Fire Alarms
Huddersfield Fire Alarms
Most UK businesses require an automatic fire alarm system. The decision on whether you need a fire alarm, and if so what type, should be determined through the results of a fire risk assessment. However the government guidelines are if you shout fire and cannot be heard everywhere in the building then you need a fire alarm system.
The British standard BS5839 has different guidelines for commercial and domestic premises. BS5839 part 1 applies to commercial whilst part 6 applies to domestic dwellings. It is not acceptable to fit part 6 equipment in a commercial environment and vice versa. So for instance battery operated or mains smoke detectors are not acceptable in a commercial building. A fire alarm in a UK business must have its own control panel and separately wired detectors, call points and sounders.
There are many misconceptions when it comes to fire alarms and many substandard installations carried out by unqualified engineers, spirited amateurs and electrical engineers. The Fire Safety Order requires you to use a competent person to install and maintain a system. The government advises that the simplest way to prove competence is via third-party certification such as the BAFE SP203 scheme. Saving a few pounds on an installation only to discover, after a fire, that it is inadequate can leave you in a difficult position.
To find out more watch this short video.
Fire alarms should be certified at every stage: design, installation, commissioning, handover and maintenance. All too often businesses find themselves at the end of a project (such as a new build) with authorities such as building control requiring all certification only to find an installer incapable of providing it and qualified companies unwilling to take it on.
When getting quotations it is wise, from the outset, to ensure the contractor is able to provide certificates for all the above mentioned modules.
We can certify every section and are available for advice or a free quotation at a time to suit you. Simply fill in the form on this page or call us on 01484 94 09 94.