Servicing is in accordance with the ‘British Standards BS5839 – 1:2017 – Fire Detection and fire alarm systems for buildings’
In accordance with the recommendations of the BS5839-1:2017 & Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 TIS are approved by a UKAS accredited third party certification body under the BAFE SP201 scheme. This ensures our clients can be assured of the quality of product that we design, supply, install, commission, service & maintain is in accordance with current regulations and standards.
In accordance with BS5839-1:2017 clause 46.2, and to allow TIS to provide a professional & informed service & maintenance of your Fire Safety System, we will need to inspect the original design, installation & commissioning paperwork to ascertain the existing protection. If the original category of protection is not available TIS will endeavour to identify the category, however, in many instances, although automatic protection may be fitted, only the recommendations of a manual system may be met.
Category M | System using Manual Call Points only – no automatic detection |
Category L | (subdivided into 5 systems) – Automatic fire detection systems intended for the protection of life. |
L1 | Automatic Fire Detection installed throughout all areas |
L2 | Automatic fire detection installed in accordance with category L3 and defined high risk areas |
L3 | Automatic fire detection installed to the escape route and rooms adjacent the escape route |
L4 | Automatic fire detection installed to the escape route only |
L5 | Automatic fire detection installed to satisfy a specific fire objective |
Category P | (subdivided into 2 systems) Automatic fire detection systems intended for the protection of property. |
P1 | Automatic fire detection installed throughout all areas |
P2 | Automatic fire detection installed in defined areas of the building, usually high-risk areas |
44.2 Recommendations for weekly testing by the user
44.3 Recommendations for monthly attention by the user
BS5839-1:2017 states It is essential that the system is subject to periodic inspection and servicing so that faults are identified, preventive measures can be taken to ensure the continued reliability of the system, false alarm problems are identified and suitably addressed, and the user is made aware of any changes to the building that affect the protection afforded by the system.
Periodic inspection and servicing needs to be carried out by a competent person with specialist knowledge of fire detection and fire alarm systems, including knowledge of the causes of false alarms, sufficient information regarding the system, and adequate access to spares. Competence of a fire alarm servicing organisation can be assured by the use of third party certified organisations, such as BAFE.
The following are required by BS5839-1:2017
45.2 Recommendations for quarterly inspection of vented batteries
All vented batteries and their connections should be examined by a person competent in battery installation and maintenance technology. Electrolyte levels should be checked and topped up as necessary.
45.3 Recommendations for periodic inspection and test of the system
Clause 45.3 identifies the works that are required during the periodic inspection & test of the system. The period between successive inspection and service visits should be based upon a risk assessment, taking into account the type of batteries installed, and the environment in which it operates. The period between successive inspection and service visits should not exceed six months.
45.4 Recommendations for inspection and test of the system over a 12-month period.
Clause 45.4 identifies all work that’s should be carried out over a 12-month period, this is in addition to the work recommended in 45.3.
45.3 During our visits, the recommendations detailed in section 45.2 & 45.3 will be carried out with a percentage of the devices tested. Over our periodic inspection visits, the requirements detailed in section 45.4 will be achieved. Details of the section tested, and percentage of devices will be recorded on the certificate.
False alarms cause disruption to the normal operation of business and create a drain on fire and rescue service resources. False alarms can even seriously prejudice the safety of occupants, who might not react correctly when the system responds to a real fire if they have recently experienced a number of false alarms.
Responsibility for limitation of false alarms and unwanted fire alarm signals rests with every party involved in the specification, design, installation, commissioning, management at operational level and maintenance of the fire detection and fire alarm system.
It is a common misconception that most false alarms arise from faults in equipment. In fact, most false alarms arise from a combination of environmental influences, fire-like phenomena, inappropriate action by people in the building and accidental damage. The term “unwanted alarms” is now used to describe this latter group of false alarms, to distinguish these false alarms from those arising from malfunction of equipment, which are now described as “equipment false alarms”. Two further categories of false alarms are “malicious false alarms”, arising from malicious action, and false alarms with good intent involving genuine belief by a person that there is a fire.
False alarms – fire signal resulting from a cause(s) other than fire.
False alarms may be sub-divided into four categories
30.2 (g) The user should arrange for suitable investigation and, if appropriate, action to be taken on every occasion that a false alarm occurs.
This may, for example, comprise managerial changes within the building, modifications to the fire alarm system or an investigation by the organisation that maintains the system.
30.2 (h) The user should record appropriate details regarding every false alarm that occurs, information recorded should include the following: – date and time; identity and location of device; category of false alarm (if known); reason for false alarm; activity in area; action taken, whether the FaRS were called & if attended, name of person recording the information.
46.3 c) The user should record all faults or damage in the system log book, and should arrange for repair to be carried out as soon as possible.
30.2 (i) At the time of every service visit, the system false alarm record should be checked carefully to determine a) the rate of false alarms during the previous 12 months, expressed as a number of false alarms per 100 detectors per annum (this rate should be recorded by the engineer).
30.2 (j) At least, a preliminary investigation should be carried out as part of the service work if any of the following apply:
1) the rate of false alarms over the previous 12 months has exceeded one false alarm per 25 detectors per annum
2) 11 or more false alarms have occurred since the time of the previous service visit, typically within the previous 6 months.
3) two or more false alarms (other than false alarms with good intent) have arisen from any single manual call point or fire detector (or detector location) since the time of the last service visit.
4) any persistent cause of false alarms is identified; or
5) more than two unwanted fire alarm signals have occurred in the previous 12 months.