Fire alarm system installation

[fb_button]

General information about fire alarm system in the UK

Code of practice for fire alarm installation

The earliest code of practice in the UK was introduced by Fore Officers Committee (FOC), this committee comprised representatives of most major fire insurers in the UK. After fire insurers suffered numerous losses later part of the nineteenth century, especially in London, FOC was formed to produce codes for fire system production and installation in the UK

1972 code: CP 1019

CP 1019 was a code of practice designed to regulate the installation and servicing of electrical fire alarm systems and this was later replaced by BS5839-1:1980.

BS5839-1:1980

This was first published in 1980 as a revision of CP 1019, this was produced by the fire standards committee within BSI, this code had a significant distinction between life and property. The below are some of the key points of BS5839-1:1980:

  1. Category P for property and a category L for life were introduced.

  2. The requirement for enhanced cable were clearly defined.

  3. Minimum recommendation for sound pressure level.

  4. Self-contained domestic smoke detectors.

Drawbacks of BS5839-1:1980

The first addressable fire alarm systems were introduced in early 80’s, BS5839-1:1980 failed to address it as it was produced well before the introduction of addressable systems.

BS5839-1:1988

Previous code was revised and addressable fire alarm system was taken into account, but all recommendations of the code can be applied to both addressable and conventional fire alarm systems.