BUILDING SAFETY
processes for reporting, diagnosing and repairing faults immediately to minimise system downtime and potential knock-on effects.
Fire drills & training – Organise regular fire drills with occupants of your building to ensure they understand the emergency plan, location of equipment and evacuation routes.
Accurate records – Complete a logbook of all tests, inspections, faults and any repairs. This is an essential part of demonstrating that you’re keeping on top of your fire safety obligations during an audit, which makes updating the Golden Thread especially important.
4. Upgrades
It’s essential to maintain systems and meet new legislative requirements – so upgrades are a vital part of the fire safety lifecycle.
3. Monitoring/maintenance
Now that the system is installed, you’ll move on to the longest and continuous stage, where you, as the building owner or facility manager, will be directly responsible for operational performance and compliance moving forward.
Testing & inspection – We’d recommend the following schedule for fire safety checks: Weekly – Check your fire safety systems are working as they should be, such as your smoke vent system, emergency lighting and fire extinguishers etc.
Monthly – Thorough inspection of individual components and checking all operational.
Annually – Full servicing of all fire safety equipment and features by trusted third-party engineers.
Fault management – Establish clear procedures for any faults that might arise. Think about
Events to trigger change – A change in risk, legislation, or building use case might trigger the need for an upgrade in your systems.
Phased rollout – Upgrades for the majority of large buildings will need to be phased to minimise the disruption to occupants, whilst maintaining a working level of fire protection at all times.
Document update – If any upgrades are completed, the Golden Thread must be fully updated following the completion and commissioning of the upgrade to remain compliant.
5. Decommissioning and replacement When your system comes to the end of its life, take the right steps to decommission and replace the system properly. The average lifespan of a fire safety system is between 10-25 years, depending on the system.
End-of-life planning – Identify if your fire safety system is beginning to show signs of needing replacement. It’s important to begin proactively planning for a replacement, as this will make the transition smoother and more efficient.
Decommissioning – It’s your responsibility to plan the removal of the old system being taken offline and the new installation being completed. Interim safety measures, such as Waking Watch must be put in place while the decommissioning and new installation process takes place.
New lifecycle begins – When your new system is fully installed and commissioned, the fire safety lifecycle loops back to stage 1, as you’ll need to confirm the system meets the needs of the updated fire strategy.
Key takeaways
Now that you have a detailed understanding of how to keep on top of the fire-safety lifecycle, it’s imperative that this is put into practice to remain compliant and keep your building’s occupants safe at all times. The following are Sertus’ three key takeaways:
- -
Be proactive, not reactive – with regular audits – this avoids unexpected costs and downtime.
Stay informed on legislation changes – being ahead of the curve on legislation changes allows you to remain compliant and keep your occupants safe.
- Work with trusted partners – only work with contractors and partners you trust, and don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations before agreeing to work with anyone in the fire-safety space.
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