VdS-Schadenverhuetung Technische Pruefstelle
 

Branches in Germany

Germany: Postcode areas 32 - 37, 40 - 48, 50 - 59, 61, 65, 66 Belgium, Greece, UK, Luxembourg, Turkey

Germany: Postcode areas 8 - 31, 38, 39, 49 Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden

Germany: Postcode areas 10, 13 - 17

Germany: Postcode areas 01 - 04, 06 - 09, 95, 96, 98, 99 Croatia

Germany: Postcode areas 80 - 94 Italy, Austria

Germany: Postcode areas 60, 63, 64, 67 - 79, 97 France, Portugal, Spain

Contacts in other European countries

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus

fax_icon
+48 (0)22 6491 955

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary

For countries not listed, please contact us:

VdS Schadenverhütung Technical Testing Centre

VdS area of expertise

VdS Technical Inspection Services

115 years of experience in fire prevention and protection. Since fire extinguishing technology has existed in Europe, its reliability has been tested by VdS. VdS is the first and currently the only state-accredited test centre for stationary automatic fire protection systems (in accordance with ISO 17020 by DAkkS - the German Accreditation Authority).

Fire prevention and protection on site. Our teams of experts assess more than 30,000 fire protection systems worldwide every year. Thanks to their many years of field experience and global networking, the experts at the Technical Inspection Services have in-depth detailed knowledge. In addition, we and our customers benefit from the results of the VdS- laboratories. Thanks to our infrastructure, which is unique in Europe, we can offer testing of all types of fire prevention and protection technology. And: VdS plays a decisive role in all relevant national and international committees and regulations. Plan, first and repeated tests by the state-approved VdS experts give operators the assurance that their life-saving fire protection technology works under all operating conditions.

Among other things, the testing services of the Technical Inspection Services include:

  • Water, gas and special extinguishing systems
  • Fire alarm and detection systems
  • Wall/external hydrants and risers
  • Smoke extraction systems
  • Fire protection closures
  • Voice alarm systems
  • Special fire protection systems such as oxygen reduction systems

Everything from one source

  • On request, simultaneous actuarial examination with proof of compliance with building law requirements. This saves costs and valuable time.
  • Of course, we are also happy to combine the required tests of existing fire protection systems, e.g. fire alarm and fire extinguishing systems.
  • In addition to the well-known practical VdS-guidelines, national and international standards or, for example, the regulations of NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) and FM (Factory Mutual) can also be used as a test basis.

Optimum fire prevention and protection is determined by a large number of variables. Fire protection systems can only guarantee safety reliably and effectively if they are tailored to the specific requirements of the operators, interfaces are planned without errors and interactions are clearly defined. Comprehensive plant-related fire protection begins in the planning phase.

  

The initial inspection of a newly installed fire protection system means a thorough examination of the system "through and through".

  • Does the scope of protection comply with legal and insurance requirements?
  • Is the quantity of extinguishing agent sufficiently measured and adapted to the existing object of protection?
  • Is the functional interaction of the components ensured?

  

Changed general conditions such as changes in the use of buildings and rooms or the changeover to other storage materials can impair the effectiveness of fire protection systems. For this reason, in addition to the initial inspection, a regular repeat inspection by VdS experts must be carried out, for example at semi-annual or annual intervals.

  

 

The most senior Building Inspection Authorities of the individual Federal States in Germany, as legislators in the Building Code of the Federal States, require the building owner or operator to inspect safety-relevant systems and facilities; in structural facilities and rooms of a special type and use (so-called special buildings).

  

 

Hydrant systems ensure both self-protection for everyone in case of fire and the water supply for the fire brigade. For this reason, the individual ordinances of the federal states now also increasingly require initial and recurring inspections of hydrant systems by experts.

  

Voice-activated alarm systems are becoming increasingly more important because, after a fire has been detected, they can also guide people who are unfamiliar with the location, e.g. in shopping arcades and department stores, to safety by means of targeted announcements. Voice activated alarm systems enable various automatic messages as well as situation-dependent live announcements by security personnel or the fire department in all affected areas.

  

In high rooms such as production halls, atriums or airport terminals as well as in server rooms with a high air exchange rate, smoke may be detected too late. In these critical environments, VdS determines the optimal project planning of smoke detectors using a smoke generator developed in-house.

  

Ageing processes and other influences can completely seal pipe networks - watertight!

Sprinkler pipes corrode and are subject to other atmospheric and operational environmental conditions. These influences have a considerable impact on the reliability and effectiveness of extinguishing systems. The sprinklers and the pipe network are particularly affected, which can only be subjected to visual inspection from the outside as part of the recurring tests.

  

If gas extinguishing systems are a building block in the protection concept, it is important to know how airtight the room to be protected is. VdS has developed a so-called "door fan test" for this purpose. In this test, different pressure conditions are generated in the protected area and all outflows are measured. In this way, one knows exactly how large the leakage area is in each location.

  

Fire protection closures (including self-closing doors, flaps, curtains) are designed to prevent the passage of fire or smoke through openings in walls and ceilings for a defined period of time. In many areas of application such as industrial plants, airports, meeting places or warehouses, fire protection closures are a decisive protective measure.

  

Special extinguishing systems are systems for special applications. Examples are spark extinguishing systems and extinguishing systems for kitchen protection.

  

In addition to the VdS expert examinations, our experts offer to work out a practice-oriented protection concept together with the operator and to carry out the training of the employees. The employees will then know exactly what to do when a gas extinguishing system is triggered.

  

For special questions of fire protection in plant engineering, our experts examine fire protection issues and prepare corresponding expert reports. They support the operator, for example, in the evaluation of protection concepts, in the elimination of deficiencies or by analysing the function of the extinguishing systems in an emergency.

  

Branch offices in Germany

Branch office Hamburg

+49 (0) 40 25 19 41 0

tphamburg@vds.de

 

Branch office Munich

Area of responsibility

CH, AUT 

+49 (0) 89 54 46 26 0 

tpmuenchen@vds.de

 

Branch office Cologne (Head Office)

+49 (0) 22 12 85 88 00 

tpkoeln@vds.de

 

Branch office Berlin

+49 (0) 30 55 49 33 13

tpberlin@vds.de

 

Branch office Darmstadt

+49 (0) 61 51 99 58 88 0

tpdarmstadt@vds.de

 

Branch office Plauen

+49 (0) 37 41 38 32 93 0 

tpplauen@vds.de

 

Branch office Cologne (Head Office)

+49 (0) 22 12 85 88 00 

tpkoeln@vds.de

 

    Branches in Germany

    Germany: Postcode areas 32 - 37, 40 - 48, 50 - 59, 61, 65, 66 Belgium, Greece, UK, Luxembourg, Turkey

    Germany: Postcode areas 8 - 31, 38, 39, 49 Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden

    Germany: Postcode areas 10, 13 - 17

    Germany: Postcode areas 01 - 04, 06 - 09, 95, 96, 98, 99 Croatia

    Germany: Postcode areas 80 - 94 Italy, Austria

    Germany: Postcode areas 60, 63, 64, 67 - 79, 97 France, Portugal, Spain

    Contacts in other European countries

    Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus

    fax_icon
    +48 (0)22 6491 955

    Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary

    For countries not listed, please contact us:

    VdS Schadenverhütung Technical Testing Centre

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