Regular service and maintenance are vital to ensuring safe and compliant fire safety systems, checking they are fully operational and limiting the possibility of false alarms. Any testing carried out should be done by a competent, suitably qualified person.

Generally, these systems have to be checked twice every year, with every device installed being tested and the outcome recorded, however, the precise interval between tests depends on the nature of the building/business. For instance, accommodation such as hotels, bed & breakfasts or hostels must be tested four times a year, and again every device must be tested throughout the annual maintenance programme and recorded as such.

Failure to conduct the necessary testing in a timely manner would render the business/person in breach of BS 5839-1 ie, no longer compliant and thereby potentially invalidating the business’ insurance cover.

The recording of testing in a fire logbook is derived from the( Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order) of 2005, which charges the responsible person with the safety of everyone on the premises, regardless of the nature of their visit. It requires a comprehensive system of checking, maintaining and repairing all fire safety systems and equipment, including the legally required weekly checking and recording. It is essential to have this log whereby all alarm maintenance, checks and repairs have been recorded and can be viewed, and this must remain on site at all times. The logbook must be designed to meet the requirements of BS 5839 part one and the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order.

*Please see below details of our free of charge simPRO system, available to all customers, which documents all testing and maintenance. Our clients are given FOC access to the simPRO system and have the capability to view any part of their customer journey in real-time, from appointment scheduling to the status of work carried out. This system also flags what needs to be tested and when specific tests are required. Read more about simPRO below.

Required maintenance:

1. Routine testing by the user

Weekly testing – Fire Alarm Systems should be tested on a weekly basis by the designated ‘responsible person’ to ensure there has not been a major failure of the detection system and that it remains in working order.

Fire Alarm Systems should be checked on a weekly basis in a variety of ways: 

• Manual call points should be tested, preferably during working hours, to ensure the control panel and alarm sounders are operational. This should be a different call point each week to ensure all of them are satisfactorily operational. If a fire alarm system is linked to a remote monitoring system it is very important to advise the alarm receiving centre (ARC) immediately before and after the test so as to avoid unwanted alarms and that the fire alarm signals are being received appropriately.
• Voice Alarm. Systems should be tested weekly also, in accordance with BS 5839 part 8. Some Voice Alarm Systems are connected to Alarm Receiving Centres - in this case, it is imperative to inform the ARC prior to testing and to notify them about testing completion to avoid unnecessary fire brigade callouts. Weekly tests should be recorded in a fire alarm log book alongside details of the manual call point used in the test. Any faults should be reported to a competent person for investigation and rectification. The process for this testing is as follows: 

1. Inform all people within the building/premises of when you plan to carry out the test. (It is best practice to carry out the test at the same time each week).
2. As previously mentioned, if the system is connected to an ARC, inform them and put the system on ‘Test’ Ensure you have a manual call point reset key, as this is necessary to resetting the manual call point after you have activated it.
3. Go to the manual call point being tested and activate it. Wait for the sounders to start. Insert the call point reset key to reset the manual call point. Return to the fire alarm control panel and confirm the activated call point address and zone are correct. f this is correct, you should now silence the sounders and reset the fire alarm control panel.
4. This test should then be recorded in the fire log book as proper documentation, and the ARC can now be contacted to notify them of the end of the test while checking they received the fire signal and have taken the system off ‘Test’.

2. Fire Alarm testing in line with BS5839-1:2019 

BS 5839-1 recommends the period between servicing and inspection visits shouldn’t exceed 6 months, with any deviation from this meaning the system will no longer be compliant with BS 5839 standards. 

Due to the specialist nature of Fire Safety Systems, inspections should be carried out by a fire alarm organisation with third-party accreditation to ensure competence. 

When testing your systems there are many things to check, from visual inspection of manual call points, fire alarms and detectors, to examination of the logbook- including follow-up action on any faults recorded. 

The standard outlines all aspects of periodic system inspection and testing, as well as making recommendations as to additional tasks that should be carried out. 

• Annually every call point must be manually tested
• Annually every automatic fire detection device must be functionally tested
• These tests can be carried out over the course of two or more visits throughout the year
• The control panel and its batteries should be checked at every service visit
• Any faults or failures must be recorded in the fire alarm log book and ideally rectified to completion

Lightning Safety Systems can carry out testing in whatever capacity is most convenient for your business. 

The standard recommends that all types of detectors be tested in such a way that the stimulus they are designed to measure is capable of passing unhindered from the area protected by each detector to their sensing chamber/element. Tests which merely verify a detector can sample the atmosphere already in contact with them do not comply with BS 5839-1.

The level and scope of maintenance in a fire sprinkler service varies depending on the system type. The procedure can take anywhere from 45 minutes on a domestic property to a full day on a residential care home. A typical service includes the following safety checks:

• Pressure and flow of the water supply
• Linked alarms tested
• Control valves, flow switches, test valves and associated equipment are checked where appropriate 
• Sprinkler heads and pipework - checked to ensure their functionality is not impeded

Lightning Safety System’s qualified engineers are capable of ensuring your sprinklers are compliant and fully operational.

Remote Monitoring System

For the ongoing maintenance of your building and business, we strongly recommend a remote monitoring system to be installed and utilised. Fire alarm systems connected to our remote monitoring system enable immediate contact to the Fire Brigade on your behalf, thereby minimising any damage or loss to businesses, property, contents, and potentially even people's lives.

If a building is occupied when a fire breaks out, then the fire alarm system is an excellent means of enabling people to safely exit the building whilst the Fire Brigade is contacted to come and put the fire out.

However, what if the building was unoccupied?

Over 70% of businesses that experience a major fire, either do not reopen their doors, or they fail within the next three years.

Could your business operate if you were unable to access the building due to fire damage?

Very real worries and concerns can be alleviated by installing a remote signalling system, protecting your business, your property, and its contents. In the case of such a fire, the remote signalling system sends an alarm activation signal to the fire brigade immediately upon detection, enabling them to be at the premises within 15 minutes of the alarm being raised. 

Benefits of a 24/7 remotely monitored system:

    Peace of mind to property & business owners when premises are empty.

    Fast response to any activated alarm minimising the risk of damage and loss.

    Helps meet insurance requirements and reduce the premiums charged

Emergency lighting is the lighting system that comes on automatically if the usual lighting fails. It needs to be adequately bright on the escape routes (1 lux in most cases), illuminated for enough time (normally 3 hours), and the light sources so positioned that the staff and visitors of a building can be led out safely in an emergency.

BS5266-1:2016 – There can be some variation in the required frequency of testing of emergency lighting systems, however, it is generally accepted that most systems need to be checked over every month as well as a full duration test every year.  

1. Monthly testing

This is a short test to ensure the emergency lighting is functioning correctly. This test checks whether the lighting is functional, ensuring that all emergency lighting illuminates when the mains power is turned off using your test key, as well as checking over any casings to ensure they are clean and aren’t displaying any signs of damage. Having checked the emergency lights successfully come on, you should then switch the mains power back on and check that the lights are properly charging up again in case of emergency. The results of these tests should be recorded in a logbook, and any issues should be rectified immediately.

2. Yearly testing

Emergency Lights should be tested once a year with a full duration test to ensure they are capable of discharging light for a full 3 hours in the case of a lack of power from the mains, any fitting that fails to last the full duration should be repaired or replaced. Lightning Safety Systems’ qualified engineers are capable of carrying out emergency lighting maintenance to help protect your buildings and, in the case of emergency, save lives. 

3. Considerations

When testing emergency lighting a few considerations need to be made to ensure you don’t endanger employees, whilst ensuring the test is carried out to maximum efficiency. As the batteries of the emergency lights need time to recharge after a test, it is imperative to consider that the time straight after a test is high risk for a real failure of power as the lighting may still be down. To counteract this, you should consider what times could be lower risk and safer to test within. Potentially outside of working hours, utilising phased testing if the building is always occupied, or temporary options that can provide cover until the batteries fully recharge can all help reduce risk.

British Standard BS5306 states that fire extinguishers must be serviced annually in what is known as a 'basic service'. This service should be carried out by an accredited third-party extinguisher technician, such as those at Lightning Safety Systems. 

There is also an 'extended service' every 5 years for certain extinguishers, such as wet chemical, powder, and water amongst others, and a 10-yearly service for Carbon Dioxide extinguishers. To ensure you get the correct services, that your extinguishers are fully operational and that you are compliant with British Standards regulations contact Lightning Safety Systems today to arrange for our fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance options. 

The industry approved quality scheme for extinguishers is BAFE SP101 of which Lightning Safety Systems are a fully accredited member. The purpose of the scheme is to ensure that organisations and the technicians/engineers that they employ are competent to provide fire extinguisher services to include:

• Servicing - correct selection of fire extinguishers for your building
• Commissioning - on site checks to ensure the fire extinguishers are fit for purpose prior to installation
• Siting - the correct positioning and installation of fire extinguishers in your building
• Maintenance/service - regular checks to ensure all fire extinguishers are in efficient working order and ready to use in the event of a fire

Over time, electrical installations and systems will begin to deteriorate through age and wear. This deterioration has the potential to become a risk if the faults are not caught in time; hazards such as electric shocks, short-circuits and electrical fires all become a very real threat. 

Regular checks are therefore of paramount importance to ensure safety and are mandatory by law under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and IET Wiring Regulations BS 7671:2008. 

The frequency of this testing varies greatly by the environment and nature of the building, but the regulations which set the standard for electrical installations in the UK, recommends the following:

• Homeowners – Should have an EICR test every 10 years (unless the property has a swimming pool, in which case the recommendation is for testing every year). Landlords – Should have an EICR test every year or whenever there is a change of tenancy.
• Business Owners – Commercial buildings should have an EICR test every 5 years.

What is an EICR?  

An electrical inspection condition report (EICR) is an in-depth assessment of the condition of the fixed wiring and accessories of an electrical installation, with the report categorising the competency of any faulty electrics into one of three brackets:

• C1 - Danger exists and immediate attention is required 
• C2 - Potential for danger and remedial action is needed urgently 
• C3 - Improvement to your electrical system is recommended but not required. This is the only classification code that can appear on a report and have it still pass the EICR.

Lightning Safety Systems electricians are all fully approved to18th edition regulations and have 2394/5 periodic test & inspection qualifications and experience to carry out EICR testing and electrical inspection, as well as any subsequently required remedial works, of your premises to ensure there are no present dangers, keeping you safe, compliant, and able to trade.

All intruder and hold-up alarm systems installed within the European Union must meet fundamental standards in order to be accepted by insurance companies and to be allowed to summon a police response. 

The European standard applicable to intruder and hold-up alarms is the EN50131 series. Each country in Europe often has its own individual requirements which alarm systems must also comply with - in the UK these additional standards are represented by the PD6662, BS8243 and BS9263 standards.

• PD 6662 Scheme for the application of European standards for intrusion and hold-up alarm systems in the UK.
• BS 8243 Installation and configuration of intruder and hold-up alarm systems designed to generate confirmed alarm conditions.
• BS 9263 Specifies the commissioning, maintenance, and remote support of Intruder and hold-up alarm systems. 
• BS EN 50131-1 specifies system requirements for Alarm, Intrusion, and Hold-up systems. 

Security maintenance tends to fall under one of two brackets: either preventative maintenance or repair maintenance, with preventative reducing security systems failures and repair covering already faulty systems.

• Security systems last longer if regularly maintained.
• Organising a maintenance visit is a quick and easy process.
• Ongoing and preventative maintenance is cost effective and far cheaper than callouts & repair costs. 

Lightning Safety Systems can maintain your security systems on an ongoing basis to ensure preventative maintenance is correctly and professionally provided, as well as to conduct repairs and install replacements if you have any existing faults with your system. This keeps you compliant with legislation, as well as with your insurance, and ensures you are covered in worst case scenarios.

For added peace of mind and to protect your property 24/7, we can also arrange a central station monitoring service for your intruder alarm system.  This means that in the event of an alarm activation at any time, the central monitoring station will call your designated key holders to alert them of the situation.

To comply with BS9990, Dry and Wet Risers should be visually inspected every 6 months, with a full test once a year to ensure the system would perform correctly in an emergency. The yearly inspection would include pressure testing of the pipes with water for at least 15 minutes, during which time the pipes are checked for faults or leaks. 

Dry and Wet Risers are often targets for vandals, so regular servicing and inspection are important in keeping your building safe. 

Lightning Safety Systems offer testing and maintenance of Dry and Wet Risers to BS9990 standard. 

To ensure our clients receive real-time information and status of work, we use simPRO; a cloud-based job management system.

All our engineers carry mobile working technology in the form of iPads which they use to update SimPRO and the Repairs Management System in real-time.

Our clients are given FOC access to the simPRO system and have the capability to view any part of their customer journey in real-time, from appointment scheduling to the status of work carried out. This system also flags what needs to be tested and when specific tests are required.

We have been servicing, maintaining and carrying out responsive repairs of fire and life safety equipment for 13 years and for the past 7 years’ using simPRO. Clients have full, remote and FOC access to simPRO for auditing and monitoring purposes in real time.

From the system, clients can:

1. View:

• Date and time of attendance
• Site details
• The name of the operative who attended the site
• Work carried out
• Site fire alarm assets and when the systems were tested and or are due to be tested

The simPRO CMP is an effective management tool saving considerable time in managing fire systems as well as supporting budget forecasting for system maintenance and asset replacement.

• Accessed via a secure client portal
• Life cycle analysis
• Meets the fire regulation compliance standards for maintenance and record keeping
• Fire asset portfolio, compliance and maintenance programme is visible and transparent
• Real-time status of jobs and invoices
• Ability to request and accept quotes and jobs
• Project portfolio management reports including defect reports
• Access to pricing information and budget forecasts

2. Run reports.

Planned testing dates and periods are set up on the system for each site along with asset details. In week three of each month, we raise all of the scheduled service jobs for the month following; these are sorted into postcode order and scheduled into the engineers’ diaries using simPRO.

Any jobs that have a promised date are locked down and cannot be moved without authorisation. Any site that requires an appointment has the word ‘call’ in the address. These sites are individually called by our office to make appointments.