Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 12.11
Investigating equipment faults
Figure 12.12
The result of contractors working on the
fi re alarm system - removal of detector head
Equipment faults
- false alarms will arise from
equipment if:
Human errors
- examples of human errors that may
result in a false fi re alarm include the following:
➤
➤
The equipment is faulty or has not been maintained
properly
Building contractors carrying out hot or dusty work
close to smoke detectors or heat detectors
➤
Fire detectors or red 'break glass' boxes are in the
wrong place and
➤
The fi re detection system is not appropriate for the
building.
➤
The fi re alarm system not being switched off while
its wiring is being altered
➤
Unsecured control panels being activated, usu-
ally as a result of the panel's key or a similar device
being left in the panel
During the investigation, if it is not possible to identify
the cause of the false alarm, or if there seems to be a
fault in the system, the alarm should be silenced but the
system should not be reset in order to allow an engineer
from the alarm company to investigate the fault. In any
event if the equipment seems to be faulty, the alarm
company that installed or maintains the equipment
should be instructed to take the appropriate action.
If the alarm system automatically alerts an alarm
receiving centre (an ARC), it should also be contacted
immediately and informed of the situation (to avoid
needlessly calling out the Fire and Rescue Service) until
the problem has been fi xed.
Malicious acts
- malicious acts can be the most
diffi cult to identify and often need to be investigated
carefully.
Examples of malicious acts include:
➤
Smoking in unauthorised areas.
Activities near detectors
- many false alarms result
from activities carried out near fi re detectors, particularly
smoke detectors.
Common examples of how activities near detectors
can be the immediate cause of a false alarm include:
➤
Smoke from cooking
➤
Burning toast in a toaster
➤
Cleaning operations using steam or aerosols
➤
Building work creating dust
➤
Hot works.
An example of the record that should be kept of an
investigation into a false fi re alarm is included at
Appendix 12.3.
Investigating the causes of fi res
The Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) does not have a
statutory duty to investigate the causes of fi re; however,
the service is obliged to report all fi res in buildings to the
Department for Communities and Local Government
(DCLG) on a form FDR1. Completion of the FDR1
requires FRS to record a 'supposed cause' for every
property fi re. See Appendix 12.2.
➤
Unnecessarily breaking the glass in break glass
boxes
➤
Unauthorised people having and using test keys for
break glass boxes
➤
Deliberately directing smoke (for example, from a
cigarette) into a smoke detector.
