority that enforces the Fire Safety Order.
A school like Montgomery Junior School can have any dampers tested over half-term without disturbing lessons. Essex County Hospital, about 1.2 miles north of Abbey Field, is the kind of building where dampers protect every compartment; smaller care sites need the same annual tests.
Abbey Field is about 1 mile south-east of Camulodunum, in Essex. We provide fire damper testing for businesses, landlords and public buildings in Abbey Field and the rest of Essex. Across Essex, we cover 644 places, and Abbey Field is one of them. Our Chelmsford page covers sites nearby, about 20 miles away.
Work in CO2 and CO3 is surveyed, quoted and booked the same way as anywhere else. That includes premises on Glebe Road, Layer Road and Menin Road and the roads around them. We also cover the places around Abbey Field: Camulodunum (1 mile north-west), Lexden (1 mile north-west), Colchester (1 mile north), Braiswick (2 miles north-west) and Malting Green (2 miles south). Further out, we also cover Braintree (14 miles west), Clacton-on-Sea (12 miles south-east), Maldon (13 miles south-west), Witham (12 miles south-west), Halstead (12 miles north-west) and Heybridge (12 miles south-west).
Local landmarks in Abbey Field
Locally, jobs take us to businesses close to The Drury Arms, Hilly Fields and The Thomas Lord Audley School. For rail, the closest station is Colchester Town station, about 1.3 miles north-east. Nearby you’ll also find Essex County Hospital (1.2 miles north) and Lion Walk (1.4 miles north). Open spaces near Abbey Field include Roman River Valley.
For landlords and multi-site operators
The Fire Safety Order 2005 puts the duty to manage fire risk on the responsible person, which may be the employer, owner, landlord, FM or managing agent. Where responsibility is shared, records matter even more.
We regularly work with managing agents. Tell us the site, the work and the access arrangements, and we’ll send a fixed quote.
Your questions about fire damper testing in Abbey Field
Can you test school fire dampers in Abbey Field out of term?
Yes. Half-terms and the summer break are the natural time for school work. The FSA’s register shows about 16 schools and colleges with food registrations within roughly a mile and a half of Abbey Field. Tell us your holiday dates and we will book the visit for when the site is empty.
Which fire service covers Abbey Field?
That is Essex County Fire and Rescue Service. Keep each damper test report with the fire risk assessment and the building’s log book, ready to show.
Is TR19 a legal requirement?
Not in itself. Insurers, fire officers and EHOs look to TR19® as the benchmark, and many insurance policies ask for proof of TR19® cleaning. The law behind it is the Fire Safety Order 2005, which applies in England and Wales.
Where does the waste go?
We take it away when we go. During the work, it’s contained so the area stays clean.
Do you test smoke dampers as well?
Yes. We test smoke dampers through their control system, as they’re motor driven. Each one is checked for full travel and the result recorded.
Can you fix fire dampers that fail?
Failed dampers are reported and we can quote to repair or replace them. After the repair, we test it again so the record shows a pass.
Are you fully insured?
Yes. Full insurance covers our work and have been trading since 2009.
Can you quote from photos?
Often, yes. With good photos, the site type and your last report, we can price many jobs. Larger or hidden systems need a survey on site first.
What happens if it’s left?
Your fire risk assessor or insurer may want evidence that dampers have been tested. Having a current report ready for a building in Abbey Field saves a scramble when someone asks. Booking now means the visit to Abbey Field is planned around you, not forced by a breakdown.
We don’t list prices on the website, because each job is priced on what it involves. For a fixed quote, call us on 0345 646 2711, or send details by email, and we’ll explain what it covers.
Why Abbey Field businesses choose us
- Fixed quotes, usually within one working day
- Member of BESCA Vent Hygiene Elite, cleaning to BESA TR19® Grease
- CHAS and SafeContractor accredited, with ISO 9001
- In business since 2009
The process
There’s very little for your team to do on the day. A contact on site lets us in at the agreed time and points us to the system, and we take it from there. Before we leave, the area is tidied and the paperwork follows. Evenings, weekends or a closed day all work for a site in a place like Abbey Field.
- First we look at any damper register, drawings or earlier test reports.
- Each damper is located and reached through its access panel.
- We release each fire damper blade and operate smoke dampers from their controls.
- We reset every damper that passes and check it’s left open.
- The results go into a report, with failed dampers and remedials listed.
Getting ready for the visit
- Mention any sign-in, permit or induction we need
- Plan for cooking equipment or plant to be off before we arrive
- Let us know how we reach the system, including roofs, risers and plant rooms
Getting a quote
Some systems can be priced from photos; others need a survey. Larger sites, and anything hidden behind walls, ceilings or floors, are normally surveyed first. Either way, the quote is fixed before any work is booked.
Advice
Different parts, different methods
Schools, hospitals and care homes
Buildings where people sleep or need help to leave rely heavily on compartments holding fire back. Annual damper testing is part of keeping that in place.
Ceiling voids and risers
Risers and service shafts often hold dampers at each floor. Testing goes floor by floor so each one is accounted for.