FIRE | INTRUDER | CCTV | ACCESS
FIRE ALARM CATEGORIES
One of the first stages in fire alarm design is the selection of the appropriate category, this is normally determined by a Fire Risk Assessment, and this category then forms part of the specification, allowing the design of the fire alarm to the correct category.
Fire alarm systems are broken down into 3 main categories
Category M – (Manual Only Systems)
Category P – (Systems designed to protect property)
Category L – (Systems designed to protect life)
These categories are then further sub divided into systems offering varying degrees of protection depending on the objective of the fire alarm system.
CATEGORY M – MANUAL ONLY
A Manual only fire alarm system has no automatic detection installed and relies on a user pressing a manual call point to activate the fire alarm system.
There are still requirements for the siting of manual call points such as:
- Manual Call points should be sited at all final exits
- The maximum travel distance to a manual call point should not be greater than 45M (or 25M in areas of higher fire hazards or where wheelchair users would be expected to operate a Manual Call Point.
- A Hinged Transparent Cover should be fitted to all Manual Call Points.
- Manual Call Points Should be sited at 1400mm above floor level (+/- 300mm which then allows compliance with Part M of the building regulations for accessibility and use, whereby it would be mounted at 1200mm)
The requirements for manual call points should also be followed where they are installed as part of another category, Manual Call Points will be installed as part of Category L systems.
LIFE CATEGORY SYSTEMS
CATEGORY L1
Requires the installation of automatic fire detection (AFD) throughout all areas of the premises.
Including ceiling voids above 800mm or where fire and smoke could spread through the void into different areas of the building.
CATEGORY L2
Requires the installation of automatic fire detection (AFD) as per the requirements of a Category L3 system, with the addition of and defined risk areas or areas with increased hazard.
This could be a boiler room, a kitchen, area containing additional plant or machinery, essentially, any area not covered by a Category L3 system in which a fire is more likely to start, or where a fire could affect the escape route from the building.
CATEGORY L3
Requires the installation of automatic fire detection (AFD) throughout all escape routes as per the requirements of a Category L4 system, with the addition of including Automatic Fire Detection within rooms opening onto an escape route, this could also include voids and risers.
CATEGORY L4
Requires the installation of automatic fire detection (AFD) throughout all Escape Routes and circulation spaces, such as stairwells and corridors.
CATEGORY L5
A system designed for the protection of life, which is installed to fulfil a specific purpose other than those in categories L1 to L4 as such they may be specified to be installed only within a defined area.
This could be as part of a specific fire engineering strategy, or for a specific fire risk objective, or a specific risk, for example, a system may be installed within a building with a key objective of giving the earliest warning of a cladding fire, this system would not necessarily fulfil the requirements of any other life safety category but does meet the specific objective.
PROPERTY CATEGORY SYSTEMS
Category P systems are installed with the purpose of protecting property, their objective is to give the earliest warning of fire within a premises to minimise the time taken between the start of a fire and the attendance of fire and rescue services to minimise the damage and loss to property (including assets)
CATEGORY P1
A category P1 system is installed throughout all areas of a building, much like an L1 category.
CATEGORY P2
A Category P2 system is installed only within defined areas of a building, this could be as small as a single room of a building (e.g. server room or plant room) or could extend throughout the most areas of the building.
Manual Call Points are not necessarily required in a category P system, however these may be beneficial in a number of applications anyway as human intervention may be an enhancement in a number of environments.
It should be noted that category P systems are often specified by commercial property insurers, however a category L system may also be required by liability insurers or risk assessments, so your final design should consider each of these requirements.
Why not contact us today for help with your next Fire Alarm Project
Liberty Systems provides Fire Alarm & Fire Safety System installation nationally from our Leicester base, in all commercial properties and residential developments.
So whether you need a fire alarm installation in Leicester or anywhere else in the UK our team are on hand to help you to improve fire safety.
Our team work to the latest regulations whilst installing the latest technology to help you to reduce the risk of fire within your premises.
Every system we install or maintain comes with comprehensive system paperwork and handover packs, as well as fire alarm user training.
Our systems are only ever handed over after thorough system testing and all come with the complete Liberty Guarantee.