Inspections in accordance with building regulations

VdS has officially recognized experts throughout Germany who carry out tests on the basis of the legal requirements.

As part of the building regulations, the highest building supervisory authorities of the German federal states require building owners and operators to inspect safety-relevant systems and facilities. This includes structures and rooms of a special type and use, also known as special structures. Such installations include fire alarm systems, alarm systems, smoke extraction systems, fire extinguishing systems and fire protection closures in connection with rail-bound conveyor systems.

The inspections of these systems must be carried out before initial commissioning or after significant changes to the technical systems or building structures. In addition, periodic inspections are required depending on the type of system and federal state. The inspections are usually carried out by experts recognized under building regulations, whose certification is often required by the building supervisory authorities.

Structural fire protection includes measures such as the formation of fire compartments, the dimensioning of load-bearing structures and escape routes as well as the external access to the building for the fire department. VdS offers comprehensive inspections of these systems by experts recognized by the building authorities to ensure that all safety standards are met and potential weak points are identified.

The depth of the measures is also determined by the protection objectives to be applied; a distinction is generally made here between the protection objective “protection of people and animals” and the protection objective “protection of property”. Property protection requirements often go beyond the measures required under building law. The background to this is to minimize material damage to buildings in the event of a fire.

Parts of structural fire protection are not tested in the same way as fire protection systems. After completion, buildings may be subject to an acceptance test by the authorities in order to determine conformity with the building permit. Each client or owner/operator is responsible for constructing and maintaining buildings in accordance with the building permit.