Fire Safety Isn’t a One-Off Job: Why Regular Alarm Servicing Protects Your Business

Essex Fire and Security explains what business owners and building managers in Essex and London need to know about keeping fire detection compliant, reliable and ready

For many businesses, a fire alarm system is installed, signed off and then forgotten until something goes wrong. Fire safety specialists Essex Fire and Security are urging business owners, landlords and facilities managers to treat fire protection as an ongoing responsibility, not a one-off purchase.

Your legal duty doesn’t end at installation

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the “responsible person” for a non-domestic premises must carry out and regularly review a fire risk assessment and make sure fire safety measures are properly maintained. That responsibility sits with the business owner, employer, landlord or managing agent, and it can’t be handed off simply by hiring a contractor once.

What good maintenance looks like

• Fire alarm servicing: BS 5839-1, the British Standard for fire detection and alarm systems, recommends periodic inspection and servicing by a competent engineer, typically at intervals of no more than six months.
• Weekly testing: A different manual call point should be tested each week, with the results recorded in the fire logbook.
• Emergency lighting: Under BS 5266-1, emergency lighting should be checked monthly and given a full-duration test annually.
• Fire risk assessment reviews: These should be revisited regularly and whenever something changes, such as a new layout, a fit-out, a change of use or increased occupancy.

Why it matters

A neglected system can fail when it’s needed most, or cause repeated false alarms that disrupt staff, tenants and productivity. Poor records or missed servicing can also complicate insurance claims and leave a business exposed to enforcement action from the fire and rescue service.

“A fire alarm is only as good as its last service, at Essex Fire and Security. “We often meet businesses who assume that because a system was installed properly, it will keep working indefinitely. Regular testing, servicing and record-keeping is what gives you confidence that it will do its job, and that you can show you’ve met your obligations.”

Support across Essex and London

Essex Fire and Security provides fire alarm design, installation, servicing and maintenance for commercial premises across Essex and London, including offices, clinics, retail units and multi-tenant buildings. The team works with clients to specify systems suited to the building and its use, and to keep them compliant over the long term.

Is your fire alarm due a service?

To book a service visit or discuss your fire safety needs, contact Essex Fire and Security