Head covered monitoring?

[Benzerari]

Hi Guys;

I would like to know if the covered heads especially smoke detectors are monitored by analogues addressable softwares?

If Yes! Which make is doing so?

Just imagine if a tenant cover a head of smoke detector due to decoration, cleaning works,... and so fourth, and forget it for 2-3 months in that state, the same quantity and density of air particles will be detected and the panel will assign the same analogue value of that repetition of readings for quite long time, therefore;

Would that repetition of the same analogue value be considered as no reply fault and sort of?

As in the real world the reading should be a fluctuation between a 'max value' and 'min value' but not a 'constant value' for quite long time, and only such variations in readings that should be reported by the panel software as normal readings is't it?

Am I making sense? :/

[John Webb]

You make sense but I doubt if most addressable systems have that level of sophisticated programing built in. Bearing in mind the tenant should be checking his system physically at regular intervals he ought to spot the covered head before too long. But if wishes were horses... as the saying goes!

[Benzerari]

I used to see at the end of the year when retrieving the none tested points and trying to find them and test them, as in general they are not easily accessible on a daily basis or during the year, i.e. some of them could be found in lift motor rooms, risers, lift shaft, HV electric rooms ... etc and most of the times I found them covered with head cups due to some sort of works being carried out sometimes out there, I would wonder if the responsible person is regularly checking them on a daily or weekly basis, or is he relying on the service engineer to turn up to site and try to find out in a service visit...

As a result such covered detectors would not be in normal operation would they?

Also should the system software be able to detect such anomalies?

Meanwhile I had no idea how BS is dealing with such things?

Any comments would be appreciated!

Thank you

[John Webb]

The BS tells us what the prefered inspection regime is. The legislation tells us we ought to be doing it as 'best practice'. So in the end it is a management problem, I feel. If any management had the wit to realise that perhaps they could detect such covering of heads via the lack of change of readings on an addressable system then my best wishes to them if they tried to use it.

There is another way which I found quite effective some years ago. The Fire Research Station had moved into a new laboratory/office complex with a number of plantrooms all fitted with smoke detection. In  the first year we had a number of false alarms (9, I vaguely remember) caused by hot work, either repairs, modifications or new equipment being put in the plantrooms. So we had a number of signs printed which read something like:
"This plantroom is fitted with fire detectors.
Contact the switchboard (dial '0' from any phone')
before any hot work is carried out."
When the switchboard was contacted I (as site fire officer) was informed. We would then go to the plantroom concerned with lightweight plastic bags and tape, and cover up the heads. An appropriate entry was made in our logbook. We'd get the contractor to ring us when he'd finished work and go and remove the bags. We knew that if a fire occured while the detectors were covered, the plastic would rapidly melt anyway as the heat built up and we would still get an alarm, albeit delayed.
The result was that we cut false alarms due to workmen at work to virtually zero.

The other way of coming at this is some form of 'Permit to Work' system; management don't allow workmen in the plantroom until both parties have agreed work procedures including detector isolation.

[Graeme]

if the system is on a contract then a covered head should be picked up during one of the visits as all devices are to be tested.

[Galeon]

Hi Guys;

I would like to know if the covered heads especially smoke detectors are monitored by the current available analogues addressable softwares?

If Yes! Which make is doing so?

Just imagine if a tenant cover a head of smoke detector due to decoration, cleaning,... and so fourth, and forget it for 2-3 months in that state, the same quantity and density of air particles will be detected and the panel will assign the same analogue value of that repetition of readings for quite long time, therefore;

Would that repetition of the same analogue value be considered as no reply fault and sort of?

As in the real world the reading should be a fluctuation between a 'max value' and 'min value' but not a 'constant value' for quite long time, and only such variations in readings that should be reported by the panel software as normal readings is't it?

Am I making sense? :/

I cant see any manufacturer going down the route of fitting a tamper , say on the side of the detector , which then you could flag up as head been covered ,you are relying on a detector being covered with a commissioning dust cover. There are numerous covers that have been fitted over the years  , as in Hospitals the old surgical glove is a good seller it seems. What we are talking about is 'good housekeeping'.
You can log the covers and issue numbers on them , so we tend to find that is the best option , however you go from one extreme to the other , we were asked the other day to come to site and disable a zone , on software , it transpires that they were carrying out builders works , I said fine but that doesn't stop the chambers becoming contaminated . We didn't think of that was the reply. Revert to plan B .

[David Rooney]

As said previously, I can't see a manufacturer is going to fit a "head covered" tamper switch.

The person with responsibility for the FDA should be aware if heads are covered, and should keep a daily log of what has been covered and each evening use the log to check all devices are uncovered.

It still comes down to the long slow process of educating the RP to be aware that firstly they have an FDA system and that builders works and paint fumes etc may set it off if precautions aren't taken.