The UK’s fire and rescue services have attended nearly a quarter of a million false alarm incidents over the last two years, according to government figures.Most incidents are attributable to faulty fire system apparatus’, for which keeping comprehensive testing and maintenance records has been a legal obligation for domestic premises and houses with multiple occupants in England and Wales since the Regulatory Reform Fire Safety Order 2005 (RRFSO) was introduced.
The RRFSO is supported by the BS 5839 code of practice, which was published by the British Standards Institute and advises responsible persons to record all fire system events in a suitable logbook.
Now a manufacturer of life-safety solutions has launched a fire system logbook for its customers. Compiled by Hochiki Europe with a team of BAFE consultants the new logbooks will provide guidance in line with recent UK legislation that stipulates how anyone responsible for the upkeep of fire safety systems should accurately record false alarms and implement required maintenance and testing processes.
The logbooks explain how and when to monitor system activity, abide by UK legislation and how to be prepared for health and safety audits. The A4 logbooks contain 36 pages of fire-system related forms and checklists where users can record false alarms, tests and maintenance work, panel access codes and battery capacity.
The new logbooks also provide written guidance for users around their responsibilities when facing false alarms, changes to the building, routine system attention, pre-alarms, and recommendations on how to properly investigate fire safety systems.
“Understanding the history of a fire-safety system and recognising patterns in its activity can be a crucial element in preventing fire-incidents,” says Hochiki Europe’s deputy marketing manager Paul Adams.
“As shown by the BS 5839 code of practice, logbooks play an important role in fire safety and are required by law. By giving our customers the option to buy logbooks directly from us at the same time as their system components, they can save time and ensure that they are following the most up-to-date compliance practices.”
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Plus, we explore the growing risks of lithium-ion battery fires and hear from experts in disability evacuation and social housing.
