FIRE SAFETY FEATURE Alerting the industry to a new standard
More and more visual alarm devices (VADs) are being installed in buildings to ensure people working in noisy environments can be made aware of a fire. However, there has been a high level of inconsistency in their specification. Here, Peter Regan of Eaton’s Fulleon Business, looks at the introduction of a new European standard to bring products into line - EN 54-23
the performance of their products in an inconsistent, confusing and often misleading way. In addition, the introduction of the Equalities Act 2010 and the recommendations of BS 8300, which states that an audible alarm may be supplemented with a VAD in any area where the hearing impaired may be left alone, made a strong case for tighter regulation.
TIGHTER REGS BS EN 54-23 specifies the requirements, test methods and performance criteria for VADs in fire detection and fire alarm systems. Manufacturers must now present the product’s performance data in a uniform manner so that they can be directly compared and their suitability assessed for particular applications. The new standard enforces a specific
he introduction of EN 54-23 at the start of the year heralded a new standard for fire alarm beacons which dictates that all beacons manufactured for fire alarm use and sold for fire alarm applications in the EU after this date, must be CE certified using the new standard. It will affect architects, building owners, fire equipment installers, risk assessors and anyone responsible for fire system design. Manufacturers have found it
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something of a challenge to get product performance up to the new standard, but with solutions beginning to appear on the market, the challenge has been passed from the manufacturer to fire system designers, specifiers and installers. Up until May 2010, there was no fire
industry standard that determined the light output performance criteria and installation requirements of VADs. This gave rise to manufacturers specifying
illumination level ensuring that any visual alarm is meaningful and inclusive to all. The standard specifies that all VADs must meet a minimum light output of 0.4 lux. The distance at which this required illumination is met, known as its coverage volume, should be quoted with the product. EN 54-23 allows for three product
classifications - Wall, Ceiling and Open category. If a product has been defined as a Wall or Ceiling product, the shape of the coverage is defined under the standard. An Open Class category product’s coverage shape is defined by the manufacturer. The fire market has traditionally used a red flash to denote an alarm condition. This is quite a challenge under EN 54-23, as the light intensity drops as it is filtered through a red lens, requiring more power to achieve the required coverage. This loss can be as much as 80%. Installers and specifiers should be very aware of this when selecting a VAD. If an existing installation has VADs with red flash then the colour of the flash has to remain the same on replacements and further extensions to the system.
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NO COMPROMISES Eaton’s Fulleon business has managed to develop a red flash option that performs equally to a white flash, meaning no compromises have to be made when specifying a fire system. Room coverage, flash colour and
Above: Peter Regan, product marketing manager at Eaton’s Fulleon Business
Left and bottom: with the release of EN 54-23 the growth in the use of VADs is set to continue
current consumption are the key measures when selecting a beacon. The milliamp per metre specification of a product offers a good guide to selecting the most efficient VAD possible. As well as specifying the most efficient product for an application, there are also other factors to consider. For example, some VADs, particularly Open Category devices that have a large coverage area, may actually be unsuitable for particular scenarios such as bathrooms, toilets and bedrooms, by far the biggest market for VADs. This is due to the glare associated with an uncontrolled dispersal pattern. With the release of EN 54-23 the
growth in the use of VADs is set to continue. They offer the reassurance of a visual indication to a fire alarm and help to mitigate the risk to the building occupants. Fully automated and highly reliable, and used as part of a comprehensive fire detection system, VADs remove human error associated with buddy systems that rely on human interaction or the requirement to ensure that portable tactile devices are working and that the batteries are charged. As well as manufacturing a range of EN
54-23 compliant VADs, Eaton’s Fulleon Business also has an online specification tool to assist the planning of VADs and various helpful guides and resources.
Above: if further information is required on EN 54-23, then Eaton’s Fulleon Business can help
Cooper Fulleon
www.cooperfulleon.com T: 01633 628 500
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