Fire Alarms in explosive areas

10. Fire Alarm Systems in explosive gas or dust atmospheres.

If it is necessary to install fire alarm equipment or wiring in areas where an explosive atmosphere could result from the presence of flammable gases, vapours or mists, or the presence of combustible dusts, special fire protection measures are essential to ensure that the potential for ignition of the atmosphere by the fire alarm
equipment or wiring is minimized.

10.2 Recommendations
The following recommendations are applicable.
a) Any fire alarm system (or part of a fire system) protecting an area, or with cables passing through an area, in which there may be an explosive gas, vapour or mist atmosphere should comply with the requirements of BS EN 60079-14.

b) Any fire alarm system (or part of a system) protecting an area, or with cables passing through an area, in which there may be an explosive dust atmosphere should comply with the requirements of BS EN 50281-1-2.

Special care and attention is require to ensure the fire alarm maintenance is carried out in accordance with the relevant standards.

The fire alarm maintenance should be conducted every six months as required.

Fire Systems Ltd, carry out fire alarm maintenance of all types of systems.

Fire design recommendations

9.2 Fire alarm design recommendations
The following recommendations are applicable in the case of fire alarm systems intended to actuate other fire protection systems or safety facilities (e.g. by triggering an automatic fire suppression system, closing fire resisting doors, shutting down an air handling system or grounding lifts).
a) The system should comply with the recommendations of any applicable part of BS 7273 for fire suppression.
b) If no part of the fire suppression code BS 7273 is applicable, any special requirements for fire alarm system design should be identified in the purchase specification or design proposals.

c) If operation of the fire alarm system during routine testing would have an undesirable effect on other fire systems or equipment, means should be provided for disabling the automatic actuation of the system or equipment. The facility for disablement, and the indication of disablement, should comply with BS EN 54-2.

d) The other equipment or fire alarm system should not draw power from the fire alarm system in the non-fire state, other than for indicators and interface devices (e.g. relays). The power consumption of any such indicators and interface devices should be taken into account in the calculation of battery capacity

Actuation of other fire alarm systems or safety facilities

9 Actuation of other fire protection systems or safety facilities

Any of the fire alarm Categories, whether wired or a wireless fire alarm, may be used to actuate other fire alarm systems, fire protection systems or trigger safety facilities, whether for the purpose of life safety, property protection or a combination of the two.
To ensure correct operation, fire alarm maintenance is important,If the fire alarm is to be used for the actuation of other fire protection systems or safety facilities, the recommendations of this part of BS 5839 might, or might not, be necessary or sufficient. The system might have special requirements in respect of the number, zoning and siting of fire detection, provision of power supplies, control, indication or other facilities, or monitoring and fire resistance of interconnecting wiring.
It needs to be ensured that the interconnection of other fire systems or fire alarm equipment with the fire alarm system does
not prejudice the reliability of the fire alarm system.

Fire alarm maintenance is required on all types of systems, whether it be a wired or wireless fire alarm.

Fire Systems Ltd, offer the complete package when it comes to providing fire alarm maintenance.

Fire Alarm category L2 design - (19 e)

In a Category L2 wired fire alarm system,or a wireless fire alarm the rooms or areas protected should comply with the recommendations for a Category L3 system, but, in addition, automatic fire detection should be installed in rooms in which the fire risk is high enough to warrant individual fire protection.

NOTE 6 Any reference to a Category L2 system (e.g. in a specification, proposal or submission to an enforcing authority) should
clearly identify the rooms or areas in which these additional detectors are to be installed and should identify the type of detector
(e.g. heat, smoke or combustion gas) required.

f) In a Category L1 or P1 fire alarm system or a wireless fire alarm, automatic fire detectors should be installed in all rooms and areas of the building, but the following rooms or areas need not be protected if they are of low fire risk — toilets, shower rooms and bathrooms;
NOTE 7 In some public buildings, such as hospitals and shopping centres, toilets might not be of low fire risk, owing to the
potential for arson.
— stairway, lobbies" and toilet lobbies;
— small cupboards (typically, less than 1 m2);

NOTE 8 A riser in which there is a fire resisting floor and ceiling may be treated as a cupboard.
— some shallow voids (less than 800 mm in depth).
g) In a Category L1 fire alarm system or a wireless fire alarm, the detectors within escape routes should be smoke detectors, or fire detection. In a Category P2 fire system, the rooms or areas to be protected by automatic fire detection should be clearly identified in the specification or proposal. There should be physical barriers between protected and unprotected areas to limit the spread of smoke and hot gases in, at least, the early stages of fire.

NOTE 9 It is not necessarily the case that these physical barriers should have a recognized period of fire resistance.
NOTE 10 The physical barriers described above might be unnecessary where detectors are installed to detect fires in specific
equipment.

Radio fire alarms are the way forward

Fire Systems Ltd, specialise in the installation of Radio fire alarms.  An independent fire alarm company, with a long history as a fire alarm installer, the fire alarm company has made the decision to predominately install Wireless fire alarm their primary systems line.

Installing a Radio fire alarm is quick and easy, with reduce labour time, and little disruption to the business.

A fire alarm company should be competent to design a fire alarm system to BS5839-1.

A lower, but often adequate, standard of property protection may be afforded by a Category P2 Radio fire alarm system. In a
Category P2 system, automatic fire detectors are provided only in specified rooms or areas of the building.
The protected areas are usually those in which the fire hazard level is high, or from which there is significant
potential for fire to spread and cause damage to contents of high value. Since the determination of these factors will depend on a fire risk assessment, it is important that whoever specifies a Category P2 system
qualifies this description with details of the rooms or areas that are to be protected.

The highest standard of property protection when designing a Radio fire alarm, will be afforded by a Category P1 . In a Category P1 system, automatic fire detectors are installed in all areas of the building. This Category of Radio fire alarm system might be appropriate if the system is intended to satisfy the requirements of fire insurers, if the building or its contents are of high value, or if the facilities provided within the building are critical to the operations of an
organization.

Fire Alarm design category L3

(19 d) In a category L3 fire alarm system, fire detection should be installed in all rooms that open onto the escape routes, except that rooms opening onto corridors of less than four metres in length need not be protected, provided fire resisting construction, including
doors separates these corridors from any other section of the escape routes.

fire alarm Installations of this type are easier if using a wireless fire alarm, or Radio fire alarm system.

An open plan area of accommodation, in which occupants will quickly become aware of fire, need not be protected in a Category L3 or L4 fire alarm system, even though occupants within the area clearly need to pass through the area in the first stage of escape, unless it forms part of the escape route from other areas. However, in a Category L3 fire alarm system fire detection, should be installed on the accommodation side of any door that opens into an escape stairway, a corridor of more than four metres in length (or alternatively, where stairways are approached through low fire risk lobbies, any door that
opens onto the lobby).

Fire Systems Ltd, is a fire alarm company based in Kingston Upon Thames. Fire Systems, are a well renowned fire alarm installer who specialise in the installation of wireless fire alarm systems, or also known as Radio fire alarms.

Fire alarm design recommendations

(18) The following fire alarm recommendations are applicable.
a) Fire System documentation, including any purchase specification, tender document, design proposal,submission to enforcing authorities or insurers for approval and the certificate issued by the Designers
, should clearly identify the fire alarm system Category as well as, where appropriate, the areas to be protected and any specific proposals for the type(s) of detector to be used.
b) Any specification or proposal for a Category L5 fire system should clearly identify the rooms or areas that are to be protected by automatic fire detection.

NOTE 1 There might also be benefit in giving a simple description of the objective of the protection proposed, particularly in
submissions to enforcing authorities.

NOTE 2 The standard of protection (extent of coverage) of a Category L5 fire system might be lower or higher than that afforded by
Category L2, L3 or L4 fire systems.
c) In Category L3 and L4 fire systems, smoke detectors, or a mixture fire detection.
should be provided in the following:
— all escape stairways;
— all corridors;
— any other areas that form part of the common escape routes.
NOTE 3 Main access and egress stairways normally form part of escape routes, and should be treated as escape stairways.

Fire Alarm not working results in prosecutions

A not functional fire alarm and a suitable fire risk assessment at a London-based food factory has resulted in the owner being prosecuted and fined, under the Fire Safety Order.

The importance of staying on the right side of Fire Safety Order regulations was recently highlighted by the prosecution of the manager of a food production factory by London Fire Brigade.

A £20,000 fine was given to Mong Liu of New Kong Nam Food Production Company after pleading guilty to serious breaches of fire safety legislation following the indictment.

She admitted guilt on seven breaches of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, including not having an suitable fire alarm, fire alarm maintenance and adequate fire detection at her Brettingham Road, Edmonton premises.

In addition to having inadequate emergency lighting in place, a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment had also not been completed. She also had no emergency plan in place and there was no evidence of fire safety training.

"Knowing about fire safety is not an option; if you are the responsible person it is a necessity," commented Steve Turek, the fire brigade's assistant commissioner for fire safety regulation.

Fire Systems Ltd, can assist you in ensuring you fire alarm is operational, and a fire alarm maintenance  is in place.

fire alarm and fire doors, City Bed and Breakfast owner fined over £8,000 for fire safety breaches

February 4, 2010

PERSISTENT breaches of fire safety regulations have led to a bed and breakfast owner being faced with a bill of more than £8,000. Fire doors and fire detection not working on the fire alarm, was the mean reason for the action.

Michael Scott-Hake, 51, of the Edwardian Hotel, in Heavitree Road, Exeter, had denied two charges of failing to comply with enforcement notices issued by Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, but changed his plea at Devon Central Magistrates’ Court, in Exeter, yesterday.

Prosecuting, Oliver Carlyon told the court that during fire safety inspections in 2007 and 2008 the hotel was found to have fire doors which did not comply with the latest regulations and the fire detection on the fire alarm was missing smoke alarms in several important areas.

Mr Scott-Hake was given several opportunities to carry out work to bring the hotel up to standard, but failed to do so, despite being offered advice by the fire service, the court heard.

In defence, Mark Shell said the hotel was fitted with fire doors that at one stage complied with regulations, but the rules had changed and his client had not been able to afford the necessary alterations. He said there were several fire alarm smoke detectors at the hotel.

The chairman of the bench gave credit for a guilty plea, but, fining Scott-Hake £3,415 and ordering him to pay costs of £4,900, he said the breaches were serious.

“When one is dealing with a hotel, where people are paying to stay, there’s a huge responsibility to comply with all current safety requirements,” he said.

Group Commander James Holgate, of Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said after the hearing that the work required to bring the hotel up to standard was relatively inexpensive when compared with the size of the fine and legal bill.

“Our fire safety officers work closely with businesses to help them comply with the Fire Safety Order but, when their responsibilities are not taken seriously, the service will always consider prosecution,” he added.

“I would advise business owners that fire safety is a legitimate overhead that needs to be taken into account”.

The decision of the magistrates is another reminder to all businesses to ensure they comply with the requirements of the law.

This clearly demonstrates how the service is committed to ensuring the safety of the community.”

Mr Scott-Hake, was given 28 days to pay the fine and costs. He was not available for comment.

if you need assistance with your fire alarms or fire safety equipment, why not contact Fire Systems Ltd.

Protection of Property fire alarm design

The highest standard of fire alarm property protection will be afforded by a Category P1 system. In a Category P1 fire system, automatic fire detection is installed in all areas of the building. This Category of fire system might be appropriate if the fire system is intended to satisfy the requirements of fire insurers, if the building or its contents
are of high value, or if the facilities provided within the building are critical to the operations of an organization.

A lower, but often adequate, standard of property protection may be afforded by a fire alarm designed to an Category P2 system. This is usually determine by a fire risk assessment.  In a Category P2 system, automatic fire detection, is provided only in specified rooms or areas of the building.
The protected areas by the fire alarm are usually those in which the fire hazard level is high, or from which there is significant potential for fire to spread and cause damage to contents of high value. Since the determination of these factors will depend on a fire risk assessment, it is important that whoever specifies a Category P2 system qualifies this description with details of the rooms or areas that are to be protected.