Faulty fire alarms endanger life and can result in fines for your business. Fire and rescue services across the country can impose fines on businesses that are responsible for excessive false alarms (the number of false alarms that trigger a fine varies by region). For example, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) can issue fines of almost £300 for premises visited three or more times in a year (BBC News).
The Office of National Statistics (2019) reported that 67% of false alarms are due to faulty equipment, highlighting the importance of servicing and maintenance. To ensure your devices are in full working order, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 recommends testing your fire alarms weekly.
To safeguard your property against the threat of fire, learn what you should be looking for when conducting your weekly tests in our short video guide.
Follow these steps:
- Test all call points on-site in rotation.
- Ensure each call point is checked for signs of damage.
- Make sure the alarm sounds clearly from each call point.
- Record the test in your logbook, note down any issues.
- Try not to schedule the tests at the end of the day, if any issues arise during the test you may be subject to out-of-hours call out charges from technicians.
It’s important to remember that more in-depth checks of your fire alarms must be carried out by a competent technician.
Churches Fire & Security service all fire alarm systems at least every six months in accordance with British standard BS5839. Our technicians carry BAFE and ISO9001 accreditations, giving our customers peace of mind that the servicing of their fire alarm systems is carried out competently and to a high standard. As our technicians are subject experts, they are fully trained on a number of models and types of fire alarms, including wireless, addressable and conventional systems.
At Churches Fire & Security we have the qualifications and experience to help you meet your fire safety obligations whilst ensuring compliance with the relevant standards.
To arrange a service for your fire alarms, speak to a member of our customer development team today.
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