admin, Author at Cardinal Fire

If your smoke detector is beeping or your fire alarm is sounding off without any obvious cause, it can be quite frustrating and in some cases, it could indicate an underlying issue with the equipment, which could be a potential fire safety hazard. So, what causes this annoying chirping and seemingly random fire alarm noises?

Often when you hear the smoke detector beeping sound without any obvious reason, it’s due to a number of reasons, including:

Battery needs replacing
Foreign objects
Oversensitivity
Environmental factors
Malfunction

Read along to find out why your smoke alarm is chirping and find out what you can do to prevent this situation from happening, including maintenance techniques and using the Hush mode on your alarm.

Smoke detector beeping vs fire alarm sounding off: What’s the difference?

Before we dive into the why and how to prevent, let’s start by getting the basic terminology right. First of all, smoke detectors and fire alarms are two different things. The smoke detector detects high levels of smoke in the room while a fire alarm usually contains a smoke detector and is triggered by it to sound off. However, fire alarms can also be triggered by a heat detector and they can also feature other extras, such as water sprinklers and automated notification systems connected to the local fire services.

There is a lot that can be said about the differences between smoke detectors and fire alarms, but the reality is that, as most fire alarm systems will have multiple smoke detectors in them, the reason for a smoke detector chirping or a fire alarm sounding off inexplicably, are often one and the same, or at the very least – related.

Why is your smoke alarm making a noise and how to stop it?

Smoke detectors can malfunction for various reasons, including dirt, insects, oversensitivity, low battery and more. When you hear odd noises coming off from your smoke alarm, the type of noise you hear could be the first indication of what has triggered the issue. Knowing the cause helps you find a way to stop the false alarm.

Loud alarm sound that doesn’t stop

If your fire alarm sounds off loudly and continuously, it means that the active alarm mode has been activated. The deafening sound you are hearing won’t go away until the air has cleared and the smoke detector no longer picks up concerning levels of smoke in the air. So, if there is no fire in sight, what could be the issue? Here are the most common causes and how to solve them:

Scenario 1

Issue: A foreign object has contaminated the sensing chamber and is triggering the alarm. This could be anything from a small insect to dust particles and accumulated dirt.

Solution: You have to open your smoke detector and clean it.

Scenario 2

Issue: Oversensitivity to environmental factors, such as high humidity or smoke (e.g burning toast, cooking bacon) or a sudden change in temperature (e.g. open oven door), is causing a nuisance alarm

Solution: You should open the windows and wave a towel under the sensor in order to disperse the smoke. Some fire alarms have a “Hush” function that allows you to silence the alarm for up to 10 minutes. This gives you time to clear out the smoke/humidity. If this is a common occurrence, you should consult with a specialist to find out if the sensitivity of the unit needs to be adjusted.

Scenario 3

Issue: Electrical problem has caused the fire alarm to malfunction (applicable to hard-wired alarms only).

Solution: If an electrical condition is causing the false alarm, you need to reset the alarm but disconnect it from the electricity source and remove the backup battery if your unit has one. Once you reconnect the alarm, it should resolve the issue. If not, you need to seek help from an engineer.

Regularly chirping smoke alarm

If your smoke detector is chirping constantly on regular intervals (30-40 seconds) you are probably experiencing one of the following issues:

Scenario 1

Issue: The battery of your smoke alarm is running low and needs to be replaced. Usually, when constant chirping is present for at least 7 days.

Solution: You have to replace the battery inside the unit and use the test button to confirm that everything works as expected.

Scenario 2

Issue: The alarm has reach the end of its lifespan (for sealed battery fire alarms)

Solution: If you have a sealed-battery model smoke alarm, you cannot replace the power source. You have to have the whole unit replaced to solve the problem.

Scenario 3

Issue: Malfunction – the red LED light on your alarm is flashing in-between the chirping

Solution: If you come across the above scenario, you need to test the alarm using the TEST button which you need to hold for a few seconds. If the alarm doesn’t enter active alarm mode when tested, you are either experiencing one of the first two battery-related issues, or there is a technical problem with the unit, in which case you need to seek help from an engineer.

Intermittent chirping

If your smoke alarm is making a chirping noise with no obvious pattern, you should consider the following scenarios:

Scenario 1

Issue: Various battery issues

Solution: You have to check whether the battery is installed correctly – check if it may be loose causing a bad connection; if it’s the correct type and it’s not out of date; and if the lid on the battery compartment is closed well.

Scenario 2

Issue: Humidity, temperature changes and drafts can all cause your smoke detector to malfunction if it’s placed too close to the source. This could be a cooler, an open window causing a draft, a cooking appliance producing heat or a bathroom with a shower.

Solution: If the smoke detector has been placed incorrectly, you need to change its location to be at least 10 feet away from what’s triggering it.

Scenario 3

Issue: Power surges

Solution: If the intermittent chirping occurs at the same time every day, then maybe there is an issue with the power grid. You could also notice the chirping appearing when another appliance in the house is turned on. This would indicate that the alarm and the appliance in question are connected to the same circuit when they shouldn’t be.

Scenario 4

Issue: Old age

Solution: If none of the above three scenarios applies to you, then you should consider whether your entire unit needs to be replaced or not. It’s possible that your alarm has reached its life expectancy and is beginning to show defects.

The importance of regular fire alarm maintenance and servicing

What’s the use of having a fire alarm if it’s not actually working? Whether the reason for your smoke detector beeping and triggering your fire alarm is a battery on its last legs, accumulated dirt or some other technical fault, in many cases, the chirping or sounding off is an indication that your fire alarm may be poorly maintained. To prevent the issue from happening in the first place, you must ensure that your fire detection system is being serviced regularly by an experienced professional.

If you are responsible for a non-residential building, such as an office space, warehouse, construction site, dining venue or a public area, it is your legal responsibility (as stated in BS5839-1:2019 – see our comprehensive guide to BS5839) to ensure that your fire alarm system is serviced by a professional engineer every 6 months. Failure to do so will be considered as non-compliance with the industry safety standards and may result in substantial fines and potentially even jail time if a serious workplace incident occurs as a result of a fault with the fire alarm.

More than that, having a professional inspect your fire alarm and smoke detectors regularly gives you peace of mind knowing that both you and anyone else in that building are adequately protected in case of a fire. Ignoring your smoke decor’s beeping or chirping could be dangerous, as the underlying issue behind the false alarm could lead to a delayed response in a real fire emergency situation, causing significant damages to your assets, your property and the people in it.

Have a fire alarm in need of servicing anywhere in the West Midlands? Here, at Cardinal Fire Protection, we have a dedicated team of fire safety engineers in Birmingham who specialise in fire alarm inspections and offer regular servicing and maintenance for your entire fire detection system. Don’t wait for your smoke detector to start beeping or for a false alarm to sound off – get in touch with us today and make sure your fire protection is up to standard.

The Ultimate Guide to Fire Safety in the UK: Regulations, Training & Prevention

According to the fire safety regulations in the UK, the responsibility for fire safety and prevention at a non-domestic building can be attributed to you if you are the employer, the landlord, the owner, an occupier or if you are in control of the premises (e.g. you are the building manager or the risk assessor).

If you find yourself in one of these roles, then you are referred to as a “responsible person” by the law and you can be held accountable for any workplace incidents that happen due to fire safety risks that have not been adequately managed.

Below, we’ll look at what those regulations are, as well as what you need to do to ensure compliance with the applicable legislation and to protect yourself, your employees and anyone else visiting your workplace.

Fire Safety Regulations in the UK

The main legislative document detailing the rules and regulations for fire safety in all non-domestic premises (with small exception) in the UK is The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

If you are the responsible person for any place of work, a common area in a building with multiple occupants, or a publicly accessible area, then these fire safety rules apply to you and you have the responsibility to take the necessary fire precautions.

Here’s an outline of the main fire prevention actions you are legally required to take:

Ensure regular fire risk assessments are carried out
Communicate any identified risks to the people on the premises
Implement hazard control measure to minimise the risks
Install, inspect and regularly maintain all fire safety equipment
Create an emergency response plan
Organise adequate fire safety training & evacuation drills

It may sound like a lot of responsibility but these are all key elements of an effective fire prevention strategy. To help you get all of your fire safety duties right, we’ll give you more details on each one below.

Fire Safety Training

The fire safety regulations talk about “adequate fire safety training” and let’s face it – this sounds rather vague. Unfortunately, there is no precise answer to what “adequate” means. The problem is that the specifics vary greatly depending on the size of the business, the type of risks in the workplace and the current level of awareness of your employees.

However, there are certain types of training that you must offer for the fire safety training provided to be considered as adequate. Those include:

A general fire awareness training
Refresher training, especially if new risks have been identified
Additional training for appointed responsible people to support them with their duties
Special skills training, such as fire marshal/warden training, fire risk assessment training, how to use fire extinguishers and other fire safety equipment training

To get all of the required fire safety training organised, you will need to contact professional fire safety training specialists and coordinate your training plan and requirements with them.

Fire Safety Risk Assessment

Conducting regular fire risk assessments is one of the most important processes for fire prevention in the workplace. The goal is to identify what could cause a fire incident at the workplace and what measures you should take to reduce the chances of such incidents.

It’s recommended to do a fire risk assessment at least once a year and sooner if there have been significant changes in the workplace, especially if they could potentially create fire hazards (you are now working with flammable materials, you have new equipment, you have changed the layout of the building etc).

Also, if you have more than five people working at your company, you must keep a detailed record of every risk assessment. Those records can be requested for inspection by the fire authorities at any time.

Every fire risk assessment must include the following steps:

Identify any potential fire hazards
For each hazard, consider who would be at risk
Assess how likely the fire risk is and how much damage it could cause
Come up with ways to remove or manage the hazards
Implement risk controls and assess their validity regularly
Use your findings to design an emergency plan and identify fire training needs
Keep a record of your findings
Review your fire risk assessment regularly

You can do the risk assessment yourself if you wish to do so but you will have to follow the specific risk assessment guidelines for the type of non-domestic premises you are responsible for. If you choose to do your own risk assessment, you will be held responsible for ensuring that it has been carried out correctly. The local fire authorities can advise you on whether you’ve missed something but they can’t do the assessment for you.

Luckily, if you are not a fire safety expert, there are certified risk assessment specialists who can come in and do the fire risk assessment for you. That way you can enjoy peace of mind knowing your workplace fire risk assessment has been carried out in accordance with the relevant industry standards and fire safety risk regulations.

Workplace Fire Safety: Equipment, Evacuation Plan & Drills

Even the most thorough fire risk assessment cannot guarantee you that a fire will never occur at your property. This is why preparing for the event of fire plays a huge role in ensuring workplace fire safety. Below we’ll discuss a few more things that you must consider to be ready in case of a fire incident at work.

Fire alarms and fire fighting equipment

Your workplace fire safety preparation should cover the installation, servicing and maintenance of all necessary fire safety equipment, including:

A fully-functional fire alarm system that can be heard throughout the premises
At least 2 Class A fire extinguishers on each floor of the building (as per BS 5306-8:2012)
Two or more fire exit routes depending on the size of the building
Othe fire safety equipment – a fire blanket, emergency lights, fire doors and a first aid kit

Providing the right equipment is only the first step. Then, you have to ensure that all of your equipment is regularly inspected and serviced as per the relevant legal requirements. Inspections and maintenance are necessary to ensure that issues with the equipment don’t catch you off guard. Discovering a fault in your fire alarm or your fire extinguisher during a fire is a nightmare scenario that can be avoided if all equipment is properly cared for.

Fire evacuation plan

You must have an evacuation plan in place in case of a fire and all your employees must be aware of the procedure. Your emergency plan should cover the following:

Escape routes: There are enough escape routes, they are clearly marked and unobstructed
Emergency doors: Those are easily-accessible, unlocked, unobstructed and they open outwards
Emergency lighting and signage: Clear emergency exit signage and emergency lighting ( if needed) should be available
Meeting point: There is a designated meeting point where everyone can gather safely while waiting for the emergency services to come

The fire evacuation plan should also take into account people with special mobility needs or any other special needs that could prevent them from evacuating safely. For example, you should make sure the escape doors are wide enough for a wheelchair to pass and that there are no stairs on the emergency route.

Fire drills at work

You must have a minimum of one documented fire drill per year.

No one is looking forward to being forced out of the office by loud fire alarm noises in the middle of the workday, especially if the British weather is being as rainy as we all know it can be. However, surprise fire drills are a necessary evil.

Any inconvenience that they may cause is offset by the fact that they are the only way to effectively test if the evacuation plan in place is working as expected. Any issues with the plan, the system or the fire safety awareness demonstrated by the staff can be flagged as a result of the drill and then addressed and corrected as needed.

Fire Prevention Checklist

To help you stay compliant with the fire safety regulations in the UK, we’ve put together a fire prevention checklist with the most important things you need to do as a responsible person of non-domestic premises:

Install, service and maintain a fire detection and warning system
Install, service and maintain functional fire safety equipment
Carry out at least one fire risk assessment a year
Conduct at least one fire drill per year
Do a weekly fire alarm test
Check all fire equipment and fire exits daily
Get your fire extinguishers inspected at least once a year
Get your fire extinguishers serviced at least every five years
Appoint a fire marshal and ensure they get the appropriate training
Organise regular fire safety awareness training
Devise an evacuation plan for fire emergencies

We hope you found our guide to workplace fire safety in the UK helpful. If you need professional fire safety advice, fire safety training or fire safety equipment servicing, just get in touch with us and the Cardinal Fire team of fire experts will be happy to help.

Featured Image: Unsplash Licence – Tim van der Kuip

The Complete Fire Extinguisher Servicing and Maintenance Guide

Fire extinguishers are an indispensable element of every building’s fire safety equipment and so you are legally required to have fire extinguisher servicing performed annually by a professional (as per fire extinguisher installation and maintenance code of practice – BS 5306-3:2017).

To avoid finding yourself in a dangerous situation when there is a fire but your fire extinguisher isn’t working, you should follow our guide on fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance below.

Why is fire extinguisher maintenance important?

Fire extinguisher maintenance is important because even without being used, fire extinguishers can degrade and sustain damage over time. A faulty fire extinguisher can be less effective and sometimes even completely ineffective. This could result in injury to the user and fire-related damages to both the building and the people in it.

According to the Fire Safety Order 2005, it is your legal responsibility to have your fire extinguishers tested by a professional every 12 months. Booking your annual fire extinguisher servicing ensures compliance with the existing rules and regulations.

Furthermore, the correct fire extinguisher maintenance can make the difference between having a fire under control quickly and efficiently, and facing injury, destruction and a potential tragedy.

How should a fire extinguisher be serviced?

There are three main things to remember about fire extinguisher servicing:

Fire extinguishers must be serviced once a year
Extensive fire extinguisher maintenance must be performed every 5 years
The fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance must be done by a certified engineer

When a fire extinguisher servicing specialist comes over for their annual inspection, they will take a look at all four main parts of the fire extinguisher: tamper seal, gauge, body and hose. They will look for specific defects in each to determine whether your fire extinguisher is suitable for use.

The tamper seal
The tamper seal must be intact. This ensures that the safety pin is safely held in place and that the fire extinguisher hasn’t been discharged.

The pressure gauge
The pressure gauge is used to check whether there’s enough pressure in the fire extinguisher. For it to be functional, the needle must be in the green area of the gauge. The issue is that in some cases, damage or moisture can cause the needle to stick and prevent it from indicating a drop in pressure. So, your gauge could be showing that everything is fine while in reality, your fire extinguisher isn’t functional any more.

The body
Extensive damage to the body of the fire extinguisher can cause it to explode and result in injury for the user. Therefore, during the fire extinguisher serving process, any dents, holes or signs of corrosion will be flagged by the inspector.

In addition to the physical state of the fire extinguisher body, the labelling will also be checked. For a fire extinguisher to be approved, all signage and instructions for use must be clearly legible. If they have faded significantly over time, the extinguisher will be considered unusable.

The hose
Just a small hole or tear in the hose can downgrade the efficiency rating of your fire extinguisher. If the hose is damaged, upon discharge the extinguishing substance can leak through the hose before it reaches the fire, making it much harder to control the fire.

The fire extinguisher service engineer will make sure that there is no visible damage anywhere on the fire extinguisher. Cartridge extinguishers will be opened and each element will be inspected. The mechanisms will be put to a test as well.

If any issues are found, the engineer will raise this with the responsible person and appropriate action will be taken. This may include decommissioning the fire extinguisher unit altogether and replacing it with a new one.

When should a fire extinguisher be serviced and by whom?

There are several scenarios when a fire extinguisher inspection is required. Here’s when you need an inspection and who can perform it:

During installation: Also called commissioning service, the first-ever fire extinguisher test you will have to have done by a professional is at the time of installation to ensure that the unit is fit for purpose
Monthly: A monthly inspection by a designated responsible person (not an engineer) at the building should be done each month to check for visible damage.
Annually: The annual fire extinguisher inspection has to be conducted by a qualified engineer. This is a legal requirement.
Every 5 years: An extensive maintenance inspection should be conducted every five years by a qualified engineer.
In case of damage: If you see any signs of damage to your fire extinguisher during your monthly checks or at any other point, you should call a certified engineer to check those and ensure your unit is still functional.

As a general rule, a fire extinguisher needs to undergo basic service every year to identify any visual signs of damage and corrosion, as well as an extended service (including a test discharge) every 5 years. Both of these should be carried out by a qualified engineer to ensure that the fire extinguisher is maintained in good working condition.

The only exception to this rule is P50 fire extinguishers – they don’t require basic annual servicing as they are designed to withstand damages caused by the weather, scratches or corrosion.

What should the information on a fire extinguisher include?

To be legally compliant, each fire extinguisher must have a label stating:

When it has been inspected
By whom
When the next inspection is due

The cost of fire extinguisher servicing

Every professional fire extinguisher servicing services should be able to provide a complete price list before you agree to book an inspection with one of their engineers. You should always be clear on what needs to be done and how much it will cost, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.

A one-off service charge will always have to be paid for your preferred service type – Basic (yearly) or Extended (every 5 years). This should include the servicing, plus the cost of the parts that will be replaced as part of the routine fire extinguisher maintenance procedure (gauge dots, o-rings and tamper seals). Any additional costs should be clearly specified.

As fire extinguishers maintenance has to be done regularly, you may want to consider a servicing plan for long-term maintenance, rather than having to schedule one-off services every time. It will likely help you save on the cost, as well.

Do all fire extinguishers need to be serviced?

In 2012, a new generation of service-free fire extinguishers was introduced. According to the official UK standard BS 5036-3, if your fire extinguisher has a Britannia P50 kitemark, then you won’t need to call an engineer. The only fire extinguisher maintenance you will need to do is have the fire extinguisher visually inspected by the end user every 12 months.

The P50 fire extinguishers come in foam, powder, and wet chemical varieties and boast a guaranteed lifespan of ten years. As no refilling is required for a whole decade, they ate the most economic and eco-friendly fire extinguishers on the market.

How can Cardinal Fire help?

If you are a business owner in the West Midlands area, the expert fire safety specialists at Cardinal Fire offer exceptional fire extinguisher servicing, including inspections, testing, maintenance and guidance (see our guide to BS5839). With our certified fire safety engineers by your side, you can enjoy peace of mind knowing that your building and the people in it are protected in case of a fire incident.

FAQ

Find out at-a-glance answers to your burning questions about fire extinguisher servicing and maintenance below. For any more information, just get in touch with the team at Cardinal Fire and we will be happy to help.

How often do fire extinguishers need servicing?
The legal requirement is to have a fire extinguisher inspection every 12 months.

Can anyone service a fire extinguisher?
A monthly fire extinguisher inspection can be done by anyone within the business who has had the appropriate training, such as the fire warden. However, the annual fire extinguisher inspection has to be performed by a qualified engineer.

What do I do with old fire extinguishers?
If your fire extinguisher has been flagged as faulty or it has expired and needs to be replaced you have to get in touch with the local fire authorities first to ask if they can help you with that. If they don’t offer such services, you should take your old fire extinguisher to a hazardous waste disposal site. The engineer performing the inspection should be able to advise you on the actions you need to take.

Does a new fire extinguisher need to be inspected?
Yes, when a new fire extinguisher is installed it has to be commissioned by a professional engineer, which means that a fire extinguisher inspection is required.

Do fire extinguishers expire?
Yes, each extinguisher has an expiration date. Most extinguishers last between 5-15 years as indicated by the manufacturer. Regular maintenance ensures that the lifespan of the unit is as long as possible.

Do old fire extinguishers need to be recharged?
Every fire extinguisher must be recharged every 5 years even if it has never been used. If it has been used or damaged has been found, it may need to be refilled sooner.

How often do fire extinguishers need to be maintained?
An extensive fire extinguisher inspection has to be carried out every 5 years to ensure that the fire extinguisher is properly maintained.

If you are an employer, you know that ensuring the fire safety of your employees and your visitors is a responsibility that cannot be taken lightly and it also requires a good amount of fire safety knowledge. Following the fire exit regulations and requirements is a key element in providing a safe escape route in case of a fire incident. Therefore, today will be looking at answering your burning fire exit questions, from how many fire exits you need to how wide your fire exits should be.

What is a fire exit?

Let’s start by answering the most basic question first – what is a fire exit? Usually, a fire exit or an emergency exit is any door that leads people out of a building in the event of a fire, as well as any means used to exit a building if a fire occurs.

The normal door you use to enter and exit your work premises can qualify as an emergency exit but a building will usually also have a special fire exit for faster evacuation. It’s also a good way to ensure that there are exit options available in case the regular exit is somehow obstructed.

Fire exit regulations in the UK

The main fire safety regulations in the UK, including the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006, and the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010, all address the definition and requirements for a fire exit.

According to the common requirements, fire exits should be:

be easily accessible
lead to a safe assembly point
be opened from the inside
be unlocked
never be obstructed
be regularly inspected
be clearly marked with emergency exit signs
not be a sliding or revolving door
be in a permanent location known to all employees

How many fire exits do I need in the UK?

Part of the employer’s duties and responsibilities is to provide enough suitable fire exits in case of an emergency evacuation. Non-compliance with the fire route regulations in the UK can put lives in danger and cause fire-related injuries or even deaths that could have been prevented.

For larger properties, you will usually be required to have at least two completely independent escape routes. However, the number of fire exits that you must have in any given building depends on several factors, including:

How big are the premises
How many people work there
Are your premises open to the public
Are there any particular fire hazards on the premises (i.e. working with flammable materials)

However, if you are wondering how many exits you need, the government guidelines suggest that you should always try to provide more than one fire exit where possible. Those must be completely independent of each other and accessible by completely separate escape routes to increase your options of safely exiting a burning building.

Having one fire exit only can be dangerous for larger premises, as the fire exit may not be close enough for an adequately fast evacuation time and in case the flames cause an obstruction on the way, you may find yourself trapped inside the building. Small buildings, however, may not require more than one exit. When there is only one emergency exit, it must have a fire-resistant emergency door installed.

Where should fire exits be located?

The location of the fire exits is also important – the easier they are to get to, the better. To put this into exact numbers, when you have multiple fire escapes, every place within your premises should be 60 metres or less away from the nearest escape door. If during a fire risk assessment it has been established that your building is at a high risk of fire, the maximum distance from a fire exit drops to 25 metres.

For smaller premises with only one emergency exit, the requirements change and you must ensure that no point within the buildings is further than 25 metres away from your fire exit. If you are at a high risk of fire and you have only one exit, the required maximum distance is cut by half again, so it is 12 metres or less.

Here are the maximum fire exit distance requirements at a glance:

Low fire risk + multiple exits => 60 metres
High fire risk + multiple exits => 25 metres
Low fire risk + one exit => 25 metres
High fire risk + one exit => 12 metres

Who is responsible for checking the fire exits?

The employer is ultimately responsible for ensuring that there are enough fire exits and that they are regularly inspected and maintained. As an employer, you must assign certified fire marshals whose duties include daily fire safety checks. It is also your responsibility to provide your fire marshals with the required fire safety training.

Fire Exit FAQ

Hopefully, if we haven’t answered all your biggest fire exit queries above, you will find the answers you are looking for in our quick frequently asked questions section below.

Should fire exit doors be kept closed?

Yes, fire exit doors must be kept closed at all times. The only exception is if certified fire door retainers have been installed. A regular door wedge doesn’t classify as a certified retainer.

Should fire exit doors be locked?

No, fire exit doors must remain unlocked and unobstructed at all times.

Can I block a fire exit temporarily?

No, you must never block a fire exit, even if it’s temporary as it could endanger everyone on the premises.

How wide should a fire exit be?

The minimum width for a fire exit is 750mm. However, the advised minimum width is 1050mm, as a fire exit that is less than 900mm is not suitable for wheelchair users.

How many fire exits should I have?

You should have minimum one fire exit for a small building and minimum two escape exits for a larger building.

What are fire exit signs?

Fire exit signs are information signs that direct you to the nearest fire exit in case of an emergency. They must be visible at all times and in all conditions, including smoke and darkness.

How often should fire escape routes be checked?

Fire escape routes and fire exits must be checked daily by the designated fire warden.

Why is having a fire exit important?

It is important to have a fire exit as it can prevent many fire-related injuries and deaths by providing a safe passage to safety in case of an emergency. It is also a legal requirement to have an adequate number of fire exits on your premises. Non-compliance can lead to legal action being taken against you.

What is the difference between a fire escape route and a fire exit?

The fire exit is a door or an opening that leads to safety in an event of an emergency. The fire escape route is the designated shortest path to safety in case of an evacuation. There can be multiple fire exits along one escape route.

Who is responsible for fire exit requirements?

It is the duty of the employer to ensure that all fire safety regulations are complied with, including ensuring that all fire exit requirements are met.

What if I don’t have enough fire exits?

Compliance with the government fire exit regulations is regularly checked by your local fire and rescue authorities. Failure to comply may result in a fine or even a prison sentence if someone is injured or killed as a result of your non-compliance.

Author: admin

Why is my smoke detector beeping, chirping or sounding off?

Smoke detector beeping vs fire alarm sounding off: What’s the difference?

Why is your smoke alarm making a noise and how to stop it?

Loud alarm sound that doesn’t stop

Regularly chirping smoke alarm

Intermittent chirping

The importance of regular fire alarm maintenance and servicing

The Ultimate Guide to Workplace Fire Safety in the UK

The Ultimate Guide to Fire Safety in the UK: Regulations, Training & Prevention

Fire Safety Regulations in the UK

Fire Safety Training

Fire Safety Risk Assessment

Workplace Fire Safety: Equipment, Evacuation Plan & Drills

Fire alarms and fire fighting equipment

Fire evacuation plan

Fire drills at work

Fire Prevention Checklist

Fire Extinguisher Servicing & Maintenance Guide

The Complete Fire Extinguisher Servicing and Maintenance Guide

Why is fire extinguisher maintenance important?

How should a fire extinguisher be serviced?

When should a fire extinguisher be serviced and by whom?

What should the information on a fire extinguisher include?

The cost of fire extinguisher servicing

Do all fire extinguishers need to be serviced?

How can Cardinal Fire help?

FAQ

How many fire exits do I need? – Answering your FAQ about fire exits

What is a fire exit?

Fire exit regulations in the UK

According to the common requirements, fire exits should be:

How many fire exits do I need in the UK?

Where should fire exits be located?

Who is responsible for checking the fire exits?

Fire Exit FAQ