As fire risk assessors, it’s our responsibility to understand the hazards of the buildings we inspect. Further to this and certainly one of the most important aspects of fire fighting is about understanding which fire detection system is going to be the most useful and effective when it comes to protecting your properties and its inhabitants.
We all know to check our smoke alarms regularly, but what other methods of fire detection do we have to utilise? Each fire detection system has its own pros and cons; times and places where one will be more effective and more suitable than the other. There are two common types to choose from:
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Smoke detection
Smoke alarms are probably the most widely used method of fire detection. As a landlord, whilst the legal obligation of checking smoke alarms doesn’t fall upon you, it’s something you should be encouraging your tenants to do on a regular basis. Smoke detection systems use multiple technologies to identify a hazard including ionisation (great for detecting fast-moving fires), photoelectric (whereby a beam of light is triggered when smoke crosses its path), optical (which, as the name suggests, tests the air for smoke particles – one of the earliest means of detecting a fire) or combination systems (which use a mix of all of the above).
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Heat detection
A heat fire detection system can be especially useful in less frequently occupied areas. As the name would suggest, it’s activated once the temperature in a room reaches a certain level – leaving less room for false alarms and errors in detecting a genuine fire.
Which type of fire detection system you require will depend on the kind, age and size of your property. With so many options out there, having an expert conduct a full fire risk assessment to identify which will serve you best couldn’t be more crucial. Whether a residential or commercial property, we’ll take into account the environment as a whole and find the right solution for you – which in some cases may involve using a number of different products.
The UK might be back in lockdown, but as providers of crucial health and safety solutions we’re able to work – safely, with all social distancing and stringent Covid-19 hygiene precautions in place.
To discuss the assessment, installation or upgrade of a fire detection system in your property, contact our friendly, professional team today.