FIRE SAFETY
Hochiki’s Hybrid Wireless Expander Module.
such responsibility, but must equally grapple with ever-changing regulations and tight budgets. It can be a thin line to tread, but with lives, livelihoods, and vital premises at risk, it’s never been more important to invest in reliable life safety solutions that provide the optimal line of defence against the impact of fire in healthcare environments, will stand the test of time, and meet the changing needs of the new buildings being developed to meet evolving healthcare demands. Hybrid wireless life safety systems can provide an excellent fire detection solution, especially given the increasing use of modular construction.
An intelligent solution
With modular construction, buildings – made up of individual ‘modules’ – are constructed offsite using high-tech manufacturing processes. The use of specialist machinery in a quality-controlled factory environment reduces waste, and helps ensure consistency of product, leading to a lower environmental impact. Modular units are pre-fitted with electrics, plumbing, heating, doors, and windows, and in some cases fixtures and fittings, therefore reducing the time spent on site, and accelerating the overall construction process.
Once all the individual modules are constructed, they are delivered and put together on site in a pre-determined order to make installation as efficient as possible. Advances in technology have made the process of designing, moving, and assembling modular components much easier, and systems are also being designed and developed to complement this building technique.
Prefabricated and pre-wired Modular builds are prefabricated and pre- wired, so the traditional process of contractors working on site and installing a hard-wired fire detection system isn’t
54 Health Estate Journal May 2021
Hochiki’s Hybrid Wireless Powered Output Module.
appropriate. Recognising the opportunity to provide modular developers with a more flexible and compatible solution, Hochiki has launched a new fire detection range which combines wireless and hard- wired technology for a quick and easy installation. Mitigating the need for hardwiring, the Ekho hybrid wireless range is portable and easily adaptable to any situation, whether required for a ‘pop-up’ or mobile medical facility, or as a permanent fixture in a care home or hospital. In a modular construction project, the installer will first design and configure the system, before mounting the system’s wireless field devices within the building sections during the off-site construction phase. A translator module is added to the existing wired house system at the point of onsite construction, which connects all of the pre-installed wireless devices to the wired house system.
Negating the need to install cables By negating the need to install cables throughout the entire system, installers can guarantee minimum disturbance to surroundings during installation. as well as reduced installation and commissioning
times. Reliability has been central to the design process for Ekho. Not only are each of the wireless field devices approved to their respective EN 54 parts (5, 7, 23 etc), but Ekho as a range is also EN54-25 approved and RED compliant, taking hybrid wireless fire detection to new levels of flexibility and performance.
A smart investment
As an estates and facilities manager, it can often be difficult to select products that tick many boxes – they must be functional, compliant, enhance worker, resident, and visitor experience, and offer a notable return on investment. Within healthcare, where budgets are often stretched, the pressure to deliver on the latter is significantly increased. Wireless fire detection systems make this decision much easier, due to their wide-ranging benefits. Firstly, they are much quicker to install than hard-wired systems. A project that may take 3-4 weeks can be reduced to a matter of days when opting for a wireless solution – drastically cutting installation time and associated labour and materials costs. In a sector where new facilities have such a positive impact on society, opting for faster construction and fit-out means communities can benefit from healthcare services more quickly. Moreover, in the current climate, where maintaining social distancing is a priority, there is the major benefit of having less people on site for shorter periods – from both modular construction and wireless life safety systems.
Successful installation
Hochiki’s Hybrid Wireless Resettable Manual Call Point.
However, there are challenges that cannot be overlooked when installing a wireless system – most particularly ensuring a strong enough signal strength. The signal strength of a wireless device is typically measured during a full site survey. As part of this process, manufacturers and installers can ascertain the quantity and
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