Fire Alarm Service Scheduling

[Fire Monkey]

Hi,

In regard to fire alarm service scheduling may I ask your thoughts on frequency of contractor servicing. Often a building may be on a 25% service schedule resulting in 4 visits a year. I can see that in certain buildings, such as sleeping accommodation, large/complicated buildings or those that have a high business need (such as a data centre) that 4 visits a year is suitable but what about ones with far lower risks such as small libraries, offices with less than 10 people and the like - under what conditions would servicing them twice or once a year be acceptable? Obviously this is a general question and not building specific and the risk assessment, for each building in question, would have highlighted the nature of the building, the means of escape and all the other factors that affect the risk.

FM

[AnthonyB]

The standard frequency in BS 5839-1 has been two visits a year for years, but you still see people being told them must have 4 by contractors (just like the 6 monthly EL test that disappeared in 2004 and isn't that good for the batteries, but is still pushed by the service provider).

What is increasingly common is just a single 100% visit which is outside the BS spec. Obviously it's not law in itself, but variation needs justification (or not based on some enforcing authorities approach & use of 'broadly compliant' letters).

It's not unfeasible to say a Category M system in a small non sleeping risk premises could be tested weekly & only serviced annually, but you'd have to find a way of supporting how it doesn't compromise safety. (Sainsbury managed it with call point testing but produced a raft of data over their entire portfolio going back a few years to justify it)

[bevfs]

Speaking to an insurance rep at a trade show ,different insurance companies have a benchmark standard  they like to see a premises maintained too, and come the day an insurance claim goes in for damage as a  result of fire ,their(the insurance companies) benchmark standard is straight away what they want to see in the records and servicing schedules. If not......you wont be happy...Always get clarification form the building insurer as to what standard and frequency of fire alarm servicing they insist on in line with their insurance policy.

[colin todd]

Sainsbury are wrong and so is their PA partner.

[AnthonyB]

That particular PA is very popular, almost every client I come across that uses a PA for fire safety seems to use them......Let's hope we don't end up in the same situation as the BCO/AI mess that has led to some interesting stuff get the OK....

[nearlythere]

Speaking to an insurance rep at a trade show ,different insurance companies have a benchmark standard  they like to see a premises maintained too, and come the day an insurance claim goes in for damage as a  result of fire ,their(the insurance companies) benchmark standard is straight away what they want to see in the records and servicing schedules. If not......you wont be happy...Always get clarification form the building insurer as to what standard and frequency of fire alarm servicing they insist on in line with their insurance policy.

Would the insurance companies not consider the BS as an appropriate standard for the fire safety industry? I wouldn?t ever consider contacting the insurance to check if it considers the BS as suitable. Why would one need to?

[nearlythere]

You can carry out 1/4 service, even monthly if you like, providing that over a 12 month period it can be shown the system as a whole has received an annual and 6 monthly service according to the BS - at least.