Here at Jensen Security and Fire Systems, as well as installing fire and security systems, we also test and maintain fire and security systems. Many businesses see us as their one stop shop and trusted friend for all things fire safety and business security. This means they come to us with questions.
One of the questions we are asked most commonly is how often should fire and security systems be tested. This is what we answer in this blog post.
How Often Should Fire Systems Be Tested?
Best practice would be to test at least one of your call points within your fire alarm systems once a week. This can be done in-house by a chosen person. If you have multiple call points, make sure a different one is tested each week. This will ensure that you are aware of ant call points that are faulty, or any issues within the fire system.
In addition to this, your entire fire alarm system should be checked at least every six months. By doing this you will ensure that you are meeting the fire safety guidelines as set out by the British Standards. It is essential that this twice-yearly fire alarm system test is completed by a fire safety engineer, like one of our trained team.
You will also need to check the expiration dates of your fire protection supplies such as fire extinguishers, for example. Dependent on the model, your fire extinguisher will last between 5 and 10 years. However, during this time regular fire extinguisher testing and maintenance will need to be completed. This is something else that our fully trained fire safety engineers can help with.
How Often Should Security Systems Be Tested?
While there are currently no British Standards in place to say how frequently security alarm systems should be tested, there is a general rule of thumb. Ideally, we would recommend that your business security systems are tested at least once a year.
However, your business insurance provider may have terms and conditions. These will lay out how often they require your security systems to be tested. If your security systems are not tested to their standards, this could leave you with no insurance cover if a break-in was to occur.
That said, there are also some guidelines within industries. These stipulate testing of intruder alarms that automatically contact the emergency services. These must be tested every six months, as a minimum. As with the fire alarm system tests, these security alarm testes must be completed by a trained engineer.
When was the last time your fire and security systems were tested? Why not call us now to book your next fire alarm or security alarm test?
