Routine Testing

[jakespop]

 Is there a minimum time a weekly test should be sounded for? I raise this question because a maintenance worker has asked me the same question. In my experience maintenance workers are told to test using a different call point each week and no other information is given. Is this sufficient?

[Midland Retty]

British Standard 5839 states that the test should be undertaken for a maximum period of one minute.

I'm guessing that the one minute period was selected to allow a person sufficient time to set off a call point and return back to fire alarm panel to initiate a reset.

It may also be designed to ensure fire wardens or other assistants have sufficient time to check all sounders in their areas are working etc

If there are two persons doing the test (i.e; one person at the call point, and a colleague standing by at the alarm panel to reset) then I normally recommend that the alarm is sounded for about 10 seconds to avoid too much annoyance or disruption to staff.

But again it does depend on the circumstances, you may need more time due to some of the reasons descirbed above. Eitherway the maximum is 60 seconds.

[colin todd]

Retters is was not that scientific. We wanted to limit the time for which fire alarms were sounded and a minute is just a nice round number.

[kurnal]

Would it be safer it sounded all the time and stopped it there was a fire? That would be fail safe. Bit like maintained lighting. Must suggest that to Mr Cockburn for his next submission to the BSI committee.