Do I Need a Fire Alarm
Fire and rescue services attended 582,551 incidents across the UK during the year ending September 2018. Whilst working fire alarms cannot prevent a fire from occurring, they can rapidly reduce the risk of the fire proving fatal by alerting those in the vicinity that smoke or heat has been detected.
In the UK, it is mandatory that all businesses have “an appropriate fire detection system’. If you are unsure whether there are appropriate precautions in place to alert everyone in your building of a fire, then consult your Fire Risk Assesment document. If you do not have a Fire Risk Assesment, then you should hire a professional to carry one out for you or do it yourself.
How Often does a Fire Alarm Need to be Serviced?
The law does not give a specific time-frame for fire alarm servicing but instead states that a fire alarm system should be “adequately maintained”. British Standard 5839 states that a fire alarm should be serviced every 6 months and this timeframe is supported by the government.
In larger buildings, it is often recommended that a fire alarm system is serviced as often as every 3 months, as the larger amount of components in such systems gives a higher chance of issues occurring.
How Can I Test my Fire Alarm?
Testing your fire alarm is different from having a regular service and both should be carried out. BS 5839 is the standard that the UK government suggests is followed when it comes to fire alarm maintenance and suggests that fire alarms are tested weekly.
During a fire alarm service, a thorough inspection of all the elements in your system will be conducted. On the other hand, a fire alarm test is just an overview to check that everything is in working order and to catch potential problems.
During the fire alarm test, make sure that no components of the alarm have been damaged and sound the alarm for a few seconds to test that it works.
London Electricians
Here at London Electricians, we carry out fire alarm servicing and repairs across London. If you would like to book with us, please call today on 020 8728 9179 or send your enquiry through to our online contact form
