11
Fire Alarm Systems / Can a fire alarm sounder be TOO LOUD?
« Last post by bigblockofcheese on February 03, 2024, 10:05:21 AM »Can a fire alarm sounder be TOO loud?
I'm at a school in the UK, and there's a small staff bathroom (2.5m x 4m) that contains a toilet, cubicle shower and a sink. This room has a Banshee Excel sounder on the ceiling, positioned around 1 metre from the ears of a person using the toilet.
https://hbl.co.uk/app/uploads/2022/07/IS62-Banshee-Excel.pdf
The other day there was a fire alarm, and a person had literally just "committed" on the toilet when the alarm sounded. This meant they needed to spend 1-2 minutes finishing the "job" / cleaning up before being able to leave the room, during which time they were subjected to the full power of the alarm sounding 1m away from their ears.
They've subsequently pointed out that the sounder itself, at this close proximity and in this small a room, could represent its own risk of auditory injury and I think they may have a point.
The UK regulations recommend sounders are a minimum of 65db or 5db above ambient room noise (though apparently running water from showers can be disregarded).
I cannot work out what the sound level from this sounder would be at a 1m distance, for 1-2 minutes, and if this could indeed be dangerous. Can anyone advise?
I note that the RNID state that "for sounds of 110?120dB, even a very short exposure time can cause hearing damage."
Any thoughts appreciated!
I'm at a school in the UK, and there's a small staff bathroom (2.5m x 4m) that contains a toilet, cubicle shower and a sink. This room has a Banshee Excel sounder on the ceiling, positioned around 1 metre from the ears of a person using the toilet.
https://hbl.co.uk/app/uploads/2022/07/IS62-Banshee-Excel.pdf
The other day there was a fire alarm, and a person had literally just "committed" on the toilet when the alarm sounded. This meant they needed to spend 1-2 minutes finishing the "job" / cleaning up before being able to leave the room, during which time they were subjected to the full power of the alarm sounding 1m away from their ears.
They've subsequently pointed out that the sounder itself, at this close proximity and in this small a room, could represent its own risk of auditory injury and I think they may have a point.
The UK regulations recommend sounders are a minimum of 65db or 5db above ambient room noise (though apparently running water from showers can be disregarded).
I cannot work out what the sound level from this sounder would be at a 1m distance, for 1-2 minutes, and if this could indeed be dangerous. Can anyone advise?
I note that the RNID state that "for sounds of 110?120dB, even a very short exposure time can cause hearing damage."
Any thoughts appreciated!