Category: Uncategorized

What hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments need for fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors and security, from the engineers who look after a hotel group in Harrogate and York. The short answer Hotels are sleeping-risk premises, so they need more from a fire alarm than most businesses. In practice that means automatic detection in…

What Leeds City Council expects for fire alarms, fire doors and emergency lighting in licensed HMOs and student lets. The short answer In Leeds, an HMO with five or more people from two or more households needs a mandatory licence from Leeds City Council. Licensed HMOs need an interlinked, mains-powered fire alarm suited to the…

How to enjoy Bonfire Night safely at home, plus advice for businesses and landlords in Bradford, Leeds and across Yorkshire. The one thing to do before you go out Press the test button on your smoke alarm. It takes five seconds. If it doesn’t sound, change the battery or replace the alarm before you leave…

Costs, reliability, disruption and compliance compared, with advice on when a wireless or hybrid system makes more sense. The short answer Wired fire alarms cost less per device and suit new builds and major refurbishments. Wireless fire alarms cost more per device but are much quicker and less disruptive to fit, so they suit occupied…

What fire alarm system an HMO needs, Grade A vs Grade D, testing rules and the certificates councils ask for. The short answer Most HMOs need an interlinked, mains-powered fire alarm system designed to BS 5839-6. The size of the property decides how much it needs. Smaller shared houses can usually use a Grade D…

Monthly and annual emergency lighting tests explained: what to check, who can do it, how long it takes and what to record. The short answer Emergency lighting should have a short function test every month and a full rated-duration test, usually three hours, once a year. Every test should be recorded in a logbook. This…

A plain-English guide to BS 5839-1 fire alarm categories, what each one covers and which one your building is likely to need. What a fire alarm category means BS 5839-1 sorts fire alarm systems in non-domestic buildings into categories. The category says what the system is designed to protect and where automatic detection goes. It…

What intruder alarm grades mean, how Grade 2 and Grade 3 differ, and how to choose the right one for your home, business or insurer. The short answer Grade 2 suits most homes and lower-risk businesses. Grade 3 is for commercial premises and higher-value homes where a burglar is likely to know how alarms work…

A clear guide to fire alarm testing and servicing for business owners, landlords and managers in Bradford, Leeds and West Yorkshire. The short answer A fire alarm in a business, school, care home, block of flats or any other non-domestic building should be serviced by a competent person at least every six months under BS…