FIRE SAFETY
Reviewing fire alarm protocols and reducing risk
Mazin Daoud, National Fire Safety lead at NHS England and NHS Improvement, explains how NHS Trusts can review their current fire alarm systems and implement effective protocols to ensure that risk reduction in this area meets statutory requirements, and the steps that NHSE/NHSI are taking to bring the HTM guidance on the subject up to date.
How we interact with fire alarm systems has been changing, both in our response to fire alarms (and false alarms), and in our testing and maintenance of them. The change is occurring on the ground in hospitals, where pragmatic, risk-assessed, evidence-backed procedures and protocols are being introduced by forward-looking Trusts, often with the support of the fire and rescue service. The pandemic has taught us that we can do things differently, for instance highlighting that infection control requirements in hospitals require a completely different environment from other commercial premises. However, the current ‘go-to document’ for healthcare fire safety policy and procedures, Firecode (Health Technical Memoranda 05 series), has not kept pace with developments in practice around the maintenance of fire alarm systems or identification of false alarms. This article thus sets out to:
1) Identify areas in which Trusts can review their current systems and implement effective protocols to ensure that risk reduction meets statutory requirements, i.e. that they are compliant with legislative requirements. 2) Advise the actions that NHS England and NHS Improvement are taking to bring the HTM guidance up to date. Let us start with some definitions on key terminology around the topic: n False alarm – activation of the fire detection and alarm system resulting from a cause other than fire.
n Unwanted Fire Signal (UwFS) – a false alarm which results in the fire and rescue service being summoned and attending.
n Competent person – a person with enough training and experience or knowledge and other qualities to enable them properly to assist in undertaking the preventative and protective measures.
Background
HTM guidance on fire alarm maintenance HTM 05-03, B, Fire detection and alarm systems, was published in October 2006
Unwanted fire signals are a cause of concern for the fire and rescue service
Reduce false alarms to as low as reasonably practicable (HTM 05-03 part H)
UwFS no longer a cause for concern
UwFS still a cause for concern
Consider introducing a call delay system, working in partnership with the fire and rescue service
Figure 1: A course of action to consider to reduce unwanted fire signals.
by the Department of Health, providing guidance on the design and installation of new fire detection and alarm systems for NHS healthcare premises. However, Part B does not include any mention of maintenance and testing of fire alarms, but points to BS 5839-1 (Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings, part 1 – Code of practice for design, installation, commissioning and maintenance in non-domestic buildings), as the ‘go-to document’ for maintenance. This document covers all non-domestic buildings – including commercial premises, but the environment in a hospital, especially in patient treatment or care areas, is very different from commercial premises, and presents unique fire risks. So, why is the same methodology for testing and maintenance as detailed in BS 5839-1 still advised by contractors and implemented by most hospital Trusts? HTM 05-01 (Managing healthcare fire safety) briefly covers fire alarm maintenance, while appendix E (fire safety protocols) simply asks the question ‘What arrangements are there for the system maintenance and testing?’. The section on audit states: “Is a suitable programme of maintenance activity by sufficiently
competent persons in place to adequately maintain the fire precautions, systems, and equipment?’, and the section on fire alarms, ‘Is annual functional testing undertaken?’ There is limited guidance on the specificity of maintenance.
HTM guidance on false alarms/ unwanted fire signals HTM 05-03 part H, Reducing false alarms in healthcare premises (2013), has some very useful information and statistics on the causes and management of false alarms. In so far as call delay systems to reduce the number of unwanted fire signals (the point at which a false alarm results in the fire service being summoned) are concerned, it states: “In most cases, the filtering of alarm calls is inappropriate considering the potential life-risk associated with healthcare premises and the arrangements in place for summoning the fire service.” It goes on to say that this may only be appropriate for non-patient areas and remote staff residences. HTM 05-03 part B gives similar advice when it says: “It is essential that, when an alarm of fire occurs in patient access areas, the fire and rescue service is summoned immediately.” This summoning of the fire
June 2022 Health Estate Journal 41
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