Hard-To-Access Smoke Detectors Needn’t Be Hard To Test: Sukhi Dillon at FIREX

The Scorpion has been hailed as the latest innovation in reaching the hard to get to places.

Despite the cleaning product lingo the device is promoted by Sukhi Dhillon of Detectortesters as a cost saving, regulation compliant and potentially life saving appliance in the fire detection industry. “The Scorpion has been proven to be cost effective within two years of use”, said Dhillon.

Speaking at the FIREX exhibition at the Excel centre Dhillon confidently explained the problems that arise from the location of fire and smoke detectors. Lift shafts, stairwells, modern open plan office complexes were shown as examples of hazardous spaces.

Dhillon explained that the fundamental issue faced by those who have to maintain and check equipment is the fact that they are obliged by law to check 100% of detectors. This is irrespective of the location of the detectors or indeed the difficulty involved in getting to them.

The Scorpion is a tool that can help you achieve full compliance by making difficult-to-reach smoke detectors
as easy to test as any standard detector. Awkwardly placed smoke detectors have hitherto been problematic in terms of dealing with insurance companies and the courts.

Dhillon was effective in relaying the limitations of current solutions with height regulations and the need to burn materials and induce smoke to identify the location of certain detectors.

How does the Scorpion Work?

Scorpions are permanently installed, and are fitted adjacent to the detector they are to test. They use their own cabling and remain discrete from the fire detection system.

Scorpion heads connect to a Control Panel, which is the point at which the Service Engineer interfaces with the Scorpion system.

Major Feature

Each Control Panel controls up to eight Scorpion heads located up to 100 metres away depending on cable type used.

Solutions

Distance – A range of 100 meters allows for tricky places to become accessible

Time- Testing capacity is in excess of 240 tests of 15 seconds per head

Cost – No access equipment or various people (lift engineer, fire engineer) needed to complete process which saves operational costs.

Efficiency- “Previously lifts, stairwells would have to become un-operational for half a day up to a day which could be potential fire hazards in their own right.