Introduction to Fire Safety Management

during periods of sleep (hotels, hostels, etc.) 75 dB(A) at
the bed head is recommended, to ensure that they are
adequately warned.
It is important that once the alarm signal has begun
to sound that it continues until silenced, either due to a
false alarm (alarm verifi er), or by the fi re service.
9.5.19 Reducing unwanted fi re signals
In order to limit false alarms the owners, occupiers, or
other responsible person with control over a building
with a fi re-detection and fi re-alarm system should
ensure that:
➤ The system remains in working order and is properly
maintained
➤ Faults are dealt with quickly and effi ciently
➤ False alarms are investigated and action taken to
solve any problem
➤ Activities which may affect the system (for example,
processes which may produce heat or smoke,
redecorating or a change in manufacturing processes)
are controlled
➤ Maintenance or other work is carried out on the system
only by a competent person
➤ Attitudinal, specifi c advice is sought from:
➤ The company that installed the fi re detection
and fi re alarm system
➤ The company that maintains the system
➤ Your local fi re and rescue service.
9.5.20 Fire safety systems maintenance and
testing
In addition to being responsible for daily checks of the
premises, it is the management’s responsibility to ensure
that all fi re safety equipment is adequately and routinely
maintained and tested. The fi re safety of the occupants
is dependent upon a large number of interrelated features.
Failure to maintain any one of the fi re safety provisions
in effective working order could negate the whole
fi re safety strategy.
The maintenance of furniture, furnishings, décor and
equipment is as important for the safety of occupants as
is the maintenance of fi re safety equipment. Contents
and equipment affect the likelihood of fi re occurring, its
development and subsequent events. Diligent attention
to detail can minimise the risk of fi re.
All fi re safety installations need to be tested individually,
but interdependent fi re safety installations need
to be tested collectively to demonstrate satisfactory
interfacing/interlinking, etc.
Arrangements should be made for all services (including
fi re detection systems, door control mechanisms,
Fire protection in buildings
pressurisation systems, evacuation and fi re fi ghting
lifts, emergency lighting, standby power systems) to be
regularly inspected and maintained.
Alterations and modifi cations to an existing installation
should not be carried out without consultation with
the enforcing authority and, where possible, the original
system designer or installer (or other qualifi ed persons).
This is particularly important where systems are combined
and depend upon a sequence of control events.
9.5.21 Fire service access and facilities
The Building Regulations 2000 require that buildings are
designed and constructed so as to provide reasonable
facilities to assist fi re fi ghters in the protection of life and
to enable reasonable access for a fi re appliance.
In order to achieve reasonable access for fi re
appliances and reasonable assistance for fi re fi ghters it
is necessary for a building to be provided with:
➤ Suffi cient vehicle access
➤ Suffi cient internal access
➤ Suffi cient fi re mains
➤ Adequate means of venting heat and smoke from
basements
➤ Adequate means for isolating services.
Suffi cient vehicle access
As a general rule, the larger the building the more access
is required for fi re service vehicles. For small buildings it
is normally suffi cient for the service to have access just to
one face of the building. However, larger buildings require
clear access to more than one side of the building. There
are two types of vehicles that may require suffi cient
Figure 9.83 Fire service access road
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