Wondering what the rules and regulations are specifically for fire alarms in commercial buildings in the UK? There’s a lot of information out there and it can be confusing to know what’s what. We’ve put together a useful guide so you have all the information you need on UK fire alarm regulations in commercial buildings.
Legally, you are not required to have a fire alarm on your premises. However, current UK fire alarm regulations state that all business premises must have an ‘appropriate fire detection system’ in place. This means that if there is an event of a fire, there needs to be a system in place that will detect the fire and warn employees and those in and around the building easily.
According to the UK Government website, as an employer, you are known as the ‘Responsible Person’ and are fully responsible for the fire safety of the business. Installing a high-quality fire alarm is, therefore, an easy way to ensure the safety of your employees as well as knowing you are abiding by regulations.
The role of the Responsible Person (RP) has been significantly reinforced by recent legislation. Following the implementation of Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 in October 2023, the duties surrounding fire safety have become stricter, particularly concerning documentation. Previously, only significant findings from a fire risk assessment needed to be recorded in specific circumstances, but now all Responsible Persons must record their fire risk assessment in full and document their fire safety arrangements regardless of the business size. This legal change affects every commercial premise, from small shops to large industrial facilities.
Furthermore, the Responsible Person must now identify themselves and coordinate fire safety management with any other RPs in shared buildings, a crucial element for those operating in office blocks or retail centres. Considering that Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) in England attended 38,375 building fires in the last year, maintaining strict compliance is essential for mitigating both risk and legal liability.
The type of fire alarm you need depends on the type of commercial building. There are three main types which differentiate by their set-up and wiring:
Once decided on your type of fire alarm, its grade and category need establishing.
Grades are represented as letters (A to F, with A being the highest grade and F the lowest). This defines how the fire alarm system should be constructed. Businesses should have a graded system between A-C to comply with UK regulations. You can find a simplified breakdown in our guide to fire alarm categories and grades.
There are two main categories of fire alarm system:
Under each category of system, a number is given ranging 1-5, which stipulates which areas of the building it should cover. For instance, an L1 system offers the highest level of life protection, covering all areas of the building, whereas an L5 system is a custom solution for specific risks, often used in complex environments such as healthcare facilities.
Feeling confused? Don’t worry. Your Fire Risk Assessment will determine and state which category standard your fire alarm system needs to meet for your site. The assessment will also consider the overall fire safety infrastructure, including the placement and maintenance of essential passive fire protection elements like fire stopping and sealing.
For more information on the different fire alarms available and the components of a system, read more here. When considering a system upgrade, it’s also worth comparing the pros and cons of wired vs. wireless fire alarm systems to determine the best fit for your operational needs.
The British Standard BS 5839 states that you should test your fire alarms weekly in the workplace to check that they are working properly. This is a non-negotiable requirement for all commercial properties.
Proper testing is vital in ensuring that your fire alarms are operating correctly. If you don’t check your alarms weekly or properly then you will only be able to identify an issue or fault in the system when it is too late. If you are not testing fire alarms properly, you will be violating the regulations and will have to explain this to any investigating fire officers who visit your premises.
As a business owner, you are responsible for the lives of your employees, so must carry out proper testing. Failure to do so can contribute to the growing problem of false alarms due to apparatus fault, which accounted for 183,115 call-outs for Fire and Rescue Services in the last year, according to Home Office statistics. Not only do false alarms waste vital resources, but fire brigades are increasingly imposing charges for repeat offenders, making proper fire alarm monitoring and testing a financial necessity as well as a legal one.
The UK Fire Alarm Regulations state that your fire alarm system must be ‘adequately maintained’. However, BS 5839 and the UK government recommends that a fire alarm system should be inspected by a ‘competent person’ at least every 6 months.
It is important to ensure proper servicing of your fire alarm system as it can have catastrophic effects if a fire occurs and your system is not working. By servicing your system, you are making sure that it is in good working condition and there are no faults. An annual service is simply not enough to satisfy the legal duty of adequate maintenance.
A fault in the system can lead to loss of life and injury to individuals as well as cause false alarms for you and the fire brigade, leading to call-out costs. To mitigate these risks, many modern businesses, particularly those in large-scale operations like logistics or utilities, are adopting proactive maintenance strategies. Looking beyond scheduled visits, the future of maintenance involves predictive maintenance, which uses data and real-time analytics from smart systems to foresee and address potential faults before they escalate. This method significantly reduces the risk of apparatus-related false alarms, ensuring system reliability when you need it most. It is also important to remember the critical role of emergency lighting, which must also be regularly tested and maintained to ensure safe evacuation.
Make sure to get your fire alarm system installed and serviced by a BAFE (British Approvals of Fire Equipment) accredited company. This ensures that they are working to the latest approved standards of fire protection, so you can have confidence that it is being installed and serviced to the appropriate standards, as supported by the Statutory bodies, the Fire and Rescue Services, Insurers and leading Certification and Trade Bodies.
Choosing an accredited installer is not merely a formality; it is a critical step in building a robust fire safety strategy. The Fire Industry Association (FIA) strongly advocates for the use of third-party certified providers, noting that proper installation and maintenance drastically reduce system faults and improve reliability. The complexity of modern fire detection, which includes advanced technologies like IoT sensors and real-time analytics, means that expertise certified to the BS 5839-1 standard is essential. For businesses handling flammable materials or large-scale waste, such as those in the waste management sector, the system must integrate flawlessly with other safety measures, including fire suppression systems. Only a competent, accredited company can ensure this full scope of compliance and integration, ultimately giving you peace of mind that you are covered legally and operationally. This professional approach is also what insurers look for when considering security system certification and policy coverage.
BusinessWatch is a completely BAFE accredited company. Read more about our accreditations here.
At BusinessWatch, we provide full installation, servicing and monitoring as well as full fire risk assessments.
If you want to know more information or find out how we can help you improve your business’ fire alarm system, then get in touch on 0330 094 7404 or online for a free no-obligation quotation.
