Is fire alarm maintenance really so important ?

YES !

In a lot of cases it is the law. If not carried out correctly and a fire results in someone being injured or worse YOU could be held responsible.

If fire alarms aren't maintained correctly and have faults, both people and property are put in danger. Insurance policies may also be rendered void. Regular testing and maintenance of fire alarms is essential to help increase the lifespan of the system and help to preempt any problems that could occur.

Employers are made responsible for their own fire risk assessment, having to judge what precautions are needed to protect their employees, there are no set guidelines in a Fire Certificate to rely on. For this reason the only measurable and reliable method of ensuring that your fire detections and warning systems are compliant and functioning correctly is to have a regular maintenance and testing schedule of the systems in place.

Regular inspections (weekly, monthly or quarterly) should be carried out to ensure that the alarm sounds and these checks should be logged in your fire alarm maintenance log book.

Periodic inspections and testing by a professional should occur between 6 and 12 months.