Our fire safety services are integral to ensuring the safety of your premises and the people within them. With a strong emphasis on prevention, rapid detection, and swift response, Newmax provides a full suite of solutions tailored to meet your specific needs. Our professional team specializes in designing, installing, and maintaining state-of-the-art fire alarm systems that comply with the highest safety standards. We focus on not only meeting regulatory requirements but also providing the reassurance that your property is well-protected against fire hazards. Count on Newmax to deliver innovative fire safety services that keep you safe and secure at all times.
Newmax fire and security services are synonymous with reliability and excellence in safeguarding lives and property. By prioritizing prevention, detection, and immediate response, we offer holistic solutions that fortify your environment against fire risks. Our seasoned experts are proficient in crafting, implementing, and upkeeping fire alarm systems that meet stringent safety criteria. We emphasize strict adherence to safety regulations while also fostering peace of mind by ensuring comprehensive protection against fire-related disasters. Rely on Newmax to provide advanced fire safety services that guarantee your protection around the clock.
Fire alarm system for my premises?
National building regulations require fire detection and fire alarm systems to be installed in many buildings at the time of construction. In addition, legislation requires that, where necessary to safeguard relevant persons in case of fire, existing premises are equipped with “appropriate fire detection and fire alarm systems.” There are various types of non-domestic premises including, inter alia, common places of work (e.g. shops, offices, factories and warehouses), hotels, schools, hospitals, places of assembly (e.g. cinemas, theatres and churches), residential care homes, shopping centres, etc. For any premises, and as a general rule, best practice in fire safety should always begin with a fire risk assessment, which has the additional benefit of determining whether a fire detection / fire alarm system is required and, if so, what type of system should be installed.
Category of Systems
BS 5839-1:2017, the code of practice for designing, installing, commissioning, and maintaining fire detection and alarm systems in non-domestic buildings, contains recommendations for the locations of fire alarm system components based on the objective the system should fulfil – known as Categories. These Categories are L and M for systems designed to protect life and Category P for those intended to protect property. It is perfectly acceptable, and very common, for a fire alarm system installed in a building to incorporate a mixture of Categories.
Category M
Providing the least responsive level of protection, Category M simply requires manual call points (MCPs) installed throughout a site. This Category is not often used for entire premises, though is well suited to specific situations such as workshops or factories where the occupants are likely to notice a fire quickly or automatic detection would not be reliable. Category M is usually used for specialist areas of a building in addition to other Categories. All Category M installations need to have alarm devices – sounders, beacons, bells, voice alarms, etc – throughout the site.
Category L
Category L systems are designed to protect life and thus focus on escape routes and areas of the building with a high fire risk. They can be thought of as cumulative, with each increasing the level of protection provided by the previous Category. All Category L installations should have alarm devices – sounders, beacons, bells, voice alarms, etc – throughout the building regardless of their requirements for detection devices.
New in the 2017 revision, multi-sensor detectors, providing they conform to BS EN 54-7, are no longer deemed a variation when used in escape routes (p 19-20, 51-55).
Category P - Property Protection
Although defined as a system designed to protect property, most Category P systems will provide some protection of life cover and will be used in addition to Category L requirements for certain reasons. Category P systems are usually added in response to assessments made by insurance companies.