In this regular column, ‘Dr Zzeus’ Tom Brookes, MD of Zzeus Training and chairman of the FSA, will answer your questions related to fire safety compliance. This month’s question covers common oversights…
Q. What is the most common oversight that you see when it comes to fire safety compliance, whether that be domestic or commercial?
This is an excellent question from P J MacGill and it’s a tough one to answer. As such, I’m going to give a few different oversights and omissions (related to fire alarms) that I see on a daily basis. I could spend all day on this question, but I’ll cover a few simple ones that are vital:
1. Paperwork
Poor or non-existent paperwork is very high on the list of issues I see when auditing new installations. Poor or non-existent paperwork leaves the fire company-wide open to litigation where a system is documented as fully compliant yet does not meet the standard’s recommendations. The Client would be within their rights to seek recompense if variations, for example, have not been documented.
For a system to be fully compliant with BS 5839-1, Clause 40 of the standard lists the things you should provide. The following list is the minimum:
1) BS 5839-1 compliant design certificate.
2) BS 5839-1 installation certificate. Even if the installer provides a NICEIC/NAPIT BS 7671 certificate, a BS 5839-1 is still required.
3) BS 5839-1 compliant commissioning certificate. All certificates must have any documented and agreed variations listed.
4) An adequate (O & M) operation and maintenance manual for the system; this should provide information specific to the system in question regarding the following:
a) Detector type, selection, and configuration.
b) Equipment provided and its configuration, including radio-linked equipment.
c) Use of all controls (instruction manual for control panel).
d) Recommendations for investigating a fire alarm or fault signal after the incident is over and the building is declared safe for reoccupation. This does not replace an emergency or evacuation plan, which is the occupant’s responsibility.
e) Avoidance of false alarms and recommendations for investigation in the event of a false alarm.
f) Routine weekly and monthly testing of the fire alarm by the user/occupier.
g) Inspection and maintenance of the system in accordance with BS 5839-1.
h) The need to keep a clear space around all fire detectors and manual call points.
i) The need to avoid contamination of detectors during contractors’ activities and the importance of ensuring that changes to the building, such as relocation of partitions, do not affect the standard of protection.
5) As-fitted drawings indicating at least the following:
a) The locations of all fire alarm panels and any other control, indicating and power supply equipment.
b) The locations of all manual call points, fire detectors and fire alarm devices.
c) The locations of all equipment that might require regular attention or replacement.
d) The type of cable, sizes, and actual cable routes, including the colour used if it’s not red.
6) A logbook in which all events, including faults signals, fire system tests and inspection and maintenance visits, can be recorded.
7) A record of any agreed variations from the original design specification.
8) Insulation resistance test records or commissioning records.
9) BS 7671 installation certificate.
If your company or someone on your behalf has installed the isolator to the fire panel, a BS 7671 installation certificate is required 2.
Zone plan
On or adjacent to the fire alarm panel, there should be a diagrammatic representation of the building, showing at least the building entrances, the main circulation areas, and the division into zones – this is known as a zone plan.
Nothing screams ‘this system does not comply with BS 5839-1’ more than walking into a building and seeing the fire panel without a zone plan next to it. If I were a Fire & Rescue Service audit officer, it would be the first thing I would notice and I’d bring it to the attention of the building occupier that their fire alarm system does not comply. In turn, the fire officer could potentially ask for proof from the fire alarm maintenance company as to where they have documented it is missing. If you have something so simple missing, how good is the rest of the system?
The zone plan is documented 13 times in BS 5839-1, so you cannot undertake any work on a fire system to BS 5839-1 without the zone plan being part of your recommendations. If there are no zone plans, the system simply does not comply with BS 5839-1.
3. Logbook
On a system takeover, it may surprise you to learn that clause 46.2 states that if there is not a logbook appropriate for facilitating compliance with clause 48.2, a suitable logbook should be provided by the servicing organisation.
What the standard does not say, however, is that you have to give it free of charge! This is something definitely worth building it into the cost of your service to save any arguments about them paying for one.
Do you have a question you’d like answered? Email your queries to: Tom@Zzeus.org.uk
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