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Fire Alarm Systems
Alarm Bell
A fire alarm system is generally required to be installed as part of fire certificate required by the Fire Precautions Act or the workplace regulations after an audit of a fire risk assessment. The choice of fire alarm system depends on the building structure, the purpose and use of the building. All existing buildings except domestic premises are subject to The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
BS5839 Part 1 2002 is a code of practice for Fire Alarm system design, installation and servicing for fire detection for general buildings. The standards have been revised and are effective from mid July 2003.
Because of the great variety of applications for systems covered by this Part of BS 5839, systems are divided into a number of different Categories, as follows:
Call Point
Category M: (Manual systems), e.g. hand bells, gongs, etc. These may be purely manual or manual electric; the latter may have call points and sounders. They rely on the occupants of the building discovering the fire and acting to warn others by operating the system. Such systems form the basic requirement for places of employment with no sleeping risk.
Category P1: The system is installed throughout the building - the objective being to call the fire brigade as early as possible to ensure that any damage caused by fire is minimized. Small low risk areas can be excepted, such as toilets and cupboards less than 1m2.
Category P2: Detection should be provided in parts of the building where the risk of ignition is high and/or the contents are particularly valuable. Category 2 systems provide fire detection in specified parts of the building where there is either high risk or where business disruption must be minimized.
Category L1: Automatic detectors installed throughout all areas of the building (including roof spaces and voids) break glass call points on every escape route. This system is designed with the aim of providing the earliest possible warning of fire to achieve the longest available time for escape. This system would usually be installed in the majority of residential care premises
Detector
Category L2: Automatic detectors installed in escape routes, rooms adjoining escape routes and high hazard rooms. In medium sized premises (sleeping no more than ten residents) a category L2 system is ideal. These fire alarm systems are identical to an L3 system but with additional detection in an area where there is a high chance of ignition e.g. kitchen) or where the risk to people is particularly increased (e.g. sleeping risk).
Category L3: Automatic detectors installed in all escape routes and all rooms that open onto escape routes. This systems is designed to give a warning of fire at an early enough stage to enable all occupants, other than possibly those in the room of fire origin, to escape safely, before the escape routes are impassable from the presence of fire, smoke or toxic gases. The objective is to warn the occupants of the building early enough to ensure that all are able to exit the building before escape routes become impassable.
Category L4: Automatic detectors installed in escape routes and circulation area and spaces only, such as corridors and staircases. Although this may not be suitable depending on the risk assessment or if the size and complexity of a building is increased. Detectors might be sited in other areas of the building, but the objective is to protect the escape route.
Category L5: These types of systems are the "custom" category and relate to some special requirement that cannot be covered by any other category. For example computer rooms, this may be protected with an extinguishing system triggered by automatic detection.
Fire-Ex Supply and Install:
- Analog systems
- Addressable systems
- Display panels (various zones)
- Rise and fixed heat detectors
- Optical smoke detectors
- Sounders, bed head sounders and bells
- Manual call points
- Flashing beacons
- Magnetic door holders
- Remote indicators
- Replacement Batteries
- Test keys
- Synthetic Smoke
- Commissioning certificates
To comply with Legislation Fire-Ex offer very competitive rates for installation work, maintenance, periodic inspection and testing. On completion all work will be certified
.