The phs Compliance Guide to Fire Alarm Servicing 

Fires can have a devastating impact on UK businesses. Recent statistics show there were over 19,000 fires in UK businesses, with around a third of these being caused by electrical faults or misuse of electrical equipment.

While a fire alarm can’t prevent a fire, it can provide an early signal that there is smoke orfire, giving people time to evacuate the building and call for assistance. Having fire alarms can save lives and prevent serious damage caused to businesses and organisations.

Fire alarms need regular servicing to ensure they are working correctly. Learn more about your fire alarm responsibilities as a business or building owner and how you can get your fire alarms serviced.

What do UK Government regulations say about fire alarms?

According to the UK Government, if you’re:

• an employer
• the owner
• the landlord

• an occupier
• anyone else with control of the premises, for example, a facilities manager, building manager, managing agent or risk assessor

Then you are known as a ‘responsible person’ for dealing with fire safety in the workplace. This will include carrying out fire risk assessments, as well as implementing and maintaining fire safety measures.

In England and Wales, fire safety in non-domestic premises is covered by the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. In Scotland, it is covered in Part 3 of the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005, while Northern Ireland is covered under the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.

The regulations state that non-residential dwellings must have a fire detection and warning system. There are some exceptions for very small and low-risk premises where no high-risk activities take place. The type and volume of fire alarms needed will depend on the type of business run and the size of the premises.

As the responsible person, it is your responsibility to ensure there is adequate provision of fire detection systems, and that they are kept in working order.

Types of fire alarms

There are different types of fire alarm systems suitable for different types of buildings. These are:

General fire alarms

These fire alarms are best suited for small and low-risk environments. They cover a broader area and will sound an alarm that alerts the entire area, instead of pinpointing the fire itself. These are similar to the types of devices you’d have at home.

Addressable fire alarms

Addressable fire alarms work on a wider system controlled by a panel that will pinpoint the location of the issue. These are used by many businesses and organisations, including schools and hospitals.

Wireless fire alarms

These alarms work in a similar way to the addressable systems, but they feature wireless connections. These can be useful for buildings where wiring can be an issue.

There is no legislation around the type of fire alarm needed in your premises. It’s recommended that your fire alarm system is professionally designed to ensure the most appropriate solution for your business or organisation.

Testing fire alarms

How often should fire alarms be serviced?

Regulations state that fire alarms need to be adequately maintained, but do not provide guidance around how often this should be. However, according to British Standards 5839(standards that are recommended by the Government), fire alarms should be maintained every six months. You may want to service your fire alarms more frequently if you operate in a high-risk environment.

It’s also important that fire alarm servicing is done by a competent person, and therefore have a detailed knowledge of fire alarm systems and how they work.

How often should you test fire alarms?

BS 5839 also recommend weekly testing for fire alarms. In offices and other workplaces, it’s common to test the alarm system at a set time each week, so that employees know to expect the alarm. This is not a full fire drill, it’s mainly to check that the alarms are operational.

Professional fire alarm servicing with phs Compliance

Maintaining fire safety should be a priority for your business or organisation. Working with a professional service company, you can benefit from fire detection system design that is appropriate for your premises and gives you confidence that you’ve got the right safety measures in place.

Hiring professional engineers to carry out fire alarm testing can help you stay on top of your fire safety measures. You can book regular servicing so that it happens as routine, giving you one less thing to worry about.

phs Compliance is one of the UK’s leading fully accredited specialists in the testing, servicing and maintenance of fire alarm systems. We operate nationwide to provide coverage across the UK, with experience in servicing a wide range of industries.

Let phs Compliance help you with all of your fire alarm servicing needs. Contact us today for a quote and to discuss the services we provide.

To learn more about how to keep your business safe from save money in the process, please contact us now.