What is the British Standards (BS) for a commercial fire alarm system?

Fire alarm systems need to be relied upon to work should a fire break out. This means they need to be installed correctly, maintained and tested to ensure they are working. In business premises, the consequences of a fire can be considerable.

Fire alarm regulations for commercial buildings in the UK provide guidelines for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of fire alarm systems. The primary British Standard (BS) covering commercial fire alarm systems is BS 5839.

The British Standard for fire alarm sounders ensures that every installation meets a range of essential safety requirements, providing added security for the building and its occupants.

Does a commercial property have to have a fire alarm?

In most cases, the fire alarm regulations for commercial premises will require the installation of a fire alarm system. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires that all employers and owners of non-domestic premises need to ensure that employees and any visitors are safe should fire break out.

To ensure compliance, businesses will need to conduct a fire risk assessment to identify potential fire hazards. This ascertains the risk levels of those hazards, and how those risks can be mitigated. The employer or the building owner will then need to ensure that proper fire safety measures have been established.

Smaller premises, where it may be possible to verbally alert people of a fire, may not be required to install a fire alarm, but in most cases a fire alarm system will be needed.

Lower risk premises such as shops or offices may only require a basic fire alarm system, whereas higher risk environments, such as industrial or healthcare settings, are likely require more complex systems. A professional fire alarm installation team will be able to advise about the fire alarm regulations commercial premises require, and what will be appropriate for your building.

What are the fire alarm regulations for commercial buildings (in the UK)?

All commercial properties must conduct a fire risk assessment to identify any potential hazards and the risk levels that they carry. This assessment will need to be regularly reviewed and updated, particularly after there has been significant changes to the building or how it’s used.

The findings of the fire risk assessment will inform you of the type of fire alarm system that should be installed. This will need to be appropriate for the type of building and how it’s used. Systems must also be regularly tested and maintained by a qualified engineer.

Employees should also be trained in how to respond to fire alarms and understand how evacuations will be conducted safely. In larger commercial properties, particularly those that are used at night, emergency lighting will need to be installed to guide occupants to safety during a fire.

Is there a British Standard (BS) for commercial fire alarm systems?

The British Standard covering commercial fire alarm systems is BS 5839. This standard is divided into several parts, each of which is concerned with a different aspect of a fire alarm and detection systems and installations.

BS 5839-1 covers the design, installation, and maintenance of fire alarm systems in any non-domestic buildings. This provides guidelines about the types of system that can be used, where detectors should be installed, and how their reliability and effectiveness can be ensured. This will include considerations for room sizes, potential obstructions, and ceiling heights.

The standard also provides guidance on the placement of control equipment to ensure it is easily accessible and can provide clear alerts.

Professional fire alarm advice, installation and maintenance

At Protive, we provide a comprehensive fire alarm system installation 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. We ensure that the safety of your building and its occupants are maximised.

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

Back