Hushing Interlinked Smoke Alarms

Tuesday 3rd January 2017

Interlinked smoke alarms are becoming more and more popular as they quickly alert you to the event of a fire across larger houses, where there is a risk that you might not hear an alarm going off in the kitchen when you are, for example, in a bedroom upstairs.

Whether connected to each other with wire or wirelessly interlinked through radio frequency, interlinked smoke alarms allow you to connect multiple units – including different types of detectors – which will all sound at the same time when a single alarm detects a potential fire. The heat alarm in the kitchen, the ionisation alarm in your home office, and the specialist strobe and vibration alarm in your elderly parents’ bedroom, for example, will all go off at the same time, if just one alarm is triggered by fire.

Most of us are familiar with the test button on smoke alarms which allows residents to test their alarms regularly, to ensure the components are working and the power supply, whether battery or mains power, is working. On top of this, however, many alarms have a “hush” button which allows you to silence an alarm that has gone off, for example, due to burnt toast.

So how do hush buttons work when you have several interlinked alarms?

It’s easy to assume that, as they are all connected, hushing one alarm will silence all of them, but it is equally logical that only the unit on which you pressed the hush button should be silenced – after all, you don’t want people to assume it was a false alarm if there really is a fire raging downstairs.

Interestingly, not all interconnecting smoke alarms hush in the same way. Here is an overview explaining the different approaches employed by the three main smoke alarm manufacturers in the UK.

For Kidde smoke alarms, the originating alarm (the unit which detected a potential fire and triggered all of your units) will have its warning light flash faster than all other units while the alarm is sounding – enabling you to identify the smoke alarm that caused the alarm. Pressing the hush button on ANY unit will silence the ENTIRE network.

If you have interlinking Ei Electronics smoke alarms, only the originating unit’s hush button will be able to silence the ENTIRE network. The other units in the circuit can be individually silenced. To identify the originating unit you need to look for the alarm whose warning light is flashing every second, compared to every 40 or so seconds on the other units.

FireAngel smoke alarms, however, deploy an improved silencing protocol. If you hush the originating smoke alarm then, as with the other brands, ALL connected units will be silenced. However, if you hush any other unit, the ORIGINATING alarm will continue to sound but ALL OTHER units will be silenced. This allows you to quickly identify the originating alarm which is very helpful both in case of a false alarm or a real emergency.

If you require support selecting the best smoke alarm system for yourself, please contact the friendly Safelincs support team either by emailing support@safelincs.co.uk or by ringing 0800 612 6537

Evacuation Chair Training Requirements

Monday 10th August 2015

As with any other item of fire safety equipment, there is a requirement to deliver training. If an organisation determines that an evacuation chair is required sufficient training should be provided. Evacuation chair training ensures that nominated staff members can act quickly and confidently when called to do so. Evacuation chair training is therefore required to fulfil what HSE identify as organisations’ ‘duty to provide a means of escape for disabled people’.

Evacuation chair training in a a classroom — Training can be delivered to groups of up to 4 delegates

Is evacuation chair training a legal requirement?

Yes, where evacuation chairs are installed, staff must legally be trained to use the equipment. This is required by the Equality Act 2010, which recognises the difficulties that some individuals may face during an evacuation. Under this act, organisations are responsible for providing means for safe evacuation of every building occupant. This includes both installing evacuation chairs where required, and training enough staff to use them. According to the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) 1998, equipment provided for use at work can be ‘used only by people who have received adequate information, instruction and training.’ This is essential for evacuation chairs, which are considered to be medical equipment. Misuse in a stressful evacuation situation puts the operator, the chair user, and those around them at risk of injury.

Why is evacuation chair training required?

There are legislative requirements for evacuation chair training. The qualification ensures the safety and confidence of both the chair user and the operator. If not used correctly, lives could be put at risk. Training is therefore essential to ensure the competence of the chair operator, who has undertaken a significant personal responsibility to evacuate a friend, colleague, or visitor to safety in an emergency.

Evacuating a pregnant lady in an evacuation chair — Individuals may need support to evacuate for a variety of reasons

Who should receive training?

Due to the significant responsibility placed on individuals who receive training, it is important to ensure that they meet the following criteria:

They are a willing volunteer – no one should be forced to take on this responsibility.
They are responsible – staff members selected should be sensible, reliable, and understand the importance of their role.
They work in the vicinity of the person identified as needing support. It must be practical and possible for the trained member of staff to get to both the chair and the chair user in an emergency (e.g., they should work on the same floor).
They are physically able. Nominees trained to use the chair don’t need to be incredibly strong, but mobility and stamina might be required.
There should be enough individuals trained to cover shift patterns and absence from work.

How often should training be refreshed?

Once an individual has successfully completed an evacuation chair training course, they can operate that model of chair for up to 3 years. After this time, refresher training is legally required. There are several other reasons that evacuation chair training might need to be carried out again. If a member of staff who is trained to use the chair leaves, is promoted, or otherwise becomes unable to operate it, a replacement member of staff must be trained. Similarly, if a new FRA, PEEP, or fire drill identifies an individual who would not be able to evacuate, and an additional chair is installed, another member of staff must receive evacuation chair training.

evacuation chair training on a staircase — Training provides delegates with the necessary skills and confidence to support safe evacuation

How many people should receive training on your evacuation chairs?

At a minimum, there must be one evacuation chair installed for every person who would need support to evacuate. For every chair installed, at least one member of staff must be trained and confident to operate it. However, to ensure the safety of all building users when trained staff are unavailable (on annual leave, off sick, or moved to a different office), it is sensible to train additional members of staff where possible. Enrolling a member of staff in a ‘Train the Trainer’ course can be a cost-effective way for training to be dispersed throughout your organisation.

Fulfilling your organisation’s evacuation chair training requirements

For more information about the importance of training and maintenance for evacuation chairs visit our help guide. Book an evacuation chair training course with Safelincs to equip your employees with comprehensive theoretical and practical training from a fully qualified and experienced trainer. These on-site evacuation chair trainings courses are available nationwide, and suitable for up to 6 participants per course.

A buying guide for security safes and fireproof safes

Friday 7th November 2014

Fireproof Safe There is a huge choice of safes in the market and it is difficult and sometimes confusing to make a buying decision without some guidance. We have therefore compiled a short buying guide to help you, although you can of course ring us for advice if you prefer. We are always happy to help.

You may want to purchase a safe due to either an event that has triggered your need to buy a safe or simply because your insurance policy states that you need to have one for your property or business. Ultimately, you purchase a safe to protect an item from being stolen or damaged in the event of a burglary, fire and increasingly flooding.

Most safes will show an insurance rating designed to indicate the level of security that the safe will provide. The higher the insurance rating normally means the more secure the safe is, however you should always check with your insurance underwriter that they will actually cover you for the value you need. Just like all insurance the value may vary depending on you individual circumstances.

You may initially only need a safe to protect cash and valuables, however, many people eventually keep the following items in their safe, so it is important to chose a safe that is big enough!

Certificates
Deeds
Contracts
Passports
Photo’s – digital or paper
Videos – digital
Licenses
All items/documentation that will help you start again after a fire
Backup drives for computers and servers
HR files

When purchasing a safe consider what would happen if you lost the key or forgot the code to gain entry. Not all brands offer a key replacement or code retrieval service, which you may need very quickly to gain access to your safe. Safelincs’ suppliers provide a key replacement and code retrieval service to ensure that you can access your safe again quickly (special exceptions apply). You will need to keep some evidence, such as an invoice, about your purchase in a safe place, however this should not be in the safe itself, so that when the need arises you can quickly request a new key or a new access code.

Fireproof Safes

There is a myth that all safes will offer a level of protection against fire, however, because steel is a good conductor of heat, ordinary safes become an oven if exposed to fire and will incinerate its contents unless the safe has a fire resistant barrier in the body and door.

Fireproof safes, also called fire safes, are designed to protect the contents from fire while still providing some level of protection from theft. It’s important that all safes claiming to offer a level of protection from fire have this independently certified from a 3rd party test agency. This is important because you want to be able to trust the safe you have purchased to perform exactly in accordance with the manufacturer’s claims.

Most fire tests will offer 3 levels of fire resistant in terms of time:

Good = 30 mins
Better = 60 mins
Best = 120 mins

The temperatures vary slightly between tests but are mostly:

843°c
927°c
1010°c

The UL (USA) Class 350 test also includes a drop test after burning to ensure the door of the safe doesn’t open if dropped from a height (simulating a floor in a burning building collapsing). The 2 drop tests are:

15ft (4.5m)
30ft (9.1m)

Some fire safes in the market also protect its contents from water. There are two grades of water protection. Protection against immersion (flooding) and protection against spray (from a fire fighter’s hose).

We offer a range of specialist fireproof safes for the permanent storage and protection of hard drives. These hard drives stay inside of a fireproof safe and are powered and linked to via a USB connection that passes through the wall of the safe. This allows you to automatically create computer backups to external hard drives which are stored in a fireproof safe without ever having to move or unplug hard drives for backup purposes.

All safes purchased from Safelincs come with free delivery to your door. An indoor delivery can be quoted by us.

Safelincs offers a free replacement after a fire should your safe be affected by a fire.

Keeping a fire door open legally… and safely

Thursday 6th November 2014

Dorgard Fire Door Retainers Fire safety company Safelincs operates a website called firescout that invites visitors to submit photographs of any potentially dangerous situations they have spotted. All entries are anonymous, the idea being to educate rather than ‘name and shame’. Safelincs then offers advice as to whether the situation could incur a fine and how much, if anything, it would cost to remedy the situation.
A common misdemeanour is to prop open a fire door, sometimes with a fire extinguisher – a double transgression!

Fire doors are an essential part of the fabric of a building and have two important functions in the event of a fire; when closed they form a barrier to stop the spread of fire or smoke and when opened they provide a means of escape. They are designed to be kept closed except when people are passing through them. In some businesses, and in places such as care homes or schools, closed fire doors can act as a hindrance to general mobility and moving around to perform essential tasks. However, there is a way in which the situation can be overcome without compromising safety or breaking the law.

Safelincs provide a number of products manufactured by specialist manufacturer Fireco which allow fire doors to be kept open legally and safely. Each of these products works by responding to the sound (anything above 65 decibels) of a fire alarm; the mechanism holding the door open is released and the door closer on the fire door closes it to prevent the spread of fire and smoke spreading around the building.

Dorgard, the first innovative product from Fireco, is a wireless appliance that can be screwed to the base of a door in less than five minutes. The standalone device will then hold the door open at any angle allowing freedom of access throughout the building. Utilising acoustic technology, Dorgard ‘listens’ for a continuous alarm of 65dBA or higher which, once heard, will automatically release the door. Dorgard is available in a variety of colours and finishes which will blend in with any décor.

Fireco also produces the Dorgard Pro System which extends the versatility of Dorgard by linking several different devices and overcomes the issue of noisy workplaces. A transmitter is wirelessly installed next to a fire alarm sounder or hardwired into the fire alarm system. In the event of a fire, Dorgard Pro will wirelessly transmit simultaneously to multiple Dorgard Pro units within a 100 metre range. Safelincs will visit an organisation’s premises and undertake a free survey and make recommendations for siting an effective system.

Another product from Fireco is Freedor, a unique wire free solution that allows a door to free-swing just like a normal door and to be held open at any angle – automatically closing the door in a controlled manner when a fire alarm sounds. It utilises the same technology that is employed in Dorgard but is fixed unobtrusively to the top of the door. Using Freedor allows freedom of access throughout the building for disabled people and people less able to operate the doors, and assists businesses complying with the Equality Act 2010.

All these products have applications in a wide variety of environments and allow easy movement through a building without compromising safety or contravening fire safety regulations.

To find out more about the Fireco range go to www.safelincs.co.uk and follow the link to Fire Door and Exit Equipment or call 0800 433 4289 where there are friendly experts on hand to offer advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is it acceptable to hold a fire door open?

Fire doors should generally remain closed to perform their essential fire safety function. However, it becomes acceptable to hold a fire door open when you use approved fire door holding devices like the Dorgard or Freedor systems. These specialised devices automatically release the door when a fire alarm sounds, allowing the door to close and perform its fire containment function. Without such devices, manually holding or propping open fire doors is not acceptable and may violate fire safety regulations.

What is the purpose of a fire door holder?

The purpose of a fire door holder is to safely keep fire doors open during normal use while ensuring they close automatically during emergencies. Fire door holders like those manufactured by Fireco allow freedom of movement throughout buildings, which is especially beneficial in environments like care homes, schools and businesses where closed doors can hinder mobility and ventilation. These holders respond to fire alarms by immediately releasing the door, allowing the door’s closer mechanism to shut it and prevent the spread of fire and smoke.

Should fire doors be left open?

No, fire doors should not be left open without proper safety mechanisms in place. Fire doors are designed to form barriers that prevent the spread of fire and smoke when closed, and they should only be open temporarily when people pass through them. If operational needs require doors to remain open, you must use approved devices such as Dorgard or Freedor that automatically close the door when a fire alarm sounds. Manually propping or wedging fire doors open is unsafe and could result in prosecution.

When is it acceptable to open a fire door?

It is acceptable to open a fire door when you need to pass through it or when using approved fire door holding devices. Fire doors are designed to allow passage while normally remaining closed. You can temporarily open fire doors manually when moving through the doorway, but they should be fitted with a fire door closer to shut them immediately after use, unless fitted with proper holding devices. If you need to keep a fire door open for operational reasons, you must use approved acoustic or electromagnetic devices that release automatically during fire alarms.

When can you hold a fire door open?

You can hold a fire door open only when using approved fire door holding devices that automatically release upon hearing a fire alarm. Products like Dorgard can be installed at the base of a door in minutes and hold the door open at any angle, releasing it when detecting an alarm of 65dBA or higher. For noisier environments, systems like Dorgard Pro use wireless transmitters connected to fire alarm systems to ensure reliable door closure. Without such approved devices, holding fire doors open with wedges, extinguishers or other objects is unsafe and against regulations.

When is it acceptable to go through a closed fire door?

It is acceptable to go through a closed fire door whenever you need to move between areas of a building during normal operations. Fire doors are specifically designed to allow passage while maintaining fire safety when closed. You should ensure the door closes properly behind you after passing through unless the door is equipped with an approved holding device. During emergencies, fire doors also serve as crucial escape routes, making it not only acceptable but potentially life-saving to go through closed fire doors when evacuating a building.

What is the fine for wedging fire doors open

The fine for wedging fire doors open can be substantial, as this practice violates fire safety regulations. While the specific fine amount varies based on severity and jurisdiction, business owners and building managers can face significant penalties during fire safety inspections if doors are found improperly propped open. Rather than risking these fines, you should consider installing approved fire door holding devices from Safelincs, such as the Fireco range, which allows doors to be held open legally and safely. These solutions cost significantly less than potential fines and provide peace of mind that you’re compliant with regulations.

Is propping open fire doors allowed?

Propping open fire doors is not allowed unless you’re using approved fire door holding devices. The common misdemeanour of propping doors open with objects like fire extinguishers creates a serious safety hazard and violates fire safety regulations. Fire doors are essential building components designed to contain fire and smoke when closed. If you need to keep fire doors open for operational reasons, you should use authorised products like Dorgard or Freedor that automatically release the door when a fire alarm sounds, ensuring the door can perform its vital safety function during emergencies.

What are the fire door regulations for domestic properties and commercial buildings in the UK?

Fire door regulations for domestic properties and commercial buildings in the UK require that fire doors remain closed except when people are passing through them. In commercial settings, fire doors must have appropriate fire resistance ratings and self-closing mechanisms. You must ensure fire doors are not wedged or propped open unless fitted with approved holding devices that release automatically when fire alarms sound. For domestic properties with internal fire doors, similar principles apply, though requirements may vary depending on the building’s design. Both settings require regular inspection and maintenance of fire doors to ensure they function correctly during emergencies.

What type of fire spread can occur if fire doors are propped or wedged open?

If fire doors are propped or wedged open, backdraft conditions can develop, creating an extremely dangerous type of fire spread. When fire doors remain open, oxygen flows freely to the fire, and hot gases and smoke can rapidly spread throughout a building. This situation can lead to backdraft – a phenomenon where a fire smouldering in an oxygen-depleted area suddenly receives a rush of oxygen, causing an explosive ignition. You significantly increase the risk of backdraft and other rapid fire spread scenarios when compromising fire doors by keeping them propped open. Proper fire door holders from Safelincs provide a safe alternative that maintains safety while allowing convenient access.

Fire at National Archives highlights need for document protection

Thursday 6th March 2014

Sentry-SFW123CSB-fire-and-waterproof-safe-1 A recent fire at the National Archives in Kew, home to some of the UK’s most important historical documents, was tackled by 20 firefighters. The blaze was caused by two disused water towers at the site in Richmond, South-West London.

The National Archives is the official UK government archive and publisher and holds 11 million historical documents of national importance, some dating back more than 1,000 years. Among its collection are the Domesday Book, parchments, electronic records, photographs, posters, maps and paintings.

Fortunately everyone was evacuated from the building safely and no documents were damaged although the building was closed to the public for a short period for recovery.

This type of incident focuses people’s attention on the importance of preserving key documents and items of irreplaceable value, not just for large national institutions but also for businesses and individuals. For this reason more and more people are looking at ways to preserve such items in the event of a fire.

Safelincs has a range of solutions ranging that start with fireproof document boxes for under £30 and go right up to high capacity fire safes for storing computer media and files.

And, in the light of recent floods we are increasingly being asked for safes that will provide water protection as well. We have a range of fire and waterproof safes for paper documents and digital media that start at under £200. These fireproof safes with water protection have UL certification and have passed submersion testing to ensure their suitability.

Free fire extinguishers for customer

Wednesday 30th October 2013

free-replacements Safelincs supplies Handelsbanken, a leading Swedish Bank with over 700 branches in 24 countries, 147 branches of which are in the UK, with fire safety products such as fire extinguishers. Purchasing fire extinguishers from Safelincs gives Handelsbanken full protection. Should the extinguishers ever be used, Safelincs will immediately replace the extinguishers. So, when on the 21st of October a CO2 fire extinguisher was used by the fire brigade in one of the Handelsbanken branches, Safelincs immediately replaced the extinguisher, free of charge.

We want our customers to use their fire fighting equipment without ever having to worry about the aftermath. This applies not only to extinguishers – all fire safety equipment bought from us used on or affected by fire is covered by our free replacement guarantee.

Extinguisher run over by van – still pressurised!

Thursday 17th October 2013

We were always convinced that our P50 service free extinguishers made from a Kevlar-type aramid were almost in-destructable. Nevertheless, when one of our engineers was visiting one of our customers, a refinery on the east coast, he was surprised when he was handed a fire extinguisher that had been run over by a van and that it was still fully pressurised!

crushed-p50-1 crushed-p50-2 crushed-p50-3

This is not that surprising when you know that 1 in 500 of these extinguishers are tested by pressurising them 12,000 times from zero bar to 25 bar. And after they have undergone this harsh test, they are crushed flat by a steel blade before being re-inflated without being allowed to leak at 55 bar!

The P50 service free extinguisher is suitable for the harshest of environments, including outdoors.

Locking Bedrooms for People with Behavioural Problems

Monday 14th October 2013

Safelincs has worked in conjunction with a local authority and the fire service to solve an issue that arose with a child suffering from severe emotional and behavioural problems.

The child resides with a foster family and everything in his bedroom has to be padded with any sharp objects removed to prevent him from harming himself. The same degree of prevention could not be carried out in the rest of the house which meant that the child needed to be confined to his bedroom at night.

The concern with locking a child or a person with behavioural problems in their bedroom is that if a fire should break out, the person would be trapped and unable to escape.

The solution was to fit a magnetic lock outside the child’s door. The strong electromagnet keeps the door closed, but if a smoke alarm anywhere in the house is triggered the electricity fails and the magnet loses power; releasing the door which can then be opened. There is a switch next to the bedroom door for opening of the door, as well as an override in the kitchen, so that the lock can be released manually at any point in time and from different parts of the building.

The bespoke solution was put together by Safelincs utilising existing products. The foster parents are now able to sleep in the knowledge that the child cannot come to harm in his own room.

“We worked closely with the fire service and the Children’s Services at the local authority,” explained Stuart Baxter. “Our solution could easily be replicated for people in similar circumstances.”

P50 Popular at FM Show at NEC

Thursday 30th May 2013

The P50 service free extinguisher turned more than a few heads on the Safelincs stand at the recent Facilities Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

Facilities managers who attend the annual event are always looking for innovative ways to cut costs and provide better service for their clients. They didn’t take much persuading to see the benefits and potential savings offered by the P50.

Traditional extinguishers require servicing each year but P50s are constructed using a composite material that will not rust or corrode. This protects the contents and no discharge testing or refills are required for ten years. The expensive annual service by an external engineer is no longer necessary– just a straightforward yearly test that can easily be carried out by an organisation’s in-house staff.

After ten years the P50s can be refilled and used for a further ten years.

Safelincs’ managing director, Harry Dewick-Eisele was at the show and had the opportunity to speak to many facilities managers. “Those with responsibility for large estates could see savings running into thousands of pounds,” he said. “A good number were going back to their offices to weigh up how quickly they could replace their existing appliances and start cutting costs.”

What To Do If Your Clothing Catches Fire

Friday 8th February 2013

According to statistics published by the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service in 2012, around 80 people die each year in in the UK after their clothing catches fire.

If your own clothing catches fire you should take the following course of action:

STAY where you are—moving or running feeds air to the flames and worsens the fire.
DROP to the floor—if you stand up, the fire can burn your face. Fold your arms high on your chest to protect your face.
ROLL slowly on the floor or ground, in a rug or blanket if you can.
COOL off as soon as possible with water for first and second degree burns. *

If you are in the position of helping somebody else whose clothing has caught fire you should apply the steps above. In addition there is one type of fire extinguisher that can be recommended for such a situation. See the video.

The Jewel E-Series Water Mist Fire Extinguisher is a new type of extinguisher, which works by dispersing microscopic ‘dry’ water mist particles to suppress fires and extinguish burning materials, The speed at which it takes effect, combined with the rapid cooling it induces, make it the perfect extinguisher to have to hand should a fire of this nature break out.

Jewel E-Series Water Mist Fire Extinguishers are the first broad-spectrum fire extinguishers. They can be used on almost every common fire including deep fat fryer fires. They are perfect for kitchens, as they contain no harmful substances and leave no residues. The extinguisher’s supersonic nozzle disperses microscopic ‘dry’ water mist particles to suppress fires and extinguish burning materials. The 35kV dielectrical test ensures that the extinguishers can be safely used near electrical equipment.

*In a serious fire room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. This heat can melt clothes to a victim’s skin. Never peel the clothing off – leave the treatment to medical professionals.