Our Commercial Fire Alarm Testing Guide
A business cannot be successful without the right safety measures in place. When employees are preoccupied with their safety, they will not be as productive and this will only worsen if an emergency does occur.
Managing a safe, successful business means considering all potential threats. This is why fire safety is such an important part of management, and needs to be handled by the employer or property owner.
Without fire safety tools, your premises are at risk of fire damage, injury and even threat to life. If a fire does break out, this can cause ongoing negative effects for the company and potentially lead to complete failure.
One of the best tools for fire safety is commercial fire alarms and smoke detectors. These are the two main defences against fires in large-scale premises and should be maintained to ensure an ongoing prime condition.
In this guide, fire safety experts Full Circuit Fire & Security are sharing everything you need to know about commercial fire alarm testing, including how it should be done and how it supports your business.
Why Is Commercial Fire Alarm Testing So Important?
Fire alarms operate as the first line of defence in a fire emergency. Fire alarms and smoke detectors often provide the first alert that a fire has broken out, giving you plenty of time to safely evacuate the building and contact emergency services.
However, fire alarms will only deliver a quick response if they are fully operational. Commercial fire alarm testing should be done regularly to ensure that fire alarms are in full working order. Testing ensures that the alarm can be heard throughout the building and that the smoke detectors work as intended.
Most fire alarms operate using smoke detectors, which means they will be triggered by smoke. Smoke is an obvious and early sign of fire, meaning fire alarms should be triggered early during these circumstances when fully functional.
If alarms fail to trigger, it will be difficult to evacuate the full premises. This can lead to injury and even fatalities, alongside loss of assets, and excessive property damage. Nothing can be recovered from such a disaster, as insurance policies also require functional fire alarms before claims can be made and paid out.
As the employer or property owner, it is your responsibility to ensure fire safety which includes commercial fire alarm testing. Failure to keep up with these standards can have a serious impact and is easily avoided through commercial fire alarm testing.
The Law On Commercial Fire Alarm Testing
Commercial fire alarm testing is essential to maintaining safe premises, but this is not just a recommendation. Instead, commercial fire alarm testing is required under UK law and failing to comply not only makes your premises dangerous but can lead to legal consequences.
The main law regarding commercial fire alarm testing is the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, also known as the Fire Safety Order. This Order outlines a responsible person on the premises, who is usually the employer, who must uphold fire safety, including regular commercial fire alarm testing.
As the responsible person, you must ensure that commercial fire alarm testing is performed regularly to ensure that both alarms and detectors are in prime working order. Commercial fire alarms should undergo complete system testing and maintenance every six months, with a weekly fire alarm test performed on-site.
Not only does commercial fire alarm testing ensure that all detectors and alarms are working, but is also done to ensure your premises are compliant with current fire safety regulations. Fire safety regulations are subject to change, as they frequently update to improve conditions across the country. With regular commercial fire alarm testing, you can ensure that your premises are in line with the current regulations, meaning it is safe and legally sound.
How To Test Commercial Fire Alarms And Smoke Detectors
The specific process for testing your commercial fire alarms may vary based on the kind of system in place, how many detectors are present, and your premises. Always check the manufacturer’s guides on commercial fire alarm testing for your specific system to ensure it is performed correctly.
However, there is a general guideline that all sites should follow during their weekly commercial fire alarm testing, which is:
1) Prepare Staff And Customers
Ahead of performing your commercial fire alarm testing, you need to inform people present on the site that this is taking place. You do not want to cause panic and make people evacuate the premises when you are simply testing the fire alarms.
Inform all present people that commercial fire alarm testing is about to take place. Most businesses perform fire alarm tests on the same day and time of the week, so it becomes part of their routine and is understood by staff.
2) Visual Inspection
A visual inspection of the main control panel is required ahead of sounding the alarm. This part of commercial fire alarm testing allows you to note whether any damage has occurred to the main system and ensure that it still operates. This will become essential later on.
When inspecting the control panel, make sure you know where the manual call point key is and keep it accessible. This is required to reset the system and will need to be done immediately after commercial fire alarm testing, so should be accessible.
Only approved personnel should have access to the manual call point key, such as the manager, as this keeps it safe and ensures it can be used during commercial fire alarm testing.
3) Activate The Alarm
Using the key, activate the manual call point so you can hear the alarm. This alarm should be heard across the premises and be clear to all present, to ensure they will act appropriately during an emergency.
Based on the size of the commercial site, multiple call points may need to be triggered and tested.
4) Check Control Panel
When the alarm is triggered, assess the control panel to ensure it operates as intended. The alarm should not only be heard but also be registered on the main control panel.
This part of the process determines whether the full system is operational and working as required. The control panel should be able to register that an alarm has been triggered and, based on the system you have, pinpoint the call point used.
5) Call Alarm Centre
To ensure that your fire alarms are fully functional, you will need to contact the alarm centre to check they were notified when the alarms were triggered.
Alarm centres should be notified whenever fire alarms are triggered and receive reports regarding your premises.
6) Report Findings
All commercial fire alarm tests should be reported in the company logbook, which is a record of all fire alarm testing, installations, and maintenance. This logbook will be assessed during Fire Risk Assessments and is an official record of your fire safety methods.
Record both the successes and issues of the fire alarm test, alongside the date and time the test was performed to prove it is done regularly.
7) Reset Fire Alarms
Once commercial fire alarm testing is complete, make sure to remove the system from testing mode and return it to normal function.
My Fire Alarm Test Was Unsuccessful – What Should I Do?
If your commercial fire alarm testing was unsuccessful, for example, the alarms did not trigger or the control panel did not respond, you need to call out fire safety engineers.
Our team offers complete servicing and maintenance of commercial fire alarms and smoke detectors. We can provide the maintenance or upgrade needed to protect your premises and ensure commercial fire alarms are operating as intended.
Repairs and maintenance should be done immediately following an unsuccessful fire alarm test, as this leaves your premises at risk.
Contact Us Today
If you are dealing with unsuccessful fire alarms or need more support regarding fire alarm testing, please contact us today.
