TF Installations Fire Alarm Commissioners For Businesses
Fire alarm commissioners: After you have a new fire alarm system installation, or you are making changes, extensions or upgrades to your existing fire alarm system, you need to make sure that it is operating as required and that any work you have had done to your fire alarm system hasn’t caused any issues or impaired the effectiveness of your fire protection system.
All new and existing business fire alarm systems need to comply with strict safety standards as set out in BS 5839 requirements. At TF Installations, we can commission any new or replacement fire protection system as well as make alterations to your existing system to make sure it complies to BS 5839 standard, including but not limited to:
- Cause and effect programming
- Commissioning of aspirating smoke systems
- Commissioning of automatic detectors
- Commissioning of beam detectors
- Commissioning of flame detectors
- Commissioning of interfaced devices
- Commissioning of manual call points
- Programming of addressable control panels
Who is responsible for verifying your fire alarm system?
As a business owner, you have a responsibility to keep your staff and anyone else using your business premises as safe as possible, and this includes having a working fire alarm system that you know will work and save lives in the event of a fire emergency.
But what if you have a fire alarm system already installed and the commissioning engineer tested it and passed it as safe? That’s all you need to do, right? Well, maybe not! While it is an easy assumption to make to think your fire protection system is up to scratch when was the last time you had it tested by a qualified safety inspector?
If you don’t have a fire alarm inspection and testing schedule in place, and you cannot remember the last time your system was checked, then you could be leaving your business very vulnerable.
The three stages of having a safe fire protection system
Three essential stages need completing to have a perfectly functioning fire alarm system. These stages are the fire alarm system design, the installation process and finally the fire alarm system commissioning.
While you may be the proud owner of a brand-new, cutting-edge fire protection system, it is essential that it is inspected and tested on completion and then regularly to make sure it remains compliant with the recommendations set out in British Standard – BS 5839 Part 1.
At TF Installations we specialise in the design, installation and commissioning of the leading brands of fire protection systems in the UK, including world-leading brand Notifier by Honeywell.
Our commissioning engineer will test your system and confirm that it is in full working order before handing over the system to you. They will also walk you through how to use the system so you understand how to work it properly.
On completion, you will get a certificate to confirm that your fire alarm system has been commissioned and meets with all current British safety standards – BS 5839.
What does commissioning do?
Commissioning tells you that your business fire protection system is working perfectly. However, it doesn’t mean that the design plan for your fire alarm system is correct. This can often happen when an existing fire alarm system is extended or added to as the business expands or changes how they use the rooms in the premises.
Quite often one of our commissioning engineers will find that a commercial fire alarm system was put in by an electrician without expert knowledge of BS 5839. We may also find that the fire protection equipment used may be an old stock that doesn’t meet with today’s higher protection standards.
This is why it makes more sense for businesses to work with TF Installations for all of their commercial fire protection needs, from the planning and installation of a new fire alarm system to their commissioning and ongoing maintenance needs.
Avoiding problems further down the line
It can be a messy and confusing process to use one company to design you a system and then use another to install your fire alarm system, and so on. It makes more sense to keep all the work under one roof where you will be dealing with the same trusted team of fire safety experts throughout the years of running your business.
Many business owners assume that just because they have a commissioning certificate that is all the proof they need that their company fire protection system is sound. However, this doesn’t mean that they will be covered for their insurance needs should the worst happen.
Each stage of your fire protection system needs to be assessed and certified before your complete fire protection system can be verified safe. It is essential to make sure that it has been put together correctly and there are no weak links in the chain that may fail in the event of a fire emergency.
It is also sensible to have one of our highly experienced commissioning experts look at the original specifications of your fire alarm system to confirm that it still meets the needs of your business. This is especially important where a business may have changed their processes in some way or moved their internal layout, such as moving a kitchen or extending a production line into another area of the building with the wrong type of fire protection in place.
If you think you need the help of our commissioning team, do not hesitate to contact us to discuss your needs. We can offer you plenty of advice and guidance about making sure your fire protection system is safe.
