Another False Alarm? Why Fire Maintenance is Essential

When your fire alarm or smoke detector goes off unexpectedly, it can be a major inconvenience for all involved. Not only does it strike an unnecessary element of fear in people, but it can also be a massive drain on emergency services’ resources. In order to mitigate these issues, and prevent false alarms sounding, we have some tips for you regarding fire alarm maintenance in the workplace.

What is a false alarm and why is it a problem?

A false alarm, with regards to a fire alarm or smoke detector, is when the system sounds in the absence of smoke or fire. There can be many causes for this, including:

• Someone either intentionally or unintentionally sounding the alarm unnecessarily.
• Food has been burnt and smoke has been detected.
• A high level of humidity or steam being present.
• Insects interfering with exceptionally sensitive sensors.
• A considerable buildup of dust.
• The presence of strong, uncovered chemicals.
• Excessive spraying of aerosols.
• Your fire alarm or smoke detector hasn’t been maintained to a satisfactory level.

Despite the causes of false alarms being simple and easy to avoid, it’s a remarkably common occurrence. However, this can inadvertently cause several problems, including:

• Wasting the time and resources of the Fire and Rescue Service.
• A safety concern for occupants of the building.
• It can cause a great level of disruption unnecessarily.

It’s important that your fire alarm or smoke detector is well maintained and regularly checked. Not only will this ensure the safety of those who work in the building, but it will also minimise the risk of a false alarm.

Statistics: fire false alarms attended

Fire false alarms attended are split into three different categories:

1. Good intent but no fire – a fire was falsely reported.
2. Automatic fire alarms causing the Fire and Rescue Service to attend a false alarm.
3. Malicious phone calls and reports of fire.

Although the total number of fire false alarms has declined since 2001/2002, where the number of attendances came in at 394,000, the statistics show that there was a slight increase between 2015 and June 2018. In 2015/2016, there were 214,000 false alarms attended, whereas that number rose to 226,000 in June 2018.

Since 2004/2005, the largest type of incident type every year was false fire alarms, making up 40%-44% of all incidences reported to the Fire and Rescue Service. Of those false fire alarm incidences, malicious phone calls made up a very small number of them, a trend which continues today.

In the year ending June 2018, the Fire and Rescue Service attended 226,466 fire false alarms, which was a less than 1% increase on the previous year. Faults and failures in apparatus and automatic fire alarm systems accounted for 67% of fire false alarms incidences from June 2017-June 2018.

How to prevent false alarms

Whether you have a false fire alarm problem with your smoke detectors or fire alarm system in the workplace, here are a few things you can try in order to prevent false fire alarms from occurring.

Take care in kitchens – it’s important that employees who are using the kitchen take care when cooking or preparing food. This includes not leaving food to cook unattended and limiting distractions. Ensure no one is excessively spraying aerosols or using appliances that give off steam (such as kettles) directly under a detector.

Ensure fire alarm call points cannot be pressed accidentally – buttons should be located out of the way, ensuring they can’t be knocked by accident. However, they should still be easy to find so they can be pressed in the event of a legitimate fire. Buttons shouldn’t be too sensitive and require a significant amount of pressure to be applied before setting off the alarm system.

Add a dehumidifier to small rooms and shower rooms – high levels of humidity and excessive amounts of steam can cause an alarm to go off, particularly in shower rooms in the workplace (if there is one). You should also place a dehumidifier in small rooms that are prone to damp. If a shower room has been utilised at work and is subsequently filled with steam, shut the door upon exiting the room, so as not to set off detectors in adjoining hallways or corridors.

Keep your alarm clean and in good condition – excessive amounts of dust can cause problems, one of those being false fire alarms. If your alarm is looking particularly dusty, give it a careful, thorough clean – this may stop false fire alarm occurrences. If you’ve recently purchased a new system, ensure all alarms and detectors are kept clean and dust-free.

Review fire procedures in the workplace – it can be beneficial to review existing fire procedures and bring employees up to speed, whether they’re appointed fire wardens or not. It can be made to be more efficient, so if a false fire alarm does sound (something which will be increasingly unlikely if you’re implementing the aforementioned tips), then time will be saved, despite employees evacuating a building for a non-existent fire.

Hire a company to maintain your alarm system – it’s always best to call in the professionals when it comes to safe and responsible fire alarm maintenance. Under the British Standard BS 5389, it’s highly recommended that your fire alarm system is tested weekly, and it should also be serviced every 6 months by a competent contractor. This helps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the building’s occupants in the event of a fire. Ensuring your fire alarm system works properly and effectively is absolutely paramount, and here at City Fire, we’re dedicated to guaranteeing the safety of your staff and (depending on the type of business you own) your customers.

Here’s how City Fire Protection can help you

As a leading, independent fire protection company, you’ll be able to count on us to provide a fast, efficient and reliable maintenance service for your fire alarm system.

We have a team of fully qualified, highly experienced engineers who are proud to install and maintain fire alarm systems in accordance with BS 5389, as well as deliver exceptional service every single time.

We’re able to offer our customers a complete maintenance service, as well as offering to carry out inspections and quality repairs, should you require it.

Here at City Fire Protection. the safety of our customers is paramount, therefore, we’re committed to ensuring your fire alarm system is working appropriately. If you’d like to learn more about the fire alarm maintenance service we offer, or for further information the inspections we provide, get in touch with a member of our knowledgeable team today – we operate throughout the United Kingdom, with a base in both London and Birmingham.