12 Things I Wish I Had Known About Fire Watch Guards

It really is paramount you've got regular fire alarm testing and servicing to safeguard your business and ensure your legal responsibilities are going to be met.

Take your car for example - it has probably become second nature to keep your car safe and in tip-top working order with a regular service. Fail to do this and the car will eventually fall into disrepair and cost you more money within the long term, endangering your life and putting your passengers' lives in danger in the process. The exact same approach should be applied to your business Fire Watch Services detection system.

The real difference with fire alarm servicing is the fact that it is a legal requirement, under the 'Regulatory Reform Act 2005'. Should you have a business, which employs five or maybe more people including part-time staff (or visiting members of the general public), you have an obligation to keep them safe within the event of a fire. No one is exempt, all companies, individuals and organisations have to abide by this law and responsibly maintain their fire protection system to the highest standard.

Legislation requires you to have your system checked regularly therefore it makes sense to take out an annual service contract. In accordance with the minimum requirements, such contracts should include bi-annual fire alarm testing and all servicing completed to BS5839. It's this British Standard that governs this type of service and is also the conventional which leading coverage companies expect you to comply with. If you do not have adequate fire protection and detection capabilities in place, you won't meet the requirements for business coverage. It's as simple as that.

Any time a specialised engineer visits to carry out the fire alarm testing, they are going to ensure your fire system is operational. Checks include, but are not restricted to, ensuring that 50 percent of the detection devices tends to be fully functional, all call-points and sounders are engaged and checks on internal batteries too.

Most fire alarm servicing and testing specialists offer an optional 24-hour call-out service, so you may be safe in the knowledge that if any emergencies arise, for example like locked out fire panels or if perhaps your detection and sounder devices need resetting, these problems may be rectified immediately. So it isn't just fire alarm testing and servicing you may take advantage of.