Japan – the Philippines International Forum on Fire and Disaster Management

Japanese Fire Protection Equipment
Certification System- Inspection and Self-Labeling Systems -Nov 28, 2018

Fire and Disaster Management Agency
Director for Fire Equipment
Mitsuteru MAEHARA

1

CERTIFICATION SYSTEMin JAPAN2

PURPOSE of CERTIFICATION SYSTEM
Requirements forfire protection
equipment• Precaution against fire all the time
• Proper operations in case of fire, etc.

What is necessary
for theserequirements• Define performance and functions that the equipment
must make sure to do• Design and manufacture the equipment with ensuring
the appropriate performance and functions• Proper installation• Proper control and maintenanceTechnical standards
Inspection andself-labeling system
Installation
standards / inspection
Check list / report

Items subject to the inspection/self-labeling systems

Fire protection equipment and tools which come under the followings.
・ Since the equipment is used and operated only in emergency conditions such as fire incident, it is difficult forusers to check its performance in advance・Malfunction of the equipment will cause serious troubles for fire-fighting activities
Subject to inspection
The equipment that is strongly required to beinspected in advance by a third party.

Subject to self-labeling
The equipment which is not necessarily supposed to
be inspected by a third party but may have thesecurement of its performance under theresponsibility of manufacturers.
3ABOUT INSPECTION AND SELF-LABELING SYSTEMSRegulation of sales of the fire protection equipment and tools

The system prohibits sale, display, construction usage, etc, of items without attached the marking specified by laws

Self-labeling system

Inspection system(Self-certification)(Certification by competent authorities)

Carried out byinspection agency

Conducting inspection
andgranting compliancemarkingMarking specified by laws

Carried out bymanufacturer

Marking specified by laws

ClassEquipment and tools subject to inspection

Equipment and tools subject to self-labeling system

Applicableitems

12 items

6 items

・Approval and grant of a model number.
・The Japan Fire Equipment Inspection Institute or aregistered inspection authority verifies that theOutline of theproduct conforms to the granted model and gives anSystem
acceptance marking if the test is passed.
・Without this acceptance marking stamped, sale,display, construction usage, etc., are prohibited.
ImplementingbodyThe Japan Fire Equipment Inspection Instituteor a registered inspection authority

・Notification to Minister for Internal Affairs andCommunications
・Manufacturer or importer does a self check if the productcomplies with Ministerial Ordinance and attaches thecorrespondent compliance marking.
・Without this compliance marking stamped, sale, display,construction usage, etc., are prohibited.

Manufacturers or importers

4

INSPECTION SYSTEM

5

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS SUBJECT TO INSPECTION
Type

Item

Acceptance markFire extinguishers

Description

Manuallyoperated
equipmentforfire
extinguishing by emitting water or other fire
extinguishing agent under pressure.
Label

Fire extinguishing

Fire extinguishing agentsfor fire extinguishers※Excluding equipment used in fixed condition and simple aerosol fireextinguishers.

Fire extinguishing agents for fire extinguishers(excluding carbon dioxide).

Foam concentrates
Stamp

Closed‐type sprinkler heads

Label or Marking

Fire extinguishing agent that, produces a foam used
for fire extinguishing when mixed with water in
specified concentration, and then mixed with air oran inert gas.
Devices used in sprinklers and other fire
extinguishing equipment, which automaticallydisperse pressurized water evenly in a circle or asemicircle around the axis of the head, when
detecting the temperature reaching a certain level.

6EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS SUBJECT TO INSPECTION
Type

Item

Acceptance mark

Water flow detecting devices

Description

Fire extinguishing

Devices used in sprinklers and other fire
extinguishing equipment, that automatically detect
water flow in valve body due to operation of thesprinkler, open the valve and issue a signal or alarm.

Deluge valves
punch

Metallic escape ladders

Evacuation

Label

Devices that open valves by actuation of a fire sensor
head or the like, installed in a water discharge areaof a sprinkler, supplying water from a water source tothe open head or the like of the discharge area.
Ladders, made of metal, installed on balconies or
the like, used for evacuation in case of fire to a
directly lower floor or a ground floor.
Divided into 3 broad categories depending on usage:
fixed ladders, leaning ladders and suspendedladders.

Descending lifelines

Evacuation devices that help evacuees descentautomatically at a constant speed alternately andcontinuously under user’s weight.
LabelEQUIPMENT AND TOOLS SUBJECT TO INSPECTION
Type

Item

Acceptance markDescription

Alarms

Detectors or manual call pointsof fire detection and alarmsystems

Sensors
Devices that automatically detect the occurrenceof fire with censoring heat, smoke or flame causedby the fire, and send fire signal, etc., to a repeater,
receiver or fire extinguishing equipment.
Transmitters
Devices to manually send fire signal to a receiver.

Input/output devices

Devices used in fire alarm equipment or gas
leakage fire alarm equipment, that receive firesignals and transmit them to another repeater,
receiver or fire extinguishing equipment.

LabelControl panels

Devices used in fire alarm equipment or gas
leakage fire alarm equipment, that receive fire
signals and inform persons responsible for fire
protection about the occurrence of fire, gas leaks
and operation of fire extinguishing equipment.

Household disaster prevention
alarmsFire alarm devices consisting from sensing andalarm modules that detect and announce theoccurrence of fire in houses beforehand or at an
early stage.
Sensors are divided into two broad categories smoke and thermal, according to the sensing
method,.

Label or Marking

Flow chart of mandatory inspection
4. Application formodel approval
5. Model approval

Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Communications

1. Application for model test
3. Notice of the result of model test

Applicant

6. Application for model
conformity mandatory inspection
7. Conduct of model conformity
mandatory inspection

Japan Fire Equipment
Inspection InstituteOr
Registered inspection
bodies

2. Model test

First test
・Second test

8. Shipment of product

User9Model Test
Model test (First test)
ApplicantApplication for testing<Main Submissions>・Test sample
・Design drawings
・Product specification

Example of model test (in the case of fire extinguisher)

Japan Fire Equipment
Inspection Instituteor
Registered inspection
bodies

Implementation of various tests
Fire fightingtest

Dischargetest

Pressuretest

Physicalproperty test

Impacttest

Dimension
measurement

Result→To the secondtest→

Nonconformity
10noticeModel Test
Model test (Second test)

Conducted at the applicant's factory

Examination of manufacturing process andquality management

Factory

Inspector
Example of the second test (in the case of fire extinguishers)
Implementation ofvarious tests
Discharge test

Examination of manufacturing process
Testing and measuring
equipment
Confirmation of theinstallment ofnecessary testing andmeasuring equipmentused for lot inspection

Pressure test

Manufacturing process
Review of themanufacturing processfrom receipt ofmaterials for main
components etc. toshipping

①

②

ＣＨＥＣＫ

ＣＨＥＣＫ

→ Conformity notice

Applicant’s producttest system
Review of theapplicant’s product test
system in the
manufacturing process

③

ＣＨＥＣＫ

→ Nonconformity
notice11

Mandatory Model Conformity Inspection toward product shipment
Mandatory Model Conformity Inspection / Lot Inspection
Inspector

Visits and carries out at the applicant’s factory

Preparation of sampling test

Examination of documents
Application form

1. Confirm the quantity of each item subject toinspection
2. Extraction for sampling test
3. Marking of samples to prevent wrong-doing

Inspection
item list

Examination of documents

Pick-up at random
Examination of self-test results,
conducted by the applicant
themselves

Sampling test
through various inspections
Discharge test

Factory

Label of approval

Pressure test

ＣＨＥＣＫ

Dimension
Physicalmeasurement property test

Judgement totest results-> Indication of approval-> Product shipment-> Lot failed(Applicants investigates the causes of failure - to12prevent recurrence.)

SELF-LABELING SYSTEM

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EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS SUBJECT TO SELF-LABELING
Item

Acceptance markPower driven fire pumps

Fire Pump
VehicleMarking

Portable Pump

Description

Pump equipment for fire fighting comprising apump, an internal combustion engine or othermechanism for driving the pump having equivalentor better performance, and other necessary
machinery and equipment. Fire pumps are divided
into two types: fire pump vehicle and portable pump.

Fire Horses
Flat hoses, shape holding hoses, hoses for large
capacity foam water cannons and wet fire hoses.
Marking

Fire Suction Tubes
A conduit connected to suction inlet of a power
driven fire pump used to transfer water.
Marking14

EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS SUBJECT TO SELF-LABELING
Item

Acceptance mark４Coupling for Fire Horses

Punch or Marking

Description

Couplings attached to the ends of hoses or tubes,
used to connect fire hoses or suction tubes to otherhoses or tubes, fire pumps, etc. There are insertion
type couplings, screw type couplings, and also
insertion type and screw type couplings for large
capacity foam water cannons.

5 Aerosol type disposable Fire extinguisher

Fire extinguishing devices to manually operate fordischarging water or other fire extinguishing agents
under pressure, with internal volume not exceeding
1 liter.
６Electric leakage fire alarm devices

Marking

Devices composed of transformer and receiver, that
detect leakage current in warning circuit with voltage
up to 600V, and inform person responsible for fire
protection.

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Flow Chart in Self-Labelling System
2. Reporting

Ministry of Internal Affairs
and Communications
Japan Fire Equipment
Inspection Institute

1. To check conformityof product to thestandards

Manufacturer
3. Self model conformity
orImporter Inspection/Lot inspection

Allowed to outsource the conformity checks
described at 1&3 to Japan Fire Equipment
Inspection Institute.

4. Shipment of product

User16

Thank you very muchfor listening.

Fire Prevention Division, FDMA17