The absolute minimum recommended by fire safety professionals is to test you smoke detectors, fire alarms and evacuation procedures at least once a year. If you’re choosing this model, you should plan a complete surprise drill for your business. An announcement should be made that it is a test, but employees should react as though the situation was real. This gives everyone a chance to follow procedures, and allows you to assess blockage points and potential dangers, such as a jammed fire door or a crowd gathering on a narrow stairway.
Smoke detector systems in commercial and industrial buildings (including apartment buildings and care homes) are typically much more complex than in single family homes. As a result, they should be joined together in a single system which can be constantly monitored from a central point. Many businesses choose to outsource the monitoring, either to a private company or by having a system that contacts the local fire service directly. These systems, particularly those that rely on a phone call alert to the fire service, should be thoroughly checked on a regular basis. Tests will need to be scheduled with the fire service or monitoring company to ensure the false alarm isn’t treated as a real one.
Many businesses test their alarm systems once a week as a matter of routine. The schedule is usually so precise that you can set your watch by it, and we have heard of staff timing meetings and leaving parties to start right after the fire alarm test, knowing it will act as a wake up call. This highlights both a major advantage of this system, which is that all employees will quickly become familiar with the sound, and a disadvantage, which is that they will become too familiar with it and may not react quickly to the siren blaring at other times.
The layout and decoration of an open plan office significantly contributes to the atmosphere and mood, directly influencing productivity and staff morale. Creating an effective office space can be tricky. Fortunately, at Inovolt we have the experience and expertise to provide a
Businesses, landlords and any other public service using electrical items must have these tested on a regular basis. While many people have heard of PAT (portable appliance testing) and seen the ‘pass’ stickers on workplace tools like PCs and printers, they may not realise that all electrical systems have to meet strict standards. This applies to hidden utility systems, such as fuse boxes and switches as well as more obvious fixtures and fittings like lighting, HVAC systems and power outlets.
Many office and building managers don’t realise that all electrical systems should be regularly tested. In many cases, this will be done by the landlord or property owner, however if your company draws a significant amount of power through the system you should probably be involved in the testing and/or engage your own power analysis specialist. This is because the landlord’s checks may not take into account the peak demands of your business. Testing will typically be carried out at weekends or other quiet periods and they may not have all the details you do.
Electrical safety testing itself can be risky if performed by un- or under-qualified individuals. At Inovolt, our experienced electrical engineers are accustomed to fully assessing the safety requirements of a situation before beginning testing. As a result, we’re able to offer both shut-off testing, where all power has been switched off, and live working, where some or all of the systems retain power. Naturally, as electrical accidents can be lethal we will only consider live working where it is safe to do so.
Scheduling maintenance and electrical safety testing weeks or months ahead gives everyone involved time to prepare and ensure that disruption is minimal. At Inovolt, our goal is to keep your business running as smoothly as possible, which is why we offer routine maintenance, upgrades and repairs as part of our live running packages. Live working requires additional preparation so if you want to keep your business safe without switching off, get in touch today.
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