Weekly Fire Alarm Testing: Why it's important & what to do

Did you know, under the requirements of BS5839-1 (the British Standard for Fire Alarm Servicing and Maintenance) which covers Non-Domestic properties, there is a requirement to test your fire alarm system on a weekly basis?

Not only is it a requirement of the standard, but there are some real-world benefits of regularly testing your fire alarm system which can save time, inconvenience and funds. We plan to cover both the legislation requirements and benefits of weekly fire alarm testing below.

What are the benefits of completing a weekly fire alarm test?

Whilst your fire alarm maintenance provider would attend the property on a 6-monthly basis, the weekly fire alarm testing is more a "spot check". An electrical system can develop a fault from one day to the next, let alone in a 6-month period, so there are some real benefits to ensuring you test your fire alarm system weekly (let alone the requirements to comply with legislation).

Therefore the purpose of completing a weekly test is to allow the user to quickly test that your fire alarm is in working order and help identify any potential issues which may prevent the system from operating correctly.

They can:

• Help to reduce false alarms: For example, noticing a broom has been left leaning on a call point, which if knocked could trigger a false alarm and evacuation of the property. 
• Identify faults before they develop into larger issues: For example, noticing a call point has been damaged which may prevent it from operating correctly.
• Improve the knowledge and safety of occupants within a building: Regular testing ensures all building occupants recognise the sound of the fire alarm and linked with their fire training/evacuation strategy know what action to take.
• Identify potential sound level/visual deficiencies: For example, maintenance visits may complete a brief test of the sounders, however, on that date your colleague may not have been at work. During the completion of the weekly test, they advised they could not hear the alarm from their desk. This issue may not have been picked up without the completion of a weekly test, however now the issue has been found, it can be reported to the maintenance company for review and rectification. 
• Ensure you understand how your system operates: Regularly testing a system, ensures your competence, confidence, and base level of knowledge on how to operate your system can help with day to day running of a property. For example, if a call point has been knocked accidentally, you would know what action to take and how to reset the system. Whereas a user with no knowledge of the system when faced with the same scenario may request an emergency call out from their fire alarm provider which would incur a charge.

What are the requirements of BS5839-1 for weekly fire alarm testing?

Under the requirements of BS5839-1, Section 44.2, from BS5839-1 2017, relates specifically to the recommendations for weekly testing by the user.

It states the user must complete a weekly test of their fire alarm system (The user is assumed to be the Responsible Person or the designated person who completes the weekly testing.)

As a brief summary of the full requirements, it states:

NOTE 1 When testing the fire detection and fire alarm system, there might be a need to disable ancillary outputs.

A) Every week, a manual call point should be operated during normal working hours. It should be confirmed that the fire alarm panel activates with a fire signal and the sounders activate. PLEASE NOTE: If the system is connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) this monitoring system should be put into test mode before activation of the call point, removed from test after completion and confirmed that the ARC received the fire signal during the test period.  

B) Ideally, the weekly test should be carried out at approximately the same time each week. (For example, Tuesdays at 10.00 to 10.30am.) Building occupants should be instructed that the test takes place at this time every week and that they should report any instance of poor audibility of the fire alarm. In systems with staged alarms incorporating an “Alert” and an “Evacuate” signal, the two signals should be operated, where practicable, sequentially in the order they would occur at the time of a fire (i.e. “Alert” and then “Evacuate”).

C) In premises where some employees only work during hours outside of the normal weekly test period, an additional test(s) should be carried out at least once a month to ensure familiarity of these employees with the fire alarm. For example, if there are night shift staff in the building, a test should be completed during their working hours. 

D) A different manual call point should be used every week. This ensures all manual call points in the building are tested in rotation over a prolonged period. For example, if there were 100 manual call points in the building, it would take 100 weeks for each unit to be tested. The result of the weekly test and the identity of the manual call point used should be recorded in the system logbook. For example: Call Point Asset 12, Location: Warehouse. Tested on 20/06/2022.

E) The sounders/alarms should be activated for a minimum of 5 seconds, but should not normally exceed 60. This ensures that if a real fire occurred during the weekly fire alarm test period, building occupants would be aware of the longer duration and therefore evacuate or take the relevant accordingly.

How should a fire alarm test be carried out?

The exact test procedure would depend on the exact setup and manufacturer of your fire alarm system, so the below should be used as general guidance.

Before starting a weekly test, you should ensure the person completing the test is fully trained and aware of the system setup before completing the test and has the correct testing tools (call point keys, panel keys/codes).

There are various checks you may have to complete before testing, such as ensuring your Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) is in test mode, any relevant cause and effect are shut down or isolated where applicable,  and persons within the premises are made aware of your test.

(Please Note: you will need to test cause and effect operates but please speak to the specialist in relation to the connected system before testing).

Your general process should be as follows:

• Read the manufacturer’s instructions before completing your test, to ensure you have the correct operating instructions.
• Ensure you have the correct tools ready to complete your test (Call Point Keys, Panel Keys/Codes)
• Inform building occupants you are about to test and activate the fire alarm. (You should carry out the test at the same time every week which helps ensure everybody knows the system is being tested).
• If your fire alarm system is connected to an ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre), you must call the ARC and put the system in ‘test’ mode. Simply advise them you are going to be completing your test and they will ensure the signal is received as a test signal rather than a real fire condition.
• Ensure the fire alarm panel is in a "healthy" condition with no fault or fire condition lights. If there are any lights showing please speak to your maintenance company before completing the test.
• Go to a manual call point and activate it in line with the manufactures recommendations (normally using a test key). You should use a different manual call point every week (So if you have 10 call points in a property, it should take 10 weeks to test them all).
• The alarm (or sounders) should then start to "ring".
• Re-set the call point accordingly.
• Return to the fire alarm control panel and confirm the information on the panel is as you expected (IE: The zone or device showing as fire condition on the panel relates to the device you have tested).
• Check that the information displayed on the panel matches the zone location on the Fire Alarm Zone Plan.
• Silence the fire alarm and re-set the fire alarm panel so it returns to a normal condition.
• If applicable, contact the ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre), advise you have completed your test, confirm they have received the fire signal, and take the system off ‘test’ mode.
• Record the test in your Fire Alarm Log Book, detailing the date of the test, the person who tested it, which device was tested, and its location. 
• Check with building occupants to see if there were any audibility issues.
• If there were any concerns, faults or incorrectly displayed information, then record these in the log book and contact your fire alarm maintenance provider to advise them of the issue so they can then advise further.

** The above is a brief guide and overview of the testing requirements, however, please be aware this can differ from system to system. Please ensure you are fully trained and competent in testing your specific fire alarm system before attempting to undertake a weekly test. **

Safe I.S. Top Tips:

• DO: Ensure if you have alarm monitoring it is placed in "test" mode before completing your weekly test.
• DO: Complete the test at the same time every week. Our recommendation: #TestItTuesday.
• DO: Ensure the information displayed on the panel matches the device you tested.
• DO: Record all findings in your log book.
• DO: Report all findings to your fire alarm service and maintenance provider. 
• DON'T: Start your test before checking you have the correct training and tools.
• DON'T: Test the same call point every week.
• DON'T: Be the only person who knows how to complete the weekly testing. Have 2 or 3 people trained.
• DON'T: Forget to test weekly. #TestItTuesday is a social media hashtag designed to ensure properties complete their testing every Tuesday. We think its a brilliant idea. 

Still unsure how to complete your weekly Fire Alarm tests?

Completing your weekly testing "in-house" often is not a viable option or you may not feel confident in completing the testing yourself.

Therefore, Safe I.S. can provide on-site training to explain how you complete your Fire Alarm Weekly Testing or we can provide a weekly testing service if you would rather outsource the testing. Our engineers would attend on a weekly basis to complete the testing on your behalf. 

If you have any other questions or queries in relation to your Fire Alarm System, please do not hesitate to contact our team today to discuss.