Fire Alarm Maintenance

Why Carry Out Fire Alarm Maintenance?

 

All fire systems must be regularly tested and maintenance is essential as it will prolong the life of a system and discover any faults that may occur. A system that is not maintained cannot be guaranteed to protect life and property.

This period between inspections should not be greater that 6 months and should be based upon a risk assessment of the equipment, its environment any other factors affecting the long term operation of the equipment.

The period for inspection and testing shuld be agreed by all interested parties, but if the 6 month minimum period is exceeded, the system should be considered to be non compliant with BS5839 Part1 : 2002. Furthermore, the system may not be in compliance with the Fire Safety Order.  (See sidebar)

Summary of the Maintenance Requirements of BS5839-1:2002

Routine Testing by the User

 

Weekly

• Test a manual call point during working hours to cheek that the control panel and alarm sounders
operate satisfactorily
• Each week, a different manual call point should be tested
• Voice alarm systems should be tested weekly in accordance with BS5839-8 Note: If the system is
connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) for calling the fire brigade, it is very important that the ARC is notified be ore testing commences and when it is complete

 

Monthly

• Testing of any automatically started generator used for the fire detection and fire alarm system
• Inspection of any vented batteries used as a standby power supply for the fire detection and fire alarm
system

 

Inspection and Servicing by Competent Persons

Inspection and servicing should be undertaken by organisations with the appropriate competence.
This can be assured by the use of organisations that are third party certificated, by a UKAS accredited
certification body, specifically to carry out inspection and servicing of fire detection and fire alarm
systems

Periodic inspection and testing

• The period between visits to undertake inspection and service should he based upon a risk assessment
but the maximum period between visits should not exceed six months.
• The log book should be inspected
• A visual inspection should be made to check whether structural or occupancy changes have been made that require changes to the fire detection and fire alarm system.
• False alarm records should be checked and relevant action taken if necessary
• Batteries should be checked and tested
• Control panel functions should be checked and tested
• Fire alarm devices should be tested
• Facilities for automatic transmission of alarm signals to an alarm receiving centre (ARC) should be checked after advising the ARC of the proposed actions
• All fault indicators and circuits should be tested and checked
• Printers should be tested
• Other checks and tests recommended by the manufacturer should be carried out.
• Outstanding defects should be reported and the logbook completed and servicing certificate issued.

 

Inspection and test of a system over a 12 month period

• The switch mechanism of every manual call point should be tested
• Every automatic fire detector should be examined and functionally tested. Note: this includes, but is not
limited to; smoke detectors, resettable heat detectors, optical beam smoke detectors, aspirating fire
detection systems, carbon monoxide fire detectors and flame detectors
• All fire alarm devices (both visual and audible) should be tested
• Certain filament lamps should be replaced
• Radio fire detection and fire alarm system signal strengths should be checked
• Visual inspection of readily accessible cable fixings should be undertaken
• The cause and effect programme should be checked
• The standby power supply capacity should be checked
• Other annual checks and tests recommended by the system component manufacturers should be
undertaken
• Outstanding defects should be reported and the servicing certificate issued.