Home Chimney sweeping and fire safety inspection
Two separate assignments carried out on behalf of the municipality. Sweeping removes flammable deposits; the fire safety inspection examines the fire protection of the whole installation. We carry out both in Hedemora municipality, and the sweeping in Säter municipality.
The Civil Protection Act
The Swedish Civil Protection Act (Lagen om skydd mot olyckor) and its ordinance came into force on 1 January 2004. The Act makes the municipality responsible, as a fire-prevention measure, for ensuring that chimney sweeping and fire safety inspections are carried out.
In the past, “sweeping” meant cleaning and a simpler fire safety check done at the same time. The work is now divided into two separate assignments: sweeping, and fire safety inspection.
Chimneys have been swept in Sweden for almost as long as we have used fireplaces for heating and cooking. A large share of all house fires are related to fireplaces and chimneys. Sweeping removes flammable deposits to reduce the risk of fire, and it is an important part of preventing fires in people’s homes.
The sweeping intervals have been set by the board of the Södra Dalarna Rescue Services Association. The board decided that the regulations and general guidance on cleaning (sweeping) and fire safety inspection, MSBFS 2014:6, shall define the intervals for sweeping and fire safety inspection in all of the association’s member municipalities. The mean annual temperature is assessed as 5 °C throughout the area.
Read MSBFS 2014:6 (in Swedish)Fire safety inspection
The inspection aims to find faults and defects in the installation so that damage caused by fire can be avoided. It checks that the installation’s function and properties, from a fire safety point of view, essentially meet the requirements that applied when it was first taken into use.
To detect, at an early stage, any faults or defects in the installation that could pose a fire risk. It is all about your safety.
The inspection is mainly visual. If a fault is suspected that cannot be confirmed that way, it may need to be extended with testing or measurement.
Fire safety inspections may only be carried out by someone appointed by the municipality and authorised for the task. In Hedemora municipality this is Skrået Skorstensfejeri Dalarna AB. In Säter municipality it is the fire safety inspection unit of Räddningstjänsten Dala Mitt, the regional rescue service.
The inspection covers the fireplace and the room it stands in, the chimney through every floor including attics and above the roof, and the safety equipment on the roof. Every space the flue passes through must be accessible.
Fire safety inspections follow the intervals set by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Depending on the type of installation and how it is used, the interval is 2, 3 or 6 years.
The municipal council has adopted a rate for fire safety inspections that sets the fee paid by the property owner. Additional charges may apply for work such as temperature measurement, pressure measurement, pipe pressure testing or leakage measurement.
Before the visit
During the visit, the inspector will also give advice on fire extinguishers and smoke alarms.
Your invoice
The basic fee is the starting cost charged to every property owner, regardless of the work done in the house. It covers the administrative work done at the office, and an average of the time it takes the sweep to travel between jobs during the day.
The property owner is always responsible for fire safety in the property (Civil Protection Act, chapter 2, section 2). If the tenant — the restaurant — does not pay for the cleaning or otherwise fails to meet its obligations, we turn to the property owner.
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The documents below are published in Swedish.