AnthonyB

Is this an office building or residential? Detection will need to be interlinked and depending on the premises will need to form part of a system complying with BS5839-1 including a control panel, manual call points, detectors and sounders. You need a Fire Risk Assessment prior to installing to advise what exactly you need as otherwise you risk: - installing something excessive, or - installing something inadequate, or - something completely useless

If you are discharge testing you will need to use new powder unless you have a proper closed circuit recovery system such as the Getz Superkan or Vacufill as the powder will get contaminated and absorb moisture. Virtually no one in the trade refills powder now as it's just not cost effective anymore

Depends on how important aesthetics are to the client - if they aren't bothered then just surface mount with metal clips.

You are meant to internally examine every 5 years with a stored pressure after the discharge test as part of an Extended Service, but hardly anyone bothers as it's not cost effective. Cartridge powders are opened up annually, but you don't have to remove the powder each year, just agitate and check the condition.

Yes, as above. Back in the day when powder extinguishers were routinely refilled and discharge tested they made powder blow out bags for this purpose, but a home made one and inverted discharge will do what you need. What are you reusing the powder for? If it's recharging a different extinguisher you need to be sure you aren't going to mix incompatible powders (e.g. BC powder in an ABC powder extinguisher or vice versa) or use and inferior grade that invalidates the fire rating (e.g. 40% MAP powder in an extinguisher manufactured with 70% MAP powder). Any powder extinguisher being recharged needs a full strip down in order to clean out the valve and spindle to ensure it seats fully or it will just slowly leak off after re-gassing.

In commercial premises there should be an appropriate electrical fire alarm system complying with BS5839-1 installed unless it is so small alternatives like shouting or a manual gong can be heard throughout the premises. Being over three floors an electrical system would be required. As human senses are generally more sensitive than smoke detectors the minimum standard for a fire alarm system is one consisting of manual call points (break glass units) and electronic sounders powered from a central control & indicating panel (A Category 'M' system). This is the legal minimum and is sufficient for most single occupancy premises. Automatic detection is only required if there is a risk of a fire growing undetected long enough so as to prejudice escape - so all sleeping risk premises will require it, most multi occupancies and others depending on layout and risk. This detection must be part of the main system and not separate (e..g by using domestic smoke alarms). A system with detection for life safety is categorised L1 to L5 depending on the location of the devices. A fire risk assessment by a competent person would indicate your exact requirements, but in general you don't require much detection, just the manual system. Should you wish to protect property, this is not covered by fire safety legislation & is a business decision and would involve far more extensive detection coverage and the provision of remote monitoring of the system, far more costly of course!

Yes, water mist would suit although they don't have an official Class B rating due to the low performance per unit of agent not meeting EN3 minimums, although with kerosine/paraffin this isn't as big an issue as with other fuels. Foam spray would also suit

Yes, Britannia's P50 range is Kevlar. They don't do a water mist because their ordinary water and foam extinguishers are safe for electrical fires up to 1000V in accordance with EN3

A lift car does not need a fire extinguisher. Even London Underground, who were probably the only people to routinely fit them, took theirs out years ago. A lift motor room would usually have a 2 kilo CO2 (unless there was one already outside the motor room door). If you don't have a lift motor room because you have the integrated shaft based lift machines you don't need anything!

Buy some cheap disposable elasticated shower caps and put them over the detectors for the duration of the party and then remove. No need to mess around with the actual detectors risking damage. That's what is done with detectors in commercial buildings during dusty works

It's a common question - "Where in law it says we have to do X?" The answer is, that beyond carrying out a fire risk assessment and the specific provisions for fireman's switches, it doesn't. It merely sets out a range of broad functional provisions and how you achieve them is up to you and your FRA. However, you have to be able to demonstrate that what you do is adequate - to help you do this there are various benchmarks and guidance documents such as British Standards, official government and industry guidance documents, etc. You don't have to follow them to the letter (I don't always) but if you are going to deviate from them you need to be able to demonstrate that what you do still adequately meets the functional requirements of the legislation as oppose to following the guides/benchmarks (which I do) Defects in fire doors have killed in modern times and an adequate system of maintenance is key - the security guard or premises' managers 'check' on a fire door during the daily/weekly walkaround often misses aspects that are hazardous and a through examination (as in the BS) would pick up - so often 'checked' doors have damaged/missing seals and strips, not shutting flush in frame, sticking open, dropped hinges, damage affecting integrity, etc A good risk assessor will only tell you what you must do to meet functional standards and if that means putting your hand in your pocket, so be it. Admittedly there are some that don't really risk assess and require things for the sake of it or are far beyond what you need to do, hence the question "where does the law say...."

I suggest you ask this technical question on www.firealarmengineers.com/forum

Having looked at a similar unit to let to give me a feel for the size a FRA may find that you need as a minimum what is termed a Category M fire alarm (call points, sounders and control panel) particularly if the unit isn't open plan - whilst an electrical fire alarm system isn't always required you have to consider is a shout would realistically be heard clearly throughout the premises. Similarly whilst detectors aren't required in many normal premises you have to consider if the layout, usage and staffing of your unit is such that a fire could grow undetected long enough to compromise escape. As you have the system already in situ it would not be a major expense to get it back in working order, the most likely expense would be new batteries and the cost of the fire alarm engineer powering it up, testing all the devices and issuing your test certificate. The only big expense would be if the panel is defunct or your current layout requires additional sounders or detectors. If you do use the system you will need to test it weekly (the engineer can show you how) and get it serviced twice a year

Biggest clue as to quality of the job is that the cables are correctly affixed using metal clips, and if conduit is used that both the conduit and the cable inside have metal clips. Check the devices being installed & zoning meet this (easier reading than the whole BS): http://www.apollo-fire.co.uk/media/57203/pp2328-bs-5839-1-guide-issue-9_locked.pdf

Believe me I have seen so much snagging and corner cutting so consistently on new builds around the country that it seems the certification is based more on the design plans and that there is little physical inspection anymore!

Unfortunately a completion certificate has no bearing as to whether the physical works on site are suitable. Third party certification & marking is not required, but desirable. If suitably qualified/experienced a fire risk assessor can assess suitability. It's important the correct materials are used, the non specialist contractors have a tendency to fill all & sundry gaps with fire retardant foam where in reality only intumescent collars, mastic, ablative batt and other materials would be effective.

It sounds like the HMO's are being risk assessed using the wrong guidelines - extinguishers are indeed not required in common areas of purpose built flats based on the guidelines for these, but HMO's are not usually purpose built and are often converted private dwellings for which the LACORs guides (which are a bit old now) still apply and as Tom quotes from them above they still require fire fighting equipment and most licensing schemes for HMO's still require this. It sounds like fact that these are smaller HMO's and under the license threshold is why the enforcing authority hasn't picked up on this and corrected them.

Yes, but you would still need to carry out (& ideally record) a monthly visual inspection to identify any units that have failed the self test and for any other defect such as diffusers that are stained/discoloured, physical damage, etc. It is still a lot less onerous than having to put units onto test though!

Internally illuminated exit signs are, by their very nature, signs and not lighting, they don't produce any appreciable illumination except (in some designs) a down light to illuminate door furniture. If you class the areas as escape routes they need 1 lux of lighting to the centre line. If you class them as an open area (over 60 square metres) they need 0.5 lux as anti panic lighting. If the areas don't fall into either then it is down to risk assessment of the areas which would lead you to either: - Provide emergency lighting fittings - Provide nothing and just rely on the exit signs - Provide alternatives such as hand-lamps (as infrequently accessed areas the provision of torches could be part of a permit to access) There is however another reason in BS5266 that may make you go for emergency lighting. Working in a substation could potentially be deemed a high risk task process - if you need decent lighting to safely disengage from the work you are carrying out then you would need to provide at least 15 lux (or 10% of the normal lighting levels, whichever is greater) although you would only need to maintain this high level for as long as necessary to safely deal with the task, which is usually considerably less time than the usual 3 hour rating of emergency lighting.

This does not apply to most emergency light fittings which simply have a green charging light (or red if older). Multi colour LEDS are only used on self testing fittings and even then there is no standardisation as to the meaning of the colours & flashes - you should check with the manufacturer's literature.

Very unlikely for sleeping risk, alternative accommodation or temporary detection would be required. Remember your schools duty of care!

If the door needs to be panic proof then it must open outwards as it will jam shut against the pressure of exiting persons. A push pad and pull handle is terrible as they are contradictory and are going to make the exit more awkward to use. If it's OK to open inwards do not fit any push fastenings, just any suitable lever or thumbturn type device that leaves the door not requiring a key or code to open.

Water mist extinguishers are not marked as suitable for Class B fires as they do not meet the minimum ratings required by EN3 for the amount of agent - your existing CO2 extinguishers have a greater fire fighting capacity - the 6 litre water mist only has a 21B rating, a 2 kilo CO2 34B (or even 55B if fitted with a Zahan Frost Free horn). They are also more expensive and aren't offered by most suppliers.

If the sounder circuit isn't fire resistant then that's a major non conformity that can affect life safety (plenty of case history of where fire alarm sounders failing early was one of the factors influencing multi fatality fires) and should be a high priority action in the FRA. Also, unless it's an L1 system if the detection zones are not fire resistant I would want the panel set to operate in the old "short circuit = fire mode" as there would be a risk of a fire in an area not covered by detection destroying the cable putting the panel only into fault and preventing it going into fire.

Don't over estimate the risks from CO2 portables, you are only generating a couple of cubic metres of gas and for this to be harmful the area would have to be so small the fire effluent would have taken you down first. CO2 is great for machinery as being gaseous it penetrates hidden areas and casings to extinguish the fire and is non damaging thus reducing the effect on business continuity as it doesn't wreck the machine or require a full strip down to clean. It also is effective on small Class B fires and even the smallest CO2 extinguisher has been tested on and extinguished a test fire of 34 litres of aviation fuel/water mix. I'd keep the CO2 and back it up with foam. Foam cools and is good for solids as well as liquids and forms a blanket (like a layer of bubble bath) on a liquid fire preventing reignition. It's also good for spillages of flammable liquids - spray foam over the spill and it cuts off oxygen to the fuel and traps vapour meaning the spill can't be ignited making clear up safer. Most manufacturers don't mark foam extinguishers as safe for electrical fires even though they can, so are mostly only marked as safe for accidental contact with electrical equipment unless you buy Britannia extinguishers (either the traditional Blazex or the low maintenance P50) which are marked (like most extinguishers on mainland Europe) for direct use up to 1000V I'd avoid powder unless there is a realistic prospect of spilling and igniting a large amount of liquid as: - The discharge will fill your workshop with clouds of powder which obscures vision, so you can't see what you are doing - The powder is a respiratory irritant and breathing it in is not very good for you, you will be coughing and having breathing difficulty in a indoor area - It is acidic and fuses when hot sticking to surfaces and is very damaging to aluminium, electronics (and most other things!) and will cause a lot of secondary damage - you will need to strip equipment down quickly to remove it before the damage is too bad and you will never get rid of all traces of it - It extinguishes by a chemical action and does not cool or smother with a risk of reignition. If you don't extinguish a liquid fire before the extinguisher runs out it will often re-flash to original size & intensity (Foam, being a physical barrier allows partial extinction) It's really good for rapid knock down of big spills but is flawed for other risks.