Fire Safety | Maintenance of Active Fire Protection Systems

In general, all commercial and public buildings in the UK will incorporate some form of active fire protection system. An active fire protection system may include a fire alarm, fire alarm panel, sprinkler system, emergency lighting etc.

Having been installed and appropriately commissioned, these systems are designed to operate to ensure both the building and its occupants are protected.  Unfortunately, as with all electrical and mechanical systems, failure is a possibility.  

To reduce the likelihood of failure, all fire protection systems must be subject to regular checks, testing and maintenance.  These actions ensure the system is working correctly and any items that are subject to failure - through 'wear and tear' etc. - can be identified and appropriate remedial action taken. Appropriate system checks will be a part of your ongoing fire risk assessment and fire safety log book actions.

The reason for reducing the likelihood of failure is the matter of consequences.  It is likely that most (if not all) of the fire safety systems installed in the UK have been installed as life safety installations, i.e. they protect life.  Therefore, the failure of such a system could ultimately lead to injuries or even death.

While this article cannot hope to detail every code requirement for system checks, we can provide an overview of the most common requirements in a typical building and system.

System Checks

Many fire safety installations require daily, weekly and monthly checks.  The general rule is that the more frequent the check, the less involved or intrusive it is.  For example, the daily check on a fire alarm system involves a visual check on the fire alarm panel(s), to ensure correct operation, i.e. no faults are indicated.  Similarly, with emergency lighting systems; does each unit appear to be working correctly? Do any units appear damaged? 

System Tests

Tests performed on a weekly or monthly basis tend to be slightly more intrusive and involved. They are normally performed by in-house staff or facilities management.  The most common basic test of a system we should all be aware of is the weekly fire alarm test.  This test is performed to ensure that the manual call points are sending a signal to the fire alarm panel.  The test also ensures that the sounders are working correctly and allows the occupants an opportunity to report any audibility issues as well as becoming familiar with the sound of the alarm.  

A less common system, but equally important (if installed) is a sprinkler system.  This will be subjected to weekly tests, which ensures the basic operation of the system, pumps and water supply. This test is often an insurance requirement, as failure to meet the insurer's maintenance checks may invalidate the insurance policy.

Servicing & Maintenance

With most installations, there will be a periodic requirement for service, similar to a car.  This tends to be a more involved process and may require replacement of parts.  Most standards require this to be carried out by an appropriately trained engineer accredited with the appropriate qualifications.  Servicing should pick up any technical system faults and can also be used for planned maintenance, when a component is identified as nearing the end of its useable life, servicing will take appropriate action to ensure its replacement prior to failure.

Servicing of systems tends to be less frequent, for example; monthly, quarterly or even annually.  This can depend on the system as well as other factors, such as the risk group of the building and the size of the installation.

Your system

The fire safety protection systems installed in buildings are primarily there to protect life.  We must be mindful of the importance of these systems when we test and maintain them as their failure could have catastrophic results. If you are unsure if your system has been regularly maintained or wish to obtain some advice on the future maintenance of your system, please contact Peter Gyere on 020 8668 8663.