Why Fire Alarm Testing Is Important For Your Business

Why Fire Alarm Testing is Important

Fire Alarms and Legislation

If you are an employer of 5 or more employees, you are legally obliged to have a written Risk Assessment and plan in place for your business. If your building has a fire alarm system it needs to be checked by either the Employer (and/or the building management/occupants) on a regular basis.

According to BS5389 pt. 1 (2013), weekly and monthly testing should be carried out by the user including:

All indicators show (using resetting instructions provided by the panel)

Check internal sounder operate

Operate a manual call point to check the system

Check all sounders are operational

Rest the fire alarm panel

Use a rotation system that ensures all call points are tested over a long time period

Test at the same time each week

Additional tests to be made at least once a month so that employees that may not always be on the premises are familiar with the sound of the alarm
Test should not normally exceed one minute so that a distinction is made between testing and when the fire alarm may actually go off

Log results of tests in to log book

A periodic inspection of the system should also take place, so that multiple tests can be carried out to ensure the system is still compliant and in good working order. T&M Electrical Services engineers are trained in these aspects and can carry out the tests to the standard required.

Annual testing is also a requirement to make sure all detectors and call points are fully operational.

Other inspections include:

Cleaning smoke detectors (this requires special equipment)

Battery replacement (this should be carried out as and when required, but no longer than 4 years)

It's always advisable to contact your local Fire Prevention Officer as some national and local legislation varies

Periodic and yearly inspections should be carried out by a competent, certified person or company, who have obtained 3rd party certification and training in this discipline.

For more information on how we can help you with your testing rotation and requirements, please call 01689 452002 and a member of the team will be happy to help.

Useful links: The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005) - BS5839 pt. 1 (2013)

Why Fire Alarm Testing is Important

How Often Should You Check Your Electrical Installations?

How Often Should You Check Your Electrical Installations

How Often Should You Check Your Electrical Installations - This is a question we're often asked at T&M Electrical Services, Electrical Testing Kent

It depends entirely on whether you have a residential property, commercial or public building and also on mortgage lenders and insurance companies.

Residential and Domestic

As a general rule residential properties should be checked at change of occupancy and a maximum of every 5 years for Residential and 10 years for Domestic, so if you've recently moved house this would be an ideal time to look into the history of the testing of your installations. Wiring that is unkempt can cause serious damage and electrical fires if not attended to properly, which is why strict laws and regulations govern the electrical testing industry.

Commercial, Office and Shops and Hospitals

These buildings fall into a much stricter category for electrical testing, as you can imagine. The recommended checking period is once a year. When you book a Testing Inspection with us we'll contact you on a yearly basis to remind you that your installation needs checking to ensure you stay within the regulatory guidelines. It is of course up to you when your installations are checked and the maximum period for the Commercial, Offices, Shops and Hospitals sector is 5 years. It's always best to check with your insurance company what they recommend to make sure your policy covers you.

Those that fall into a yearly category

Some electrical installations must be checked on a yearly basis. These include:

Swimming Pools
Caravan Parks
Marinas and Fish Farms
Fire Alarms
Launderettes
Petrol Filling Stations

These are all public areas and buildings and need to be checked more often to meet the Electrical laws criteria.

Other Important Installations

Emergency Lighting - These should be checked daily/monthly, there's normally a person onsite that can do this like the office or buildings manager to ensure all is working correctly in the case of a power outage or electrical fault. The maximum time period between an official inspection is 3 years.

Construction Site Installations - These absolutely have to be checked every 3 months. This is because of the severe risk to personal injury to construction workers and the elements that they often find themselves working in. If you suffer a shock on a construction site from faulty equipment or installations, further injuries can be caused if you were on scaffolding or a ladder at the time of being shocked, which can result in further injury and loss of life.

If you have any questions or concerns about your current Electrical Installation please get in touch with us, we'll help you make sure that you meet guidelines and that your current installations are safe and conform to current standards. Please call us on 01689 452002 and a member of the team can advise you.

How Often Should You Check Your Electrical Installations

What Are The Fixed Wire Testing Rules and Regulations?

Fixed wire testing is an important part of maintenance and highlights potential problems that you may have with your electrical installation. So What are the Fixed Wire Testing Rules?

You may not be aware of problems, which is why it's essential to have a periodic test of your fixed wiring, not just around your business premises but also domestic.

Legal Requirements

Tests take place to satisfy the requirements of:

The Electricity at Work Regulations Act 1989, Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and BS 7671 (IEE Wiring Regulations 17th Edition as amended).
Insurance companies
Mortgage Lenders
Landlords
Licensing Authorities
General peace of mind!

The legislation that covers the legal requirements for electrical installations are:

Testing Intervals

There are also some minimum periods of testing that you should be aware of as in the table below, as a general rule testing is required every 1-5 years depending on the building and function, however there are some routine checks that are recommended every 3 months:

Fixed Wiring Installation Type	Recommended Routine Check	Maximum Period Between Testing and Inspection
General
Residential	Change of occupancy/1 year	5 years
Commercial	1 year	Change of occupancy/5 years
Domestic		Change of occupancy/10 years
Offices and Shops	1 year	5 years
Hospitals and Laboratories	1 year	5 years
Educational Buildings i.e. Schools	6 months	5 years
Industrial	1 year	3 years

Public Buildings/Those Open to the Public
Community and Village Halls	1 year	5 years
Restaurants, Hotels and Public Houses	1 year	5 years
Public Entertainment	1 year	5 years
Leisure Complexes (Not Swimming Pools)	4 months	3 years
Church Installations	1 year	5 years
Cinemas	1 year	1-3 years
Other Installations
Horticultural and Agricultural	1 year	3 years
Swimming Pools	4 months	1 year
Caravan Parks	6 months	1 year
Highway Power Supplies	As and when required/convenience	6 years
Marinas and Fish Farms	4 months	1 year
Emergency Lighting	Daily/Monthly	3 years
Fire Alarms	Daily/Weekly/Monthly	1 year
Launderettes	1 month	1 year
Petrol Filling Stations	1 year	1 year
Construction Site Installations	3 months	3 months

If you're unsure whether or not your installation has been inspected recently and you run a commercial or public facility, please get in contact with us as soon as possible to make sure it is completed to fulfil your legal requirements. Without it your insurance policy could be invalid.