Inspection and testing schedule
Moderator: Moderators
-
- Anorak Extraordinaire
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 1:55 pm
- 10
- Has thanked: 26 times
- Been thanked: 204 times
Inspection and testing schedule
I'm pretty happy with the inspecting and testing schedule I use for fire safety but I do see different schedules from different soruces, including regs, bs standards, fire service, local authorities, fire service providers and I appreciate that in places of greater risk there may by increased schedules but i'm interested in what other people do as a comparison for what i've seen advised.
Call Points - Weekly (everyone agrees on this)
Fire fighting Equipment - Weekly to Quarterly (plus the yearly and 5 yearly)
Fire doors - weekly to 6 monthly
Fire Exits - Weekly or monthly
Emergency Lights - Monthly and 6 Monthly or Monthly and Yearly or Monthly and 3 years
The fire fighting equipment at quarterly was the one that caught my eye as this was from a fire service.
Call Points - Weekly (everyone agrees on this)
Fire fighting Equipment - Weekly to Quarterly (plus the yearly and 5 yearly)
Fire doors - weekly to 6 monthly
Fire Exits - Weekly or monthly
Emergency Lights - Monthly and 6 Monthly or Monthly and Yearly or Monthly and 3 years
The fire fighting equipment at quarterly was the one that caught my eye as this was from a fire service.
- ScottD
- Anorak Extraordinaire
- Posts: 963
- Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:54 am
- 17
- Industry Sector: Logistics & warehousing
- Occupation: Health, Safety and Wellbeing Manager
- Location: Perth
- Has thanked: 19 times
- Been thanked: 38 times
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
Morning Stephen,
My schedule is the following:
Control Panel inspection - Daily
Call points - weekly
FFE - Monthly inspection by me, annual by service company
Fire doors - monthly check by myself
E Lighting - monthly visual by me, 6 monthly 1 hr discharge, annual service and 3 hr discharge by service company
Fire alarms - 6 monthly by service provider
Scott
My schedule is the following:
Control Panel inspection - Daily
Call points - weekly
FFE - Monthly inspection by me, annual by service company
Fire doors - monthly check by myself
E Lighting - monthly visual by me, 6 monthly 1 hr discharge, annual service and 3 hr discharge by service company
Fire alarms - 6 monthly by service provider
Scott
Cunningly disguised as a responsible adult
- grim72
- Anorak Extraordinaire
- Posts: 689
- Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:53 pm
- 13
- Twitter: goodtogosafety
- Industry Sector: Safety inspection systems
- Location: UK
- Has thanked: 4 times
- Been thanked: 81 times
- Contact:
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
We recently added fire (and first aid) equipment checklists to our app in case you are interested in testing it out - allows to set your own schedules etc. Just let me know if you want info and I'll pm you the details.
Grim72
Good to Go Safety - Providing you with a safer workplace
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes
Good to Go Safety - Providing you with a safer workplace
Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
Periodic inspection times should be determined by a competent person fully verses with BS7671 and 5839, not the building user.
Education is the key. A manager should always stand by their team. They employed them.
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
Our company do the following:
Fire alarm - Weekly using different call points each time, 6 monthly service conducted by contractor
Fire doors & Exits - Monthly check carried by a competent person
FFE - Monthly and then yearly conducted by contractor
EL - Fish key test monthly - Yearly conducted by contractor
Thanks
Mark
Fire alarm - Weekly using different call points each time, 6 monthly service conducted by contractor
Fire doors & Exits - Monthly check carried by a competent person
FFE - Monthly and then yearly conducted by contractor
EL - Fish key test monthly - Yearly conducted by contractor
Thanks
Mark
-
- Anorak Extraordinaire
- Posts: 745
- Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 1:55 pm
- 10
- Has thanked: 26 times
- Been thanked: 204 times
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
FFE is the one i'm trying to decide on at the moment.
I've almost always done weekly, but that was the leisure industry where kids set them off, knock them off walls, steal them etc...
Now i'm doing a mix of places where people are not interested in doing H&S at all and things get missed for months at a time. So i'm trying to make it easier to do so they are more inclined to do it. One of those things is looking at the best schedule. I was thinking of putting everything monthly (other than call point checks) but as im also dealing with warehouses and workshops as well as offices, i'm reluctant to go to monthly for the FFE as i've seen some attrocious house keeping in these place.
Its just been interesting to see how different people do different things and how all over the place standards, regs and guidance are.
I've almost always done weekly, but that was the leisure industry where kids set them off, knock them off walls, steal them etc...
Now i'm doing a mix of places where people are not interested in doing H&S at all and things get missed for months at a time. So i'm trying to make it easier to do so they are more inclined to do it. One of those things is looking at the best schedule. I was thinking of putting everything monthly (other than call point checks) but as im also dealing with warehouses and workshops as well as offices, i'm reluctant to go to monthly for the FFE as i've seen some attrocious house keeping in these place.
Its just been interesting to see how different people do different things and how all over the place standards, regs and guidance are.
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
The Standards are very clear. It is up to the inspector to decide.
Education is the key. A manager should always stand by their team. They employed them.
- bernicarey
- Anorak Extraordinaire
- Posts: 8973
- Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 2:50 am
- 15
- Twitter: @bernicarey
- Industry Sector: Consultancy/Training
- Occupation: Safety, Health, Environment and Fire Consultant.
- Location: The heart of the East Midlands...
- Has thanked: 76 times
- Been thanked: 300 times
- Contact:
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
Regarding FFA routine checks, BS5306-3:2017 isn't 'law' but it is the standard so the benchmark that the authorities would use.
This is the latest version, which puts the onus on the Competent Person to advise the Responsible Person of the requirement.
The earlier version from 2009 put the onus directly on the Responsible Person: IMHO, this was a retrograde step changing it, as I think some people believe the requirement has been removed completely (as it moved from para 5 to para 11) and it's made it a responsibility of the Fire Extinguisher installer to tell the RP about it. How many will actually do that, when they're rushing from client to client?
This is the latest version, which puts the onus on the Competent Person to advise the Responsible Person of the requirement.
The earlier version from 2009 put the onus directly on the Responsible Person: IMHO, this was a retrograde step changing it, as I think some people believe the requirement has been removed completely (as it moved from para 5 to para 11) and it's made it a responsibility of the Fire Extinguisher installer to tell the RP about it. How many will actually do that, when they're rushing from client to client?
- witsd
- Grand Shidoshi
- Posts: 1086
- Joined: Tue Nov 18, 2014 4:37 pm
- 9
- Occupation: Fire safety officer
- Location: Glasgow
- Has thanked: 90 times
- Been thanked: 264 times
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
I try to encourage a monthly visual check of all areas, which incorporates emergency lighting, FFE and infrequently-used exits.
The main issue I have is getting managers to agree to allow inspections to look into lift motor rooms (just opening the door to look – not even crossing the threshold), but apparently there are some kind of 'health and safety' issues with that.
Just as a point of interest, I have been aware of some residential buildings that have been fitted with a fire alarm system for mysterious reasons to carry out monthly MCP tests. Whilst I understand their reasoning to a point, it really means that the system should never have been installed in the first place...
The main issue I have is getting managers to agree to allow inspections to look into lift motor rooms (just opening the door to look – not even crossing the threshold), but apparently there are some kind of 'health and safety' issues with that.
Just as a point of interest, I have been aware of some residential buildings that have been fitted with a fire alarm system for mysterious reasons to carry out monthly MCP tests. Whilst I understand their reasoning to a point, it really means that the system should never have been installed in the first place...
We often think that when we have completed our study of one we know all about two, because 'two' is 'one and one.' We forget that we still have to make a study of 'and.'
- hammer1
- Grand Shidoshi
- Posts: 2617
- Joined: Sun Oct 15, 2006 4:59 pm
- 17
- Industry Sector: Commercial, residential, construction
- Occupation: Health, Safety and Fire consultant
- Location: Sunny South London
- Been thanked: 46 times
- Contact:
Re: Inspection and testing schedule
In regards to above agree, FIA document states, through justification Grade A systems that are installed can have no MCPs installed - this however needs to be justified and agreed with fire authority.witsd wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2019 9:36 am I try to encourage a monthly visual check of all areas, which incorporates emergency lighting, FFE and infrequently-used exits.
The main issue I have is getting managers to agree to allow inspections to look into lift motor rooms (just opening the door to look – not even crossing the threshold), but apparently there are some kind of 'health and safety' issues with that.
Just as a point of interest, I have been aware of some residential buildings that have been fitted with a fire alarm system for mysterious reasons to carry out monthly MCP tests. Whilst I understand their reasoning to a point, it really means that the system should never have been installed in the first place...
I have had plenty discussions on MCPs in resi many, many times (and loads on here ) especially conversions where there maybe x 1 MCP in place that potentially gets tested x 4 times a month. As with most things, so long you can justify any deviation and discuss with fire authority/ ensure details are captured in FRA - you should be ok, unless you come up against a code hugging, power hungry fire enforcing officer
The song goes...{I'm gonna walk down to electric avenue and I'm gonna say ' have you got PAT testing records for all that mate'}