It is important to ensure that automatic fire alarm systems that are installed within school are tested on a regular basis to ensure that they will operate correctly in the event of a fire. Prior to testing any fire alarm, ensure it is on test mode. This is at 8:00am to 8:15am on Fridays.
Daily checks should be undertaken by a responsible person to ensure that:
- The panel is indicating normal operation and is not displaying a fault condition. If a fault is identified, then it should be recorded on this form and the service engineer notified.
- The fault recorded the previous day has been recified.
Weekly checks should be undertaken by a responsible person to ensure that:
- Operate a different manual call point during normal working hours to test the system is working correctly and can be heard throughout the school.
- The test should be carried out at approximately the same time each week to avoid any confusion.
Annually – Checks should be undertaken by a responsible person to ensure that:
- All call points should be tested by using the test key or by operating as for a fire.
- Visually check all automatic smoke/heat detectors for damage, paint, or otherwise adversely affected. Test each detector to ensure that they are functioning correctly and are connected to the system.
- Test all smoke detectors to ensure smoke can enter the detector chamber and activate the alarm.
