Fire Evacuations - False Alarms

Hello

One thing your Building team need to look at is if the sensors have been set off by dust they may be permanently damaged.

Barry

Dear All

Thank you so much for all your comments. They are all extremely useful, and are EXACTLY what I was looking for. I have used some of them to great effect already in a meeting.

Thank you again.
Sarah

Sarah; a couple of good reference points are the CLG Coloured guides on risk assessments as there are several small sections on False Alarms. Download for free http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/fire/firesafetyrisk2

Also CFOA issues current guidance on reducing false alarms which many fire brigades use. http://www.cfoa.org.uk/10038#element0

As for a couple of specific solutions as indicated in other posts above, permits to work and the Fire Alarm installer/maintenance company to assess if the system is currently adequate (e.g. wrong type and location of detectors et al).

Email me if you require further help

Andy (Fire Safety Officer Associates)

Are your building management people carrying out risk assessments or issuing Permit - to - Work, because if they were I'm sure you will not be suffering these spurious alarms from your contractors.

Devices/alarm can be isolated where building works is taking place and of course appropriate to do so, additional fire watch patrols can be put in place to ensure suitable fire cover all basic things covered in the RA. P-to-W system would also ensure no work takes place unless necessary safety precautions are in place (this includes inadvertently setting off the fire alarm).

It also begs the question of employing competent contractors as they too should be carrying risk assessments that would identify 'hot works' or dusty work that would activate the alarm system.

Sarah
from Wiltshire fire brigade info:

'Any fire detection and alarm system is deemed unsatisfactory if:
• There are 2 or more unwanted fire signals over 4 weeks
• There are 3 or more unwanted signals in 6 months
• The cause of the unwanted signal has not be identified and corrected within 7 days.'

therefore if an inspection does take place evidence will be required of what is being done to reduce false alarms - by changing behaviour by workers not disabling system and by maybe having the fire alarm checked by a competent person. Numerous false alarms will get on the local fire brigade's nerves and the building in question may be in line for a visit.
Why not ask the local fire enforcement officer for advice? This shows active problem solving and if you go with their advice you reduce possible future issues if further alarms are activated. If you are doing the right thing the fire officers will look elsewhere - maybe approach the contractors causing the activations. But this is indicative of the fire detection system possibly requiring attention, so I would advise that this takes place also.
Martin

Hi, One of the buildings I look after has suffered numerous false alarms recently. Reasons given for these false alarms are usually - smoke detectors not disabled during fit-out works (it's a new build), or faulth sensors etc. We have 400 people in the building, and the impact of numerous false alarms is pretty obvious. Anyone got any advice on how I can tackle this - any regulation "threat" I could throw at Building Management for example? Any advice gratefully received.

Sarah