If one studies BS5839 Part 6 regarding fire detection and alarm systems as a whole and with reference, in particular, to bedsit type HMOs, there appears to be, at best, inconclusive guidance on the extent of what detection from the dwelling unit needs to be linked to the communal system, and this confusion is exacerbated by LACoRS which does not seem to marry up with BS5839.
With this in mind, is anyone able to provide definitive guidance pertaining to the following specific questions. My understanding of the answers to these questions is provided below the questions themselves.
1. Where a traditional three or four storey house has been ?converted? in to a HMO, i.e. bedsits used by individual, unrelated tenants, who have cooking facilities within their own bedsits, should the heat detector in the kitchen be linked to the communal system, i.e. if the detector in the bedsit kitchen actuates, should it alert others on the premises or is this a matter to be judged based on an FRA?
2. Would the answer to question 1 be any different if the bedsit type HMO in question is 2 storeys?
3. In a three or four storey bedsit type HMO, if cooking facilities are shared, i.e. not sited within individual bedsits, should all the smoke alarms in the bedsits be linked to the communal system, i.e. should there be one system for the whole premises?
4. Would the answer to question 3 be any different if the bedsit type HMO is only two storeys?
My understanding of the requirements
? If the kitchen in a 3 or 4 storey bedsit-type HMO does not have a shared kitchen, i.e. all kitchens are sited within the individual units, then the heat detector in those units should be linked to the communal system, so as to provide the earliest possible warning to others to evacuate the premises; the reason being that compartmentation cannot be guaranteed and travel distances are longer. In addition, in these 3 or 4 storey HMOs the detector by the dwelling unit door, be it smoke or heat, should also be linked to the communal system, for the reasons mentioned above.
? In 2 storey bedsit type HMOs, where kitchens are sited in the bedsits, I assume the answer would be the same, but with the option for relaxation due to the lower risk, meaning that only the detector by the dwelling unit door needs to be linked to the communal system.
? If cooking facilities are shared in a 3 or 4 storey HMO, then obviously the cooking facilities will form part of the communal system, but in this instance all the smoke detectors will be linked to the communal fire alarm system, simple because BS5839 seems to recommend this, i.e. one system. There seems to be no obvious rationale why there should be one system where there are shared cooking facilities and only certain detectors linked from the dwelling unit to the communal system when the cooking facilities are sited within the bedsit. The only reason I can think of is to reduce false alarms so that others do not become desensitised.
