Routine User Inspection
Routine user inspections are simple to carry out and instil confidence that everything will work correctly in the event of a fire. With our decades of experience, we can provide all the support and advice you need to perform these checks correctly. Alternatively, for full peace of mind we can offer routine inspections as part of our service.
Routine User Inspections
Helping You Meet Fire Inspection Standards
In-house checks should always be performed by a competent person – often a fire warden. All inspections should be added to a logbook or online database. Fire and Rescue Service inspectors will ask to see these records during fire safety audits and may take action if they are absent. We can help you remain fully compliant in all these matters.
Firefighting Equipment
Visual inspections of all firefighting equipment must be carried out monthly and should ensure that:
- All equipment is in the correct position
- All equipment is unobstructed and visible
- The operating instructions of all equipment are clean and legible and face outwards
- Equipment has not been operated and is not obviously damaged or missing parts
- The reading of any pressure gauge or indicator fitted to an extinguisher is within operational and safety limits
- The seals and tamper indicators of each extinguisher/equipment are not broken or missing
Fire Alarms
Daily visual inspection of the indicators on the fire alarm panel should be undertaken. On a weekly basis the following inspections should be undertaken on fire alarm units:
- A manual call point should be operated during normal working hours to confirm that a fire alarm signal is processed, alarm sounders activated and a fire alarm signal is correctly received at any Alarm Receiving Centre used
- The weekly test should take place at the same time each week and occupants instructed to report any poor audibility of the alarm signal. Systems using staged alarms ‘alert’ and ‘evacuate’ should have those signals operated sequentially in the correct order
- Where some employees work only outside ‘normal’ hours, an additional test(s) should be carried out at least once a month to ensure familiarity with the signals
- A different manual call point should be used every time, so that each is tested in rotation over a prolonged period
The duration for the fire alarm signal should not normally exceed one minute, so that if a real fire should occur at the same time, the occupants will be warned by the prolonged signal.
Self-contained emergency lighting
Monthly
Each luminaire and internally illuminated EXIT sign should be tested for correct operation by simulating a failure of the power supply to each lamp. The duration of this test need only be the minimum necessary to check that all lamps function correctly, show no sign of damage and are clean.
Annually
Planned preventative maintenance should be carried out annually by a competent technician. Because maintenance involves switching on each luminaire for its full rated duration it is important that this is carried out when an absence of emergency lighting presents a low risk. For this reason the Fire Risk Assessment might recommend that maintenance is instead carried out six-monthly, with luminaires switched on for a third of their rated duration. This is often useful in buildings such as flats, hotels and residential care home which are occupied 24 hours a day.
Fire doors
All fire doors must be regularly checked to ensure they are in good condition, self-closing devices close the doors effectively and hinges are secure. Fire seals must be sound and firmly fixed in position. Signs on the doors must be present and legible.
Safety signs
All fire safety signs must be checked regularly to ensure they are present, legible and in good condition.
Sprinklers
Technical Bulletin 203 outlines the procedures for the care and maintenance of sprinkler systems. This ensures that they remain fully operational and that correct periodic assessments are carried out in order to ensure compliance.
With our decades of experience in the field, we can provide all the support and advice you need to perform these checks correctly. Alternatively, for full peace of mind, we can offer routine inspections as part of our service.
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Protect your business, staff, customers and assets with Churches Fire & Security safety solutions. Expertise from start to finish and we are fully compliant, ensuring you’re covered.
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