The maintenance and testing of fire alarms in commercial settings comes under the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 and includes regular testing at non-domestic premises. Knowing how to correctly test your fire alarms is essential to ensure you are complying.
Fire safety first
Fire safety in commercial environments poses unique challenges, with different occupational activities, complex architecture or large spaces all affecting fire and smoke detection systems’ efficiency.
If you are responsible for managing the property, you must make sure you have the right systems in place. This means getting an expert to design and install your fire alarms and maintaining them on an ongoing basis. If you are looking for fire alarms Northamptonshire, there are several companies, such as https://isefireproducts.co.uk/fire-alarm-systems/northamptonshire/, who can advise.
Regular testing
The British Standard for fire safety requires weekly testing of commercial fire alarms. Every week, a different call point should be tested to make sure they are all tested and not just the same one each time. Under UK law, an annual inspection should also be carried out by a professional trained in fire safety.
If you own a more complex or especially large building, it is recommended that biannual or quarterly checks are carried out.
Before testing, all relevant parties should be notified, including the alarm receiving centre and building occupants. All documentation such as manufacturer guidelines and previous test results should be reviewed, as well as maintenance records. All equipment and tools should be checked to ensure they are in good working order.