TEST
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
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).
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.
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.
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

Quicklinks
Field of competence
Certified competence
Publications
Info brochures
VdS 5575 - Active principle tests
VdS 5490 - Your fire prevention and protection on site: VdS Technical Inspection Services
VdS 5485 - Testing of fire alarm systems
VdS 5481 - Testing of conveyor system terminations
VdS 5463 - Smoke tests for critical fire alarm projects
VdS 5484 - Testing of old installations
VdS 5465 - Testing of voice alarm systems
VdS 5462 - Tests of wall hydrants
VdS 5490en - Fire Protection on Site: The VdS Inspection Services