John B

Yes although quite often the contractor presumes the client wants a silent test, without taking a specific instruction from the client, but that's another topic for another day. I think my reply to Tom is the way forward - brief the maid to report if the sounder in any room that he/she is in at the time of the weekly test doesn't work or if audibility is poor. It's not a precise science but over the course of a year most of the rooms would be occupied by a maid at the time of the weekly test.

Ok so the maid is briefed to report if the sounder in any room that he/she is in at the time of the weekly test doesn't work or if audibility is poor. It's not a precise science but over the course of a year most of the rooms would be occupied by a maid at the time of the weekly test.

Yes there is a sounder in every room. I agree that there is no need to check the sound levels but there is something niggling at me that says unless the staff do check the sound levels, how do they know the sounders work because the fire alarm contractor only does a silent test and there is nobody in the bedrooms when the weekly sounder test is carried out. I guess the answer is that if the sounder is faulty it will show on the panel and if the system has been properly commissioned it will meet the required 75 at the bed head.

Hi Tom. The staff operate the sounders when they do the bed head test. There is a sounder in every bedroom but unless the staff do the bed head test, nobody knows if the sounder in the bedroom works. I don't think it is necessary to do this test but I am interested in your view.

In line with BS5839 a hotel group brand standard requires the fire alarm to reach 75db at the bed head. Auditors require evidence of this so employees measure (using a smartphone app) and record the sound at the bed head to ensure it reaches 75db. The hotels undertake a weekly MCP/sounder test and 100% of the fire alarm is serviced at quarterly intervals but this is done without the sounders operating (at the hotel's request) to avoid disruption. Does the absence of sounders operating during the service and the resulting inability to hear the alarm in each bedroom lead to the employee sound test at the bed head being necessary? The brand standard doesn't specifically require employees to carry out the test but this is clearly the only way to convince the auditor that the standard has been met, regardless of any commissioning details which would confirm installation to the BS. Any thoughts would be very welcome.

Thank you Tom.

Is a hotel bedroom corridor with bedroom doors opening onto classed as a protected corridor? If it helps there are alternate means of escape and the entry to each escape stair is lobbied by virtue of the bedroom door and the door into the stair. I am still wrestling with advising on a coffee vending machine and consumables being located in the bedroom corridor. Most sleeping accommodation policies prohibit such items in protected routes and allows some tolerance in unprotected routes.

Ok that's interesting. I have always been told that anything with a heating element is a no-no in hotel bedroom corridors but I guess if the risk of the consumables catching fire is well managed its no real different to an electric radiator in the corridor. The hotel has been inspected and the fire officer who apparently didn't have an issue with the situation which is why I am questioning my own sanity.

I have a situation where a hotel has from the day it opened had a small electric coffee machine on each floor in the bedroom corridor. The machines are a table top type with cups etc. stored with the machine on a different shelf. The bedroom corridors have alternate means of escape, travel distance is fine and the fire alarm is L1 with a delay for searching. The machines are fitted with RCD and PAT tested annually. I'm not happy with the machines as a heat producing item in a bedroom corridor but I would welcome anyone's view on this.