The British Standards for Fire Alarms has been changed

The British Standards for Fire Alarms has been changed. It used to be BS 5839 – 1 2002 + A2: 2008, it is now BS 5839 – 1 2013. It also has a new title, it is now;

Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems for Buildings –

Here are the changes we have noted:

Part 1: code of practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of systems in non-domestic premises.

Some of the changes affecting the end user are;

The term “ Care Home ” has been substituted throughout the document with “ Residential Care Premises”

The importance of providing accurate and unambiguous information to staff in residential care premises about the location of fire has been highlighted in Clause 4. It states “ in general, this part of BS 5839 makes no recommendations as to whether systems need to be addressable; it is possible for addressable and non-addressable systems to satisfy the recommendations of Section 2. However, where accurate and unambiguous information about the location of a fire is critical to the safety of life, it is sometimes necessary to use only an addressable system”.

Clause 15.1 “ automatic transmission of fire alarm signals is also necessary in the case of residential care premises”.

The guidance and recommendations of Clause 19 and subclause 35.2.7 have been updated to address the need to avoid delay in summoning the fire and rescue service when the fire detection and fire alarm system of a residential care premises operates.

Subclause 45.1 now highlights that routine servicing of a fire detection and fire alarm system does not constitute a fresh review of system design, so that noncompliance with this standard might not be identified during such servicing.

The term “responsible person” has been removed and replaced with references to “premises management” to avoid confusion with the term defined in legislation.

If you would like use to review you current Fire Alarm requirements please get in touch.