How often does a fire alarm need servicing?

What the standard says

BS 5839-1 is the British Standard for fire alarms in non-domestic buildings. It recommends that a competent person services the system at intervals of no more than six months. Your fire risk assessment may set a tighter interval for higher-risk premises.

What you should do weekly

Someone on site should operate a different call point each week, check the sounders work and the panel resets, and record it in the log book. It takes a couple of minutes and catches faults early.

What a proper service covers

• Testing detectors, call points and sounders across the system over the year
• Checking the panel, batteries and power supply
• Checking any links to other systems, such as door releases, smoke vents or a monitoring centre
• Reviewing the log book, false alarm records and any changes to the building
• A certificate when the work is complete

Who is responsible?

For a business or the common parts of a block, the Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 must keep the fire alarm maintained. In practice, that means a servicing contract and records you can produce if asked. More on the Responsible Person's duties.

Not sure where your system stands?

We offer a free system health check: we test the system, look at your log book and certificates, and tell you honestly what's needed. Fire alarm servicing.