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Guidance Document Fire Alarm Installation Standards The following standards are the minimum standards required to satisfy

the recommendations of the Regulatory Reform Order. Installers Only LPC approved installers should be used for both installation and annual maintenance / servicing of the system. Choice of System Educational premises Commentary In some simple, open plan, single storey premises with limited educational activities (e.g. a small village primary school); a fire may be obvious to everyone as soon as it starts. In these cases, where the number and position of exits and the travel distances to them is adequate, a simple shout of fire or a simple manually operated device such as bell, gong or air horn that can be heard by everybody when operated from any single point within the building may be all that is required. Staff will need a managed evacuation plan to do this. In most educational premises, particularly those with more than one floor or incorporating a range of educational activities, an electrically operated system incorporating sounders and manually operated call points is required. This type of system (manual electric) is likely to be acceptable where all parts of the premises are occupied at the same time and it is unlikely that a fire could start without somebody noticing it quickly. However, where there are unoccupied areas or common corridors and circulation spaces or laboratories in multi-occupied premises, in which a fire could develop to the extent that the escape routes could become affected before the fire is discovered, an automatic fire detection system may be necessary. In complex premises, accommodating large numbers of people a more sophisticated form of warning and evacuation should be provided.
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Arrangements for when people are working alone, are disabled, or when occupancy patterns are different (evening classes / adult education, partial occupation etc) also need to be considered. Manual call points should be protected by an anti misuse device such as a STI STOPPER, or externally by a STI WEATHER STOPPER. Extracts from BS 5839; Part 1; 2002 Appendix A
Schools, other than small single Storey schools with less than 160 pupils M or M/P2 or M/P2/L4 or M/P2/L5 System Category is normally based on a fire risk assessment. In many schools, a category P system is installed to combat the hazard of arson. In schools that are partly occupied at certain times (e.g. during evening classes or community use), a Category L4 or L5 system is sometimes considered appropriate.

N.B. Higher standards may be required to compensate for inadequate structural features e.g. a lack of compartmentation.

Offices Depots etc. Commentary In some small open plan, single offices and shops, a fire may be obvious to everyone as soon as it starts. In these cases, where the number and position of exits and the travel distances to them is adequate, a simple shout of fire or a simple manually operated device such as bell, gong or air horn that can be heard by everybody when operated from any single point within the building may be all that is required. Where this is not adequate an electrically operated system will be required. In larger premises, particularly those with more than one floor, an electrically operated system incorporating sounders and manually operated call points is required. This type of system (manual electric) is likely to be acceptable where all parts of the premises are occupied at the same time and it is unlikely that a fire could start without somebody noticing it quickly. However, where there are unoccupied areas or common corridors and circulation spaces in multi-occupied premises, in which a fire could develop to the extent that the escape routes could become affected before the fire is discovered, an automatic fire detection system may be necessary.

In large or complex premises, accommodating large numbers of people a more sophisticated form of warning and evacuation, possibly phased, should be provided. Arrangements for when people are working alone, are disabled, or when occupancy patterns are different (maintenance staff, contractors working evenings weekends) also need to be considered.

Extracts from BS 5839; Part 1; 2002 Appendix A


Common places of work, such as offices, shops, factories warehouses and restaurants M P2/M P1`/M or or A Category M system normally satisfies the requirements of legislation. It is, however, often combined with a Category P system to satisfy the requirements of insurers, as company policy for protection of business assets, or to protect against business interruption.

N.B. Higher standards may be required to compensate for inadequate fire protection or structural features, e.g. single fire door protection to single staircase condition in three storey premises.

Places of Assembly Commentary In many premises a fire may be obvious to everyone as soon as it starts (e.g. in a simple open plan village hall). In these cases, where the number and position of exits and the travel distances to them is adequate, a simple shout of fire or a simple manually operated device such as bell, gong or air horn that can be heard by everybody when operated from any single point within the building may be all that is required. Organisers or staff will need a managed evacuation plan to do this. In larger premises, particularly those with more than one floor, an electrically operated system incorporating sounders and manually operated call points is required. This type of system (manual electric) is likely to be acceptable where all parts of the premises are occupied at the same time and it is unlikely that a fire could start without somebody noticing it quickly.

However, where there are unoccupied areas or common corridors and circulation spaces in multi-occupied premises, in which a fire could develop to the extent that the escape routes could become affected before the fire is discovered, an automatic fire detection system may be necessary. In large or complex premises, accommodating large numbers of people in different rooms a more sophisticated form of warning and evacuation, possibly involving staff alarms (where staff are alerted before members of the public), should be provided. Arrangements for when people are working alone, are disabled, or when occupancy patterns are different (maintenance staff, contractors working evenings weekends) also need to be considered. Extracts from BS 5839; Part 1; 2002 Appendix A
Places of assembly, (e.g. cinemas, theatres, nightclubs, exhibition halls, museums and galleries, leisure centres and casinos): Small premises (e.g. accommodating less than 300 persons). Other premises

M L1 to L4

_ L1 systems are often provided in large or complex buildings.

Residential Care Premises Commentary Virtually all premises under this category will need an automatic fire detection and warning system incorporating automatic fire detectors, sounders and manually operated call points. Extracts from BS 5839; Part 1; 2002 Appendix A

Residential care homes

L1 to L3

L1 is regarded appropriate for large premises.

Other Sleeping risks Commentary Virtually all premises under this category will need an automatic fire detection and warning system incorporating automatic fire detectors, sounders and manually operated call points. In simple premises of limited size/occupation e.g. ground and first floor with a small number of guest/residents, an alternative system of interconnected smoke alarms or point detectors, incorporating interconnected manual call points and, where necessary separate sounders may be acceptable. In more complex premises, such as the sleeping areas of hotels, boarding schools or student accommodation, an automatic fire detection and warning system with a control panel which is also able to identify either the zone or the specific location where the alarm has been raised. Although the main risk will be to people when they are asleep arrangements for times when people are working alone, or are disabled, or when occupancy patterns are different (maintenance staff, contractors working evenings weekends) also need to be considered. Extracts from BS 5839; Part 1; 2002 Appendix A
Hotels and Hostels L1 or L2 In bedroom areas, the design requirements are usually based on the recommendations for a Category L3 system. Detectors are, however, typically installed in

most other rooms and areas, as a fire in almost any area of the building could pose a threat to sleeping occupants; the system Category is, therefore, at least L2. In practice, few, if any, areas are left unprotected and the system Category is effectively L1, except that a variation from the recommendations applicable to a Category L1 system may apply to the siting of heat, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors in bedrooms; this often follows the recommendations of 22.3e) of the Bs for detectors in a Category L3 system

Manual call points Call points should be sited along exit routes and so positioned to ensure no person has to travel more than 45m to reach a call point (if at design stage the final layout of the premises is unknown, the distance in a straight line should not exceed 20m). They should also be provided to cover all storey exits and all final exits. Note: the figure of 45m above should be reduced to 25m and 16m respectively in the following circumstances: Where a significant proportion of occupants have limited mobility and it can be reasonably anticipated that one of these occupants will be the appropriate person to first actuate the fire alarm in the event of fire; or Where the processes in the area result in the likelihood of rapid-fire development (e.g. where there is the use, or processing of highly flammable liquids or gases). Audibility The sound pressure level of alarm signals should be: Throughout all accessible areas of the building (other than enclosures of less than 1m) not less than 65dB(A), this may be reduced to 60dB(A) in stairways, enclosures of no more than 60m and specific points of limited extent; or 5dB(A) above the ambient noise level where the sound pressure level of background noise exceeds 60dB(A)
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(background noise levels that do not persist for more than 30 s may be ignored);or Not less than 75dB(A) at the bed-head within rooms in which the fire alarm is intended to rouse sleeping people (in hospitals and residential care premises the fire alarm may not necessarily be intended to rouse people from sleep): Not greater than 120dB(A) at any normal accessible point.

Control and Indicating Equipment Control and Indicating Equipment should be sited at an appropriate location for both staff and fire fighters responding to a fire signal. This should normally be on the ground floor, close to the entrance to the building likely to be used by the fire service, or a suitably sited, continuously manned control room. In more complex premises the use of repeater panels should be considered.

System Electrically operated systems should conform to BS 5839; Part 1; 2002: or European equivalent. Systems in buildings or groups of buildings exceeding 15,000 m should be Addressable systems. Systems in larger premises should be linked to a central monitoring station approved by the LPC, particularly if the building is in a remote location or where the potential or risk of arson is an issue. Where connection difficulties require the use of Radio Linked Detectors only those systems approved by the LPC should be used.

Installers / manufacturers must provide FULL commissioning documentation, manuals and necessary software with security dongles, if required on handover of the system or when required to do so, complete with backup of system programming and text information on 3.5 computer disk, together with any engineering security codes to enable access to all panel programming sections.

Kelvin Hughes Fire Safety Officer

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