To ensure your fire warning systems are in good working order, fire alarms should be serviced at least once every 6 months. For larger premises, servicing at least once every 3 months is recommended.
Installing a well-designed fire detection and fire alarm system is a key part of maintaining good security and safety for the people on your premises. However, the installation is only the first step. Without routine maintenance and testing, you can’t be confident that your system will work as intended in the event of a fire.
While there are no laws in the UK governing a set schedule for testing and servicing your fire alarm systems, guidelines have been developed by the British Standards Institution.
Guidelines for servicing
The British Standards section that concerns fire alarms is BS 5839. This states that a fire detection and fire alarm system should be inspected a minimum of once every 6 months by a competent individual. If the system covers a large premises, a more frequent inspection routine of once every 3 months is recommended, as the system is likely to be more complex with more potential points of failure.
Routine servicing is primarily to ensure the system is in good working order and won’t fail to activate in the event of a fire and cause a loss of life. Servicing also helps to make sure there are no malfunctions that may cause a false alarm.
False alarms can prevent firefighters from attending real emergencies and could even come at a cost to your business—repeated false alarms can result in a charge to your business being imposed by the fire service.
Weekly fire alarm testing testing
In addition to servicing, it’s recommended to test your fire detection system weekly. This functions as a quick regular check-up so that you can identify if any part of the system has an issue that needs to be resolved before the next service is due.
This is a good time to also perform a visual inspection of the system.
Here at IDS Security, we have extensive experience in installing and servicing fire alarm systems for a range of premises. For more information on how we can protect you and your property, check out our Fire Alarm Systems page.
After the IDS team have installed your fire alarms, you can opt for a maintenance contract which means that IDS will provide regular servicing (as well as a 24/7 call-out engineering service for total peace of mind).
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