ES · Expiry & renewal tracking
Keep the 3- and 6-monthly fire protection checks up to date
Active fire protection equipment in Spain is checked at least every three and every six months under Table I of Annex II of RIPCI (Royal Decree 513/2017, Article 21.1); the owner's own staff, the manufacturer or a maintenance company may do it. Each check is recorded in reports kept for five years.
Active fire protection equipment and systems follow the manufacturer's maintenance programme and, as a minimum, the tasks in Tables I and II of Annex II of Spain's Fire Protection Installations Regulation (RIPCI, Royal Decree 513/2017). Annex II sets the maximum time allowed between two consecutive maintenance operations (Article 21.1). Table I lists the tasks every three and every six months; Table II the annual and five-yearly ones.
Table I tasks may be carried out by staff of the manufacturer or of a maintenance company meeting Article 16, or by the user's or owner's own staff (Annex II, paragraph 3). Table II tasks may only be carried out by the manufacturer or a maintenance company (paragraph 4).
Each maintenance is recorded in reports with general information on the installation and, for each product or system, the tasks done and their results. If the owner does them, the UNE 23580 format is not mandatory, but the reports must contain the minimum information and be signed by the person who did the work and the property's representative (Annex II, paragraph 5). Both the company and the owner keep records for at least five years (paragraph 6 and Article 21.2).
At a glance
| Equipment or system | Every three months | Every six months |
|---|---|---|
| Detection and alarm: general | Operation on each power source, control panel indications, batteries and transmission equipment | — |
| Detection and alarm: power supplies | Mains failure changeover test and operation on batteries | — |
| Manual call points | Signage | Location, visibility, access and condition |
| Alarm sounders and beacons | Visual and audible alarms; public address system where applicable | — |
| Fire extinguishers | Location, access, instructions, pressure, seals and signage | — |
| Fire hose reels (BIE) | Signage, access, gauge pressure and components | — |
| Hydrants | Access, tightness, caps, threads and seals | Greasing and opening and closing, with main valve and drain |
| Dry risers | — | Access, signage, caps and operation of valves |
| Fixed extinguishing systems | Nozzles and sprinklers, visual condition, gauges and signage | Pipes and tanks, valves open and power to pumps |
| Fire water supply | Inspection of components, automatic and manual operation, batteries and levels | Valve greasing, packing glands, motor speed and power supply |
| Smoke and heat control | Obstructions or building changes and visual inspection | Manual activation of components and cleaning |
Summary of Table I of RIPCI Annex II; the BOE text details each task. For extinguishers, the quarterly check is also met by the quarterly programme in standard UNE 23120.
Who is responsible?
The user or owner can carry out Table I tasks with its own staff or hire a maintenance company (Annex II, paragraph 3). The maintenance company must tell the owner when periodic tasks are due, issue a maintenance certificate with the checklists and deliver a technical report on equipment with defects it cannot fix (Article 17.c, e and f).
If the deadline passes
Infringements of the RIPCI and its annexes are classified and penalised under Title V of Industry Act 21/1992 (Article 23). Maintenance reports must be available to the regional authority's services for at least five years (Article 21.2).
Annual and five-yearly tasks: maintenance company only
The owner can handle the three- and six-monthly checks, but the annual and five-yearly tasks in Table II may only be carried out by staff of the manufacturer or of a maintenance company meeting Article 16 (Annex II, paragraph 4). It helps to keep each frequency as its own date.
Tracking it with ExpirySuite
- Add each installation with two dates: the next quarterly check and the next six-monthly check.
- Email reminders arrive 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before and on the day itself.
- If a maintenance company does the work, it can upload the report through a secure link that is valid for 14 days and needs no account.
- Assign a responsible person, such as the maintenance manager; emails arrive in each recipient's language. If a date passes, managers get further reminders 3, 7 and 14 days later.
- Create separate entries for the annual and five-yearly maintenance by a maintenance company.
Frequently asked questions
- Can the owner carry out the quarterly maintenance?
- Yes. Tasks in Tables I and III of Annex II may be done by the manufacturer's staff, a maintenance company or the user's or owner's own staff (Annex II, paragraph 3, RD 513/2017).
- What is checked on extinguishers every three months?
- That they are in place, suitable for the risk, visible and accessible, with legible instructions, pressure in the operating zone, metal parts in good condition, seals intact, not discharged, and properly signed (Annex II, Table I).
- How long are the reports kept?
- At least five years, by both the company and the owner, available to the regional authority (Annex II, paragraph 6, and Article 21.2).
- Who carries out the annual checks?
- Only staff of the manufacturer or of a maintenance company meeting Article 16 (Annex II, paragraph 4).
Sources
Last checked: Sep 30, 2026 · This page summarises official sources for general information and is not legal advice. Check the linked sources for current rules and fees.
Made for fire protection maintenance, 3/6-monthly (RIPCI) (Spain)
A ready template for fire protection maintenance, 3/6-monthly (RIPCI) (Spain) with sensible validity defaults, so you enter less and track more.
Reminders on time
Email alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 day before each fire protection maintenance, 3/6-monthly (RIPCI) (Spain) expires, plus overdue escalation to managers.
Assign an owner
Give each fire protection maintenance, 3/6-monthly (RIPCI) (Spain) an owner and let employees update their own via a secure link — no login needed.