BS and Alarm systems for Buildings-

            Code of practice for system design, installation and servicing

BS 1:2002
           Fire
detection and Alarm systems for
Buildings-
            Code of practice for system design, installation and servicing

Due to the on going and continued advances in Fire Alarm System

Technology
and the changes in Building Design and Construction the previous
British Standard 5839:Part 1:1988 had become out of date.

Consequently the Standard taking into account these

advances/changes
made over the years has been revised.

1. GENERAL
BS 5839:Part 1:2002 like its predecessor provides guidance by
recommendations from
the initial Planning Stage, through the Design, Installation,
Commissioning and
Final Maintenance of Fire Alarm Systems in and around buildings
other than
Domestic Dwellings, these being covered by Part 6 of the
Standard.

It should be noted that the Standard does not recommend or

identify whether a
Fire Alarm System need be or should be installed within any given
premises. This
should/must be subject to, in the respect of new buildings, Fire
Precautions Act (1971)
and Building Regulations.
Existing Buildings consequently are subject to the Workplace
Regulations and the
subsequent Risk Assessment.

It should be noted that the Standard does not cover

Extinguishing/Fire Control Systems,
Voice Alarms (BS5839:Part 8), 999 Public Emergency Call
Systems,
Audible/Visual Way Guidance Systems, Critical Electronic
Systems (BS 6266) or
Fire Alarm Systems covered under NHS Estates Publication HTM
82.

NHS Estates Publication HTM 82 generally calls for the

recommendations of
BS 5839:Part 1 but also contains its own requirements which may
be in variance from
the Standard.

With regard to existing Fire Alarm Systems the new Standard

generally applies to
Extensions and Alterations of these system, at least in respects of
the Planning, Design,
Installation, Commissioning, Maintenance and Certification of the
new works. Albeit that
the extended/altered system might not, overall, comply with the
recommendations of the
Standard.

2. CATEGORIES OF SYSTEM
BS 5839:Part 1:2002 like the 1988 Standard Categorises Fire
Alarm Systems to satisfy
one, or both, of two principle objectives…
The Protection of Life   and   The Protection of Property.

The 1988 Standard sub-categorized these objectives into the

following levels of
protection;

     Life
    L1:Automatic Protection Throughout the Premises.
    L2:Automatic Protection as L3, but also including Defined
areas of High Risk.
    L3:Automatic Protection along Escape Routes and all Rooms
opening onto these
         Escape Routes.
    M:Manual. (Manual Call Point)

    Property
    P1:Automatic Protection Throughout the Premises.
    P2:Automatic Protection in Defined Areas of High Risk.

The new 2002 Standard has recognized and consequently

identified the need to expand
these categorises further and now include both L4 and L5 in the
Life category.

    L4:Automatic Protection along Escape Routes.

    L5:Automatic Protection in Defined Areas only.

It should be noted that a very comprehensive and recorded

record of
Risk Assessment should be made if a system is to be designed and
categorized as
L5 due to the implication and ramifications of a Fire Alarm
System being installed
for the protection of life with Automatic Detection ONLY
COVERING
DEFINED AREAS! 

            P1: All areas covered by Automatic Fire Detection.

            If Manual Call Points are installed, i.e. Giving the
implication, that at times
            the building will/may be occupied consideration must be
given to the provision
            of adequate Audible Fire Alarm Sounders to warn the
occupants of an
            activation of the Fire Alarm System.

            All Systems installed for the Protection of Property must

have means of
            remote indicating that the Fire Alarm System has activated.
Usually achieved
            by means of a Digital Communicator or the alike.

            P2: Defined Areas of High Risk covered by Automatic

Fire Detection.
            Like a P1 System if Manual Call Points are installed, the
provision of adequate
            Audible Fire Alarm Sounders to warn the occupants of an
activation of the
            Fire Alarm System must be installed. Plus the provision of
remote signalling.

            L1: All areas covered by Automatic Fire Detection.

            L2: As an L3 System.

            i.e. Automatic Fire Detection on Escape Route, Rooms
opening onto
            Escape Routes, and including Defined Areas of High Risk.
            L3: Automatic Fire Detection on Escape Routes, Rooms
opening
            onto Escape Routes.

            L4: Automatic Fire Detection on Escape Routes.

            As well as only covering Escape Routes an L4 System does
not exclude
            other Areas of Defined High Risk

            L5: Automatic Fire Detection covering only defined

areas of High Risk.
            As previously stated a Life System to this category must be
subject to a very
            comprehensive and detailed and recorded Risk Assessment
due to the possible
            ramifications of this type of system.

            M or Manual.
            These systems purely rely on possibly the most reliable and
effective
            Fire Detection device for the protection of life in existence!
            i.e. A Human Being.
            Consequently this type of system requires the need of
Manual Call Point
            “Break Glass” Units.

3. POSITIONING OF EQUIPMENT
There have been no discernable changes in the new standard
regarding the spacing and
coverage of Automatic Fire Detectors.

Smoke Detectors still can cover an overall area of 100 square

metres. Heat Detectors
like wise with an overall coverage of 50 square metres.

The standard it should be noted now recognizes the use of the

newly developed
CO (Carbon Monoxide) Detectors which it must be said can reduce
the causes of false
alarms, however like wise they may not detect a real fire condition,
thus it is
recommended that they are not used on their own but installed
interleaved with
optical detection.

The only major changes in recommendations for manual call

points is the change
of distance between call points to 45m. A further recommendation
concerns call points
located on stairways or landings. To aid in locating the possible
area of activation the
standards suggest that the call points can either located on the
routes/exits leading to the
Stairways/landings or on the landings. With either method it is
recommended that
the units are always connected to the same detection zone of
adjacent storey.

    i.e.
                    0

4. AUDIBLE ALARM SIGNALS

The 1988 Standard called for a Minimum Alarm Sound Level of
65dB. The revised
2002 Standard appreciates that a Sound Pressure Level difference
of 2 to 3 dB is
only just perceivable by the human ear. Consequently the new
standard now calls for a
general level of 65dB in open areas with a minimum of 60dB at
specific points of limited
extent within the area.

A level of 60dB is now also acceptable in small enclosed spaces

such as Cellular Offices,
Stairways etc.

The requirement of 75dB at a bed-head is required if the intention

is to rouse a person
from sleep.
The new recommended minimum alarm sound levels must still
take into account any
background noise which is in excess of 60dB with the requirement
that the Fire Alarm
Audibility Level should be at least 5dB above the Background
Noise.

The maximum Level of 120dB at any normally accessible point

should still not be
exceed. If this is not attainable the recommendations require that
any Alarm Sounders
be supplemented with Visual Alarm Signals, such us Xenon
Beacons.

       

Should the protected premise be used for either Public

Entertainment, Retail or Similar
in which any background noise may be caused by Music etc. that is
greater than 80dB,
the new 2002 Standard recommends that in the event of a Alarm
Activation the Music
and alike be automatically muted by the Fire Alarm System.

Both the New and Old Standards recommend that there be at least
2 off individual
Alarm Sounder Circuits within the protected premises, even if only
1 sounder was on
the second circuit. This recommendation allows that in the event of
a Sounder Circuit
Failure that at least an alarm sounder would operate to draw the
attention of the building
occupants to a Fire Condition.

Recommendations in the new standard in particular to larger areas

accessible to the
general public (typically areas of 4000sq m or more) or where in
excess of
500 members of the public are present that the Fire Alarm
Sounders within these
areas are distributed or interleaved across 2 or more sounder
circuits. These individual
circuits not being contained within the same common cable sheath.

   ( i.e. Precluding the use of 4 Core Cable)

                   

5. CONTROL EQUIPMENT
BS5839:Part 1:2002 recommends that the Control and Indicating
Equipment used for
Fire Alarm Systems, including their associated power supplies
should confirm to the
requirements of EN54 Parts 2 and 4.

(Partly due to some recommendation included within the new

BS5839 Standard,
both parts 2 and 4 of EN54 are under review.)

A fundamental requirement with regard to Fire Alarm Control and

Indicating Equipment
conforming to EN54 is to limit the number of Automatic Devices
(Fire Detectors,
Manual Call Points, Interface Units etc.) controlled by a single
Micro-Processor within
the Control Panel to a Maximum of 512 Devices.

This generally limits Single Conventional non-addressable Fire

Alarm Panels to 16 Zones
(larger panels are generally however made up of one or more
interlinking mother boards).

This application however, with regards to Addressable Panels

limits most single control
Panels to 4 Detection Loops.

This limitation can be over come with  use of “Networked”

Indicator Control Panels
distributing the Fire Alarm system amongst a number of “Sub-
Panels”, these sub-panels
usually being located remote from each other.

The  practical use of  this type of networked system may reduce
the cabling for the entire
system as the remote panels can be located within specific areas of
the buildings,
particularly adjacent to the areas to which the connected detection
loops are protecting.

However there may be some instances, particularly in larger

addressable systems 
here the use of Networked Systems may not be practical to achieve
the desired/required
number of detection loops.

BS5839:Part 1:2002 being only a guidance document therefore

does not preclude the use
of Panels that do not confirm with the requirements of EN54.
Therefore Multi-Loop Panels
manufactured to confirm to the previous standard for panels
BS5839:Part 4:1988
can still be used if desired, subject to agreement between the Client
and the Designer. This
agreed variation must be recorded and noted on the Designers
Design Certificate for the
system.

A major revision to the standard is the requirement for standby

power supplies. The
1988 standard related standby capacity to the type and occupancy
of the premises protected.
The 2002 standard recommends that sufficient backup capacity can
now be met by:

        L Category Systems 24 Hours plus 30 minutes in alarm

should suffice.

        P Category Systems should provide for any unoccupied

time of the protected
         premise plus 24 hours up to a maximum of 72 hours plus
30 minutes in 
        alarm. Should the 72 hour period expire and fault signal
should be sent to
        the connected remote monitoring centre.

6. CABLING
Unlike the earlier standard where the use of Non-Fire Rated
Cabling would have been
acceptable for the Detection Circuits and Fire Rated Cables used
for the
Alarm Circuits. The 2002 standard recommends the use of Fire
Rated Cables for Critical
Signal Paths, this includes both the Detection and Alarm Circuits.
Even though the
Indicating and Control Equipment is provided with means of a
“Standby Supply”
(i.e. Battery Backup) the normal Electrical Mains Supply to the
equipment is now
considered as a Critical Circuit and consequently should be
adequately protected from the
effects of fire.

Cabling for Critical Signal Paths are now categorized to two

standards;

    Standard Grade

    Fire Resisting Cables, generally of the Soft Skinned type,
FP200/Firetuf and 
    the similar.

    Enhanced Grade

    Until recently only M.I.C.C. Cable, but now includes both
FP200 Plus
& Firetuf Plus Soft Skinned cables

Standard Cabling in most instances will usually be adequate for a

great majority of installations. 

Detection, Alarm Circuits etc.

Apart form the previously mentioned FP200 and FireTuf, Fire

Rated Steel Wired
Armoured cable would also be acceptable particularly for external
applications.

Where a buildings Fire Alarm System incorporates a four or more

phased evacuation
procedure, or the building is greater than 30metres in height, or
being identified by a
Fire Risk Assessment or as part of a Fire Engineered solution
which compensates for
shortfalls in building construction than the use of Enhanced
cabling should be used.

The standard recommends the use of Enhanced Grade cabling for

Network
Communication Cables between networked Panels.

However if all the following criteria can be met standard Grade

and Communications
Cables (i.e. Beldon Type Cables etc.) would be acceptable;

        1. The Network is configured as a loop; and

        2. There is diverse routing of both the incoming and out

going circuits of the
            Network Loop; and

        3. There will be no loss of communication to any sub-panel

in the event of a
            single open or short circuit on the Network Loop.
   

7. REMOTE MONITORING
BS 5839:Part 1:2002 has identified possible inherent faults with
the current methods
of providing Fire Alarm Activations to Remote Monitoring Centres
by means of
Digital Communicators and consequently provides the
recommendations to alleviate the
short comings of current equipment;

All interconnections including the telephone line should be

monitored (usually only
achievable by means of BT Redcare or similar).

Interconnecting cables to be run through areas of low Fire Risk.

Digital communicator Unit located within area of low Fire Risk or

protected by means
of Automatic Fire Detection.

Standby Capacity of any communicator should match that as of the

Fire Alarm System
and should be a minimum of 24 hours. Which would preclude the
use of
security Digital Communicators which only usually have a backup
capacity of 8 hours.

8. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM DESIGN

BS5839:Part 1:2002 has identified, in particular for new Fire
Alarm Systems the need to
manage and limit the numbers of false alarms.

Consequently the revised/updated standard recommends and

emphasizes for a more
detailed roll and resultant responsibility for the designer of new
Fire Alarm System.

The standard as previously stated does not identify the need for a
fire alarm system. This
is the responsibility of the purchaser, be they a Developer or Final
User of a building. This
process will evolve consultation with the Fire Authorities, Building
Control Officers and Insurers.

The decision/consultation process for new buildings would

progress through and with
reference to general compliance to;

    FIRE PRECAUTIONS ACT (1971)

    BUILDING REGULATION

Which would identify and provide solutions to enable the building

to be issued with the
necessary resultant Fire Certificate.

From this point and for existing buildings this

decision/consultation process would
continue with reference to the "WORK PLACE
REGULATIONS" and the resultant
RISK ASSESSMENT would identify the need (if any) for the
provision of a
Fire Alarm System.

Upon completion of the decision process the purchaser should be

in procession of all
the necessary information to identify the need and category for a
fire alarm system. This
information should then be passed to the Designer whom, with
regard to the
identified Risk and Category of System, provide a suitable design
inline with the
recommendation of the new standard.

The ultimate responsibility for the need and category of the system
solely rest with the
purchaser. However the designer can propose a category should the
situation arise. But
the final decision must be taken by the client/purchaser.

The proposed new Fire Alarm System must take into account all
the findings of the
provided Risk Assessment which has identified the category of the
new system. Vital
importance in the design is the need to identify and
resolve/eliminate any potential causes
of false alarms.

Any variations from the standard should be agreed between the

Designer and the
Purchaser. These if agreed variations should be documented.

Upon completion of the design a signed DESIGN CERTIFICATE

would be submitted
detailing all aspects of the final design including any agreed
variations from the standard.
This Certificate will form an integral part of the proposed system
and must be forwarded
through the entire process from the installation, commissioning
and final acceptance by
the purchaser.

9. INSTALLATION
BS 5839:Part 1:2002 in keeping with the recommendation about
responsibilities for both
the Purchaser/Client/User as well as the system Designer has also
identified the need for
the Competency and subsequent responsibilities for both the
Installation and
Commissioning Engineers.

The installation engineer(s) responsibility extends to ensuring that

they, as well as any
sub-contracts they use carry out the installation in compliance to
both the new standard
and the designers design.

They also have a responsibility to make the designer aware of any

building features that
the designer was not or could not have known which would effect
the design. They
should not however alter the design with out written confirmation
from the designer.

The installers responsibility also extends to ensuring compliance

for installed components
to both manufactures and the British Standards recommendations.

Consequently any installer engaged in the installation of fire alarm

systems should be fully
conversant with BS 5839:part 1:2002.

The installation and in particular the cabling should be installed to

the requirements of
BS 7671 (Wiring Regulations)

Fixing of cables should be as per the manufactures requirement,

generally ensuring that
Metal Fixings are used where necessary (i.e. Stainless Steel Cable
ties when securing
below steel cable trays). Particular attention should be made to the
use of metal fixing
within PVC Trunking, where the trunking forms the only means of
support for the Fire
Alarm Cabling installed within.

Cabling installed should meet either Standard or Enhanced Grade

dependent on both the
designers specification and the probable intended routing of the
cables as well as any
system and cabling requirements regarding Earth/Screening
continuity as required by the
manufacture.

As with any electrical or mechanical installation protection and fire

stopping should always be
considered. 

As per BS 7671 (Wiring Regulations) all the cabling should be

tested for
insulation resistance. BS 5839:Part 1:2002 recommends that these
test should always be
carried out to prevent damage to equipment with all equipment
disconnect.

Also it is recommended (which may be at variance with the wiring

regulations) that thes
test be carried out using a Test Instrument set at 500v.

The standard also calls for the mains supply to the Indicator and
Control Equipment and
any other relevant supplies associated with the Fire Alarm System
should be tested for
both Earth Continuity and Earth Fault Loop Impedance.

The field wiring and most particularly Loop Wiring to be tested for
Circuit Resistance.

All these test must be recorded for the system final documentation
plus a copy of the
results must also be forwarded to the commissioning engineer. 
Once the installation and test are completed the installation
engineer would sign of the
system and provide the next Certificate for the system, the
Installation Certificate.

10. COMMISSIONING
Once the Fire Alarm System has been installed the system should
be set-up and
functionally tested, the commission.

Like the installer the Commissioning Engineer should be

competent with a good
knowledge of Fire Alarm Design, False Alarms and their
Avoidance and
Fire Alarm Installation. The engineer should be able to deal
directly with the
purchaser/client and other interested parties.

To facilitate the commissioning all documentation for the Fire

Alarm System,
System Specification, Design Documents (including a copy of the
Final Design Certificate),
consultation documents, Original and the Installers “As Fitted”
Drawings and the installers
Test Records must be made available to the Commission Engineer.

Apart from carrying out any programming of any addressable Fire

Alarm Panels, the
commissioning engineer must ensure that the system is fully
functionally tested.

Call points, Automatic Detectors, Interfaces etc. operate and

indicate correctly, audibility
levels should be measured for sounders and where Voice Alarms
are installed their
intelligibility is satisfactory. Signals required to be transmitted to 
“Alarm Receiving Centres” are correctly received. Cause and
Effects of the system
are functionally checked and operate as per the specification. They
should also note any
changes to the building since the original design that may effect
the design and
performance of the system. The engineer would also check that the
installed components,
Manual Call Points, Detectors, Control and Indicating Equipment,
Visual Alarms are
suitable and correctly sited and consequently acceptable to the
relevant clauses of the 
British Standard.

Also recommend by the standard and to be checked by the

Commission Engineer is that
a suitable Zone Plan is displayed.

During the commission the engineer would also inspect and check
the suitability of the
Mains Supply, Standby Power (i.e. Battery Backup) functions
correctly both on and off
load and has sufficient backup capacity.  There is also a
recommendation that the batteries
are labelled with the date of installation.

The engineer would also check that the correct/specified cable has
been installed
(as as far as it is reasonably practical to ascertain), as well as the
workmanship of the
installation.

As far as reasonably practical to ascertain the engineer would also

check for immunity to
false alarms.

Any non-compliances with the design should be noted and the

designer informed.

Upon satisfactory completion of the system commissioning

following a "SOAK TEST"
(during which time the system would be deemed as not
operational)  the system would
be signed off by the engineer and a Commissioning Certificate
submitted.

Like both the Design and Installation Certificates all details

pursuant to the Design
including any agreed variations from the new standard would be
noted on the
Commission Certificate, all of which should be consistent through
all the Certificates.

11. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM ACCEPTANCE

The final stage of the installation process, not taking into account
the necessary ongoing
maintenance of the system would be the handover of the system to
the
purchaser/client/user.

Arrangements for the handover should include for full training to

the
"Users Responsible Person" on the operation of the system and the
provision of
full documentation for the system. Including all the original
consultation documents,
design documentation, “As Fitted” installation drawings, a system
Log Book,
Maintenance Instructions and the Design, Installation and
Commissioning Certificates to
be handed to the purchaser/client/user.

Once the purchaser/client/user has formally accepted the Fire

Alarm System they will sign
the Final Acceptance Certificate as evidence of their satisfaction of
the system.

It should be noted that the new standard has a strong

recommendation that a minimum
and this duration may/should be increased for larger systems that
the new system be
left on a “Soak Test” for at least a week before the system is
certified as being functional
and can consequently be formally handed over to the
purchaser/client/user.

12. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

BS 5839:Part 1:2002 provides recommendations and consequently
suggested
procedures regarding the Maintenance/Servicing of Fire Alarm
Systems.

The new Standard recognizes that modern Fire Alarm Systems

may incorporate a high
degree of monitoring, so that any faults that develop are indicated
automatically, usually
on the Control and Indicating Equipment. These fault indications
are only effective if they
are identified and appropriate action taken.

Consequently a need has been identified that the monitoring of

these systems should be
carried out by the Fire Alarm System Users nominated
Responsible Person, this person
should be some one whom is normally employed within the
protected premises.

The Responsible Person shall ensure that Routine Tests of the

Fire Alarm System
are carried out. Every week, a Manual Call Point should be
operated during normal
working hours, it should be confirmed that the Control Equipment
functions correctly,
Alarm Sounders Sound and should a link to a Remote Monitoring
Centre be connected
that a signal is correctly received. The weekly test should be
carried out at approximately
the same time each week with the alarm sounders not operating for
longer than 1 minute. 
A different Call point should be tested each week so over a period
all points are tested.
(i.e. 80 Call Points would take 80weeks to test)

Premises provided with means of Standby Power Supplies

(Generator) should be test
Monthly by simulating failure of the normal power supply.

As previous identified provision of a Fire Alarm System both new

buildings would be
subject to a consultation process with reference to:

    Fire Precaution Act

    Building Regulations

and as well for both new and existing buildings:

    Work Place Regulations

    resultant Risk Assessment
The Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations require that any
equipment and devices
provided in respect of the regulations SHALL be subject to a
suitable system of
maintenance and be maintained in an efficient state, in efficient
working order and in good
repair. Failure to provide this may warrant the user liable for
prosecution.

The Health & Safety (Safety Signs & Signals) Regulations 1996
requires that
Fire Alarm warning system must be provided with a guaranteed
emergency supply in
event of interruption of the normal mains supply, unless the hazard
has thereby been
eliminated. Consequently systems not having a standby power
supply
(i.e. Battery Backup) are no longer legal!

BS5839:Part 1:2002 recommends that maintenance of Fire Alarm

Systems be carried
out by Competent Persons (i.e. Maintenance Organisations).

A Periodic Service Inspections of a period not exceeding six

months, subject to a
Risk Assessment and agreement between all interested parties this
period may be
reduced.
Tests and Checks should include operation of one Manual Call
Point or Detector on
each Circuit, changes that may effect the operation of the system,
signals if connected
to Remote Monitoring Centre.

An annual inspection (over a 12month period) to include a

complete function and
operational test of all equipment connected and interfaced to the
Fire Alarm System,
including all “Cause and Effects”.

Upon satisfactory completion of the Inspection;

    All Devices operated correctly

    Transmission to Remote Monitoring Centre correctly received
    Analogue Levels on Addressable Equipment within acceptable
range
    Radio Signal Strength for Radio Equipment within acceptable
range
    Cause & Effect programme proved
    Standby Power Supply Capacity Satisfactory

a Inspection and Service Certificate would be issued with any

recommendations noted.

During the annual inspection confirmation of the number of false

alarms would be checked
in the Log Book to see if within acceptable limits.