Fire detection and emergency lighting engineers, ADS Group
The two testing regimes
There are two separate things happening, and they are often confused. One is the routine service visit carried out by a competent contractor. The other is the weekly test carried out in-house by the building's responsible person.
Both need to happen, and both need to be recorded. A building with a perfect service history but no weekly test record still has a gap.
- Weekly: in-house test of a manual call point, rotated around the building, recorded in the log book
- Routine service visits: carried out by a competent person, typically quarterly
- Annual: certification covering the system for the period
What happens on a service visit?
The engineer checks the panel, batteries, sounders and interfaces, and tests a proportion of the detection devices so that all devices are covered across the service cycle. Faults are recorded and reported in writing.
The visit ends with a service record. Where a maintenance agreement is in place, certification follows on the annual cycle.
What if visits have been missed?
The practical route back is an inspection of the current system, a written report on its condition and any non-conformances, and then a planned schedule going forward. Overdue servicing is usually visible immediately to an inspector or insurer, so it is worth addressing before it is asked about.
References
- National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), Publisher of I.S. 3218, which sets out the servicing and testing regime.
This guide summarises publicly available information. It is general information, not legal advice, and it does not reproduce the text of any standard. For your own building, request a survey.