Recently, we have been getting a lot of questions from customers who are either thinking about or who are already using SFG20 to help maintain their smoke control systems. In this blog, we aim to answer some of the most common questions around what SFG20 is, how to use it and why it is beneficial.
What is SFG20?
Firstly, let’s look at what SFG20 is. The official SFG20 website explains it as such: "SFG20 is the standard maintenance specification for building engineering services. It is recognised as the industry standard and is an essential tool for planned maintenance. It is the benchmark for working standards; providing building owners, managers, contractors, consultants and end users with the tools to keep buildings properly maintained and compliant. SFG20 is made available through a dynamic web-based service which is updated in real-time.”
By providing you with access to a growing library of over 1,200 maintenance schedules that are updated as legislation changes, SFG20 enables you to stay compliant. The library of task schedules available covers all principal types of heating, cooling, ventilation, installation and plant, electrical services. It also allows you to create your own schedules if needed.
What does “SFG20” stand for?
SFG is the Service and Facilities Group, a specialist group within the Building Engineering Services Association who own and are responsible for the up keep of the standard.
Originally launched in 1990, BESA's SFG20 is recognised as the industry standard for building and planned maintenance specification.
How does SFG20 help save you time and money?
Because SFG20’s technical consultants are continuously monitoring and updating all the legislation and best practice with regards to its library of maintenance tasks, you will never be unprepared for legislative changes. You can also set up an automatic change notification that will email you if any changes that affect your tasks take place. This constant and automated response to legislative changes helps you keep schedules up to date and ensures that processes and systems can be proactively updated.
SFG20 building maintenance schedules include full detail on:
How critical is the task?
Colour-coded ratings help distinguish between work you have a legal obligation to complete and optional tasks, thereby helping you focus on the most important aspects of maintenance more easily.
Colour-coded criticality key:
The below image demonstrates the different ways in which the colour-coded criticality feature can help you manage your maintenance tasks.
How often a task needs to be carried out:
This enables you to avoid over or under maintaining assets.
What skill set is required to complete the task:
This covers areas such as mechanical, gas safe, electrical and so on and allows you to manage internal and external resources most efficiently.
SFG20 allows you to customise maintenance schedules to your individual requirements for specific buildings, projects or sites so you can create and respond to tenders, as well as auditing and managing existing contracts.
How to use SFG20 to maintain your smoke control systems
SFG20 codes for smoke control and smoke and fire dampers
Under SFG20/Core/Smoke Extract
52-02 : Natural
52-03 : Powered
52-04 : Curtains
Under SFG20/Core/Ventilation Ancillaries
64-10 : Car Park Ventilation System
64-11 : Powered Pressurisation Fan Systems
64-12 : Automatic Air Vents/Louvres
Under SFG20 /DAMPERS smoke & fire BS:9999
01-06 : Motor Driven Actuators
16-03 : Ducting - Volume Control Dampers and Fire/Smoke Dampers
These codes call for a once-a-year service by a certified competent company such as Colt. A six-monthly inspection is also required.
Quarterly, on-site inspections by an on-site maintenance team and weekly operational test by the on-site maintenance are also essential. If you do not have an on-site maintenance team, Colt can carry out these functions for you.
SFG20 is a web-based service that can be purchased on a subscription basis from the SGF20 website. If you think that SFG20 could help you streamline your maintenance tasks, reach out to them for more detail here: https://www.sfg20.co.uk/contact
If you already have SFG20, but need some help using it to its full potential, please contact Colt.