Safety is the number one priority, and you should be doing everything possible to protect yourself and your customers from harm. One area you should protect your business from is the risk of fire. A professionally installed fire alarm system can detect fires before they get out of control. These will protect your property and all the important documents stored on site.
Types of Fire Alarm System
There are several different types of fire alarm systems that you can choose from, these include:
- Wireless fire alarms
- Smoke detector fire alarms
- Heat Detector fire alarms
- Wired Fire Alarms
- Smart Fire Alarm Systems
Residential vs Commercial Fire Alarms
Both residential and commercial fire alarms do the same job but are designed for different types of property. A commercial fire alarm is designed to protect a much bigger building and can be adapted for different types of business. If you are looking for a fire alarm for commercial or industrial premises, then you should choose one that is designed specifically for this type of property.
Do I Really Need a Fire Alarm?
The answer should be fairly obvious. Fire is very dangerous and everyone needs to do everything they can to protect themselves from it. It’s also a legal requirement in the UK for businesses of any size to have adequate fire protection. Fire alarm systems may sound expensive, but in the long run, they are a bargain. The cost of rebuilding your business from the ground up would cost a lot more.
Business Fire Alarms
All businesses should have fire alarms installed, most insurers will stipulate this as part of their conditions before you take out the policy. It’s also important that these fire alarms are installed by specialists. These systems are designed in such a way that they will be reliable and won’t let you down when you need them.
Linked Fire Alarms
Some of the best types of fire alarms have a link to a call center. When the alarm goes off they will call an operator who can decide what to do. They can monitor the situation to try to rule out any false alarms. The operator can then get hold of you, or call the emergency services directly if there is a need to do so. This will save valuable time and hopefully protect your business from damage.
Specialist Fire Alarm Systems
If you are in an industry then you might need to have specialist fire alarms installed. These have special sensors which can switch from detecting smoke to detecting heat at different times of the day. This is especially useful in industries that generate heat like welding. Welding fumes can set off standard smoke alarms, but should not trigger the heat sensors.
Regular Maintenance
Fire alarms are reliable and designed to protect you, but they do require yearly maintenance. This normally involves checking all the call points and sensors respond how they are supposed to. You will also need to perform weekly checks of the system just to make sure all the break glass switches are working correctly.
It’s vital that you hire professional fire alarm companies to protect your business. They will be able to walk around you property to carry out a fire risk assessment. This assessment can be used to highlight any particularly dangerous areas which need special protection.