Commercial Fire Alarm

It is a legal requirement to ensure that you have a working fire alarm system on your commercial premises. Though there are many different types of system, and the design can vary from one building to the next, yet every business or occupier has the duty to ensure that they have properly considered fire safety.

Types of Commercial Fire Alarm Systems

The types of fire alarms in commercial buildings vary. There are several key considerations that will determine the most appropriate system of fire detection and alarms for your premises. These include:

• The size of the building
• The type of business or activity carried out on the premises
• Whether the building is occupied 24 hours a day, or just during working hours
• The number of people who normally occupy the building

The most common types of commercial fire alarm systems are:

Addressable Fire Alarm Systems

Addressable fire alarm systems are the most advanced type of commercial fire alarm. They are made up of a series of devices, each with its own unique address. This allows the fire alarm control panel to pinpoint the location of a fire or smoke detector that has been triggered.

Conventional Fire Alarm Systems

Conventional fire alarm systems are made up of a series of devices that are all connected to the same circuit. When one device is triggered, it will set off all the other devices on the same circuit.

Wireless Fire Alarm Systems

Wireless fire alarm systems are becoming increasingly popular in commercial premises. Wireless fire alarm systems work by using radio waves to communicate between the devices.

Why You Need a Commercial Fire Alarm System

A commercial fire alarm system is an essential part of your business’s fire safety strategy. It will help to ensure that everyone in the building is aware of a fire, and can evacuate the premises quickly and safely.

A commercial fire alarm system can also help to prevent a fire from spreading by alerting the authorities as soon as possible or even triggering fire suppression systems.

Robinsons Facilities Services can help Yorkshire-based businesses with many aspects of fire safety, including risk assessments, and we can help you to ensure that your fire alarm system is legally compliant in line with The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

Commercial Fire Alarm System Maintenance

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 states that you must have a maintenance scheme and ensure that your fire detection equipment and alarms are maintained to a high standard.

If you make any significant changes in your business, such as adding new facilities or changing the volume of people on the premises regularly, you may also need an inspection to ensure that your risk assessment and fire alarm systems are fit for purpose.

Though you can perform weekly tests yourself, BS-5839 outlines the fact that every six months, a professional check of your fire alarm system is necessary to ensure it is fully functional.

How Are Fire Alarm Systems Tested and Maintained?

There are two types of tests that should be carried out.

Functional tests involve testing the fire alarm system to ensure that it will work in the event of a fire. This includes testing the smoke detectors, heat detectors, manual call points, and alarm sounders. Other equipment like fire doors also need regular maintenance.

Non-functional tests involve testing the fire alarm system to ensure that it is fit for purpose. This includes testing the power supply, batteries, cabling, and fire alarm control panel.

Our accredited safety professionals can advise on all aspects of fire system maintenance. From our Yorkshire base, we can visit your premises and provide you with a planned preventative maintenance schedule, ensuring that you remain safe and compliant at all times.

Working across Yorkshire, we cover North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Yorkshire and South Yorkshire and offer a fast, efficient response time to all breakdowns and repairs. Contact us today for all planned, reactive maintenance or emergency call out. Call 01423 226578 or get in touch to see how Robinsons Facilities Services can help.