How loud is a commercial fire alarm?

Fire alarms are essential in commercial buildings and many residential settings. They ensure that should a fire incident occur; the occupants and emergency services are aware as quickly as possible. They allow for speedy evacuation and response, ensuring that life is protected and the incident contained.

A fire alarm is only effective if it can be heard. That means it should be loud enough to be heard across the building and beyond. How loud is a commercial fire alarm?

In the UK, the noise level for fire alarms is specified in the British Standard BS 5839-1.  According to the standard, the sound level of a fire alarm should be at least 65 decibels (dB) or 5 dB above any background noise lasting more than 30 seconds.

In sleeping areas, the minimum recommended sound level is 75 dB at bedhead level to ensure that people are woken up quickly, even if they wear sleep aids such as earplugs. The thresholds are set relatively high to ensure that alarms can still be heard even in noisy environments or when occupants are asleep.

How many decibels is a commercial fire alarm?

At Protive Security, we’re often asked how loud is a commercial fire alarm. The answer depends on the size and layout of a building, as well as how the building is used. Typically, commercial fire alarms have a sound level in a range of 65 to 120 db. As way of comparison, a lorry passing by will have a decibel level of around 85 dB, and if you attend a rock concert or nightclub, you’re likely to be exposed to decibels of around 120 dB.

In a small office, a fire alarm might have sound levels of around 85-90 dB, which is roughly equivalent to the noise of heavy traffic. In factories, warehouses, and other noisy environments, they can often be 100 db, particularly where they’re required to cut through machinery noise.

The noise level of a commercial fire alarm needs to be carefully calibrated to ensure that it penetrates walls, doors, and other barriers, alerting all occupants to the situation. These kinds of decibel levels mean that fire alarms are some of the loudest noises most people will encounter in their daily lives.

Can fire alarms be too loud?

The British Standard advises that alarms should be loud enough to alert all occupants, but not so loud that they create undue stress. Sounds above 120 dB can quickly cause physical discomfort and potentially lead to hearing damage if individuals are exposed to them for extended periods. Extremely loud alarms also have the potential to cause panic, which can lead to chaos during an evacuation.

Professional fire alarm advice, installation and maintenance

At Protive Security, we provide a comprehensive fire alarm system installation and maintenance service for residential and commercial properties. We can advise about the best choice of system for your property and then design and install that system to the highest professional standards.

Contact our experienced team for further advice and to receive an accurate quotation.

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