HEALTH & SAFETY CALLS COST LIVES


With false alarms proving costly for the emergency services and those involved in real fires, Siemens introduce their unique ASA Technology, which aims to save the day.


False alarm callouts are costing London £37million annually and the economy approximately £1billion in lost productivity. The cost, risk to lives and drain on firefighting resources has led the London Fire Brigade (LFB) to announce a stringent new law which came into effect at the start of the year.


Organisations will now be fined £290 if they have more than 10 false alarm callouts in a year. Hospitals are among the most prolific offenders; large businesses, airports and student accommodation will also be fined under the new rule. However, the fine does not apply to care homes or domestic properties. 40,000 callouts (one third of all incidents for fire crews in London) are due to false alarms from automatic systems.


Tony O’Brien, Head of Sales for Siemens Building Technologies’ Solution and Service Portfolio, commented: “Fire alarm and detection systems should not cause false alarms; if an organisation suffers from excessive false alarms, it is down to poor technology or mismanagement. A false alarm is referred to as an ‘unwanted fire signal’ as soon as the fire service is summoned. There is a need to properly educate FMs about the benefits of the right technology to minimise unwanted alarms and how to properly maintain their fire alarm systems.”


There are a number of reasons for a false alarm. These range from steam, smoking materials, poor housekeeping, humidity and temperature change through to poor fire detection system testing and maintenance procedures.


Choosing and applying the correct fire detectors for the location and application reduces the chances of a false alarm from the detector


42 | TOMORROW’S FM itself. It is the responsibility of fire


alarm companies to not only install and maintain the technology but also to advise on best use and the minimisation of potential unwanted fire signals.


Tony explained: “Siemens’ unique Sinteso fire alarm system features advanced intelligence which delivers the highest level of protection against all types of fire hazards. It’s built-in intelligence means it can offer fast identification and early warning of fire, as well as eliminate potential false alarms due to environmental influences such as welding or steam. The Sinteso system is constantly alert, evaluating each situation minute by minute and taking decisions on complex criteria to ensure a safe environment.”


Advanced Signal Analysis (ASA) technology is integrated in the detector itself, making each device highly intelligent and 100% reliable. Detection algorithms simultaneously convert signals such as smoke density and temperature into mathematical gradients and constantly evaluate according to present values. Carbon monoxide (CO) detection is combined with this unique technology; providing optical, thermal and electrochemical CO sensors, which offer extremely fast detection as they continually monitor all three fire criteria – smoke, heat and carbon monoxide.


Each detector is configured with a unique set of parameters for each location, enabling the system to differentiate between false fire phenomena, such as steam or cooking fumes, and a real indicator of fire.


Tony concluded: “Alarm systems save lives, protect your business, your reputation and property. As well as this, they save the building and reduce the risk of having to


Tony O’Brien, Head of Sales


make a large insurance claim. There is a danger that repeated false alarms can contribute to the downgrade of the fire service’s response. Furthermore, excessive unwanted fire signals can lead to complacency, putting lives at risk if and when there is a real fire.”


www.siemens.com/ buildingtechnologies


twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66