Association News

In the news! Conformance to New Standards

In the news! Conformance to New Standards

The Means of Escape will always try to keep you up to date with change, both technological as well as legislative requirements.

We often hear the sceptical comments that the changes required in fire safety arrangement are a conspiracy for the industry to make money rather than contribute life safety. One such example is the requirement to now fit tamper protection to fire alarm call point, as required to conform to BS 5839 Part 1 2017. We are sure the debate will rage over retrofit cost but the Means of Escape are really convinced that covers are an exceptionally good idea.

Organisations should be committed to reducing unwanted alarm activation to ensure that Fire and Rescue resources can deploy efficiently and effectively. The mobilisation of the Fire and Rescue’s appliances today for modern firefighting is extremely costly, and to a certain extent not risk free. Therefore, without total conformation, Fire and Rescue could be reluctant to deploy discretionary back up appliances to alarm activation if there is a large chance that the call is a false alarm.

The Means of Escape will endeavour to select pieces that introduce change as a positive contribution to the main objective of life safety improvement.

We are sure as the fall out of the terrible fire of Grenfell Tower inquest unfold that more change will be announced all justified by the tragic loss of life in this event.

There will be seismic changes to come, increased scrutiny, and increase in justification and probably to some complete overkill in recommendation. However, the process of change in the past has reduced fatalities from fire considerably.

As always we are here to help and one of our Verified Suppliers, Safety Technology International (STI), supply a range of protective covers, from integral covers to sounder models; there are variations to suit all applications. These covers are specifically designed to prevent false alarms whether accidental or malicious.

STI Managing Director, Steve Hunt believes that the update to the British Standard will aid the decline in false fire alarms throughout the country.

He said: “The update to the British Standard strongly reinforces the work Safety Technology have been doing for over three decades. Our protective covers are designed to prevent false fire alarms and they are effective at doing so.”

Written by Jim Creak

Editor of Means of Escape