Temporary Fire Alarms for Construction Sites – The Future of Fire Safety
According to the Fire Protection Association (FPA), over a ten-year period, on average a fire incident in a commercial building costs the organisation £657,074 which can be a staggering blow to any business. With construction sites being susceptible to both accidental and deliberate fires, the Fire Industry Association (FIA) suggests that educating yourself on how to best protect your construction project from fire incidents is the key to reducing the number of fires each year.
Having a reliable fire detection and notification system in place is one of the first steps to improving fire safety at any construction site. Therefore, today, we’ll look at the temporary fire alarm systems in construction in more detail to better understand why they truly are the future of the industry.
Best Types of Fire Alarms for Construction
To decide whether temporary fire alarm systems are the optimal solution in construction, we first need to explore the various types of fire alarm systems available in construction. To begin with, you will have the choice between wired, mains-powered fire alarm systems and wireless, battery-operated fire alarm systems.
The main drawback of a traditional wired system is that it’s not designed to adapt to the changing nature of a construction site. The layout of any construction project changes over time and as things move, the nature of work in different locations changes, causing the fire risks on-site to change, as well.
Having the flexibility to amend the set-up of your fire safety detection system to suit the developments of your building project is one of the main reasons to go wireless. As temporary fire alarms are wireless, they are easy to install and move around as and when needed.
In fact, temporary fire alarms in construction are reusable, meaning that they can be moved from one building location to another once the project you’re working on is complete. This is one of the top 5 benefits of choosing a temporary alarm in the construction industry.
Temporary Fire Alarms & Fire Safety Regulations In Construction
If you are the Responsible Person for the fire safety at a construction site, it is your legal responsibility to ensure that the fire safety system you put in place, wired or temporary, is compliant with all relevant fire safety standards, regulations and codes of practice.
For guidance on what is required of a fire detection system in a construction site setting, you need to consult with the BS 5839-1:2017 the code of practice for planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in and around non-domestic buildings.
This document applies to temporary constructions:
- In a building undergoing construction work
- Inside a permanent building
- Within 10m of such buildings
Any fire detection device you use within your fire alarm system must be compliant with BS EN54 – the legislation which defines what a fire alarm system should be like in terms of set-up and functionality in order to offer sufficient protection at any construction site project.
If you are looking for more details on the subject, HSG 168 offers further information for Responsible Persons in the construction industry, especially when significant fire risks are involved.
How Temporary Alarm System Work – A Step Into The Future
Every fire alarm system, be it wired or wireless, has the same purpose- to mitigate the risk of fire and ensure that people on site respond quickly to fire emergencies to minimise the risk of property damages, personal injury and loss of life.
If you are using a wired fire alarm system, every time the building site’s layout changes, you will need to find suitable power sources to connect to, limiting your options in terms of the set-up of your system. Where such a source is not readily available, you may need to resort to drilling into walls to install the right cables for your fire detection system to work uninterrupted.
It’s easy to see why this method is fast becoming outdated in the world of construction. Temporary fire alarms, on the other hand, are designed to create a network of interconnected wireless devices installed throughout a large area. Each unit within the system is self-contained and can be moved to suit the fire safety requirements of the project without causing any problems with the integrity of the overall fire detection system.
Having to waste time, money and resources to uninstall and reinstall wired alarms is now a thing of the past. The future of fire safety in construction is a lot simpler with temporary fire alarms being significantly easier and faster to reposition. You won’t require the help of electricians or additional workers to move your wireless alarm either.
Interested in knowing more about fire alarms for commercial sites? Read our article on Commercial Fire Alarm Systems.
Latest Developments in the Temporary Fire Alarms Industry
As the demand for better construction site fire safety equipment grows, innovation in the market also booms, offering new, unmatched fire safety solutions at every step.
The most recent addition to the Evacuator Site Alarms range – Synergy +, for example, is a powerful wireless solution for any large-scale building project. With the ability to coordinate wireless communication between over 250 units, the system has 144.82% stronger coverage capabilities than its predecessors.
The product features an intelligent auto-pairing system between devices and has a 2km radio frequency range, allowing it to constantly calculate the fastest route between units in case of an emergency. Built as a mesh network, this temporary fire alarm system has an in-built failsafe solution that prevents a faulty unit from interfering with the rest of the system.
Equipped with remote, cloud-based monitoring functionality and SMS/email notification capabilities, it’s an innovative fire detection solution that brings the security of the future to your construction site today.
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Get Your Temporary Construction Site Fire Alarm
Evacuator Site Alarms is the UK’s leading manufacturer of temporary fire alarms for construction and we are dedicated to creating the best fire detection solutions for the developing needs of the industry. Our products combine cutting-edge technology with a simplicity that allows for easier use in any building project, regardless of its size.
Get advice on the best options for your temporary fire alarm system by contacting our team today on 0330 135 5337 or at sales@evacuatoralarms.com for immediate assistance.
