Emergency lighting and fire alarm systems, installed and tested to the standard

Emergency lighting and fire detection are the two systems a fire risk assessor, an insurer and the fire service will all ask about first. Rossair designs, installs, tests and services both - emergency lighting to BS 5266-1 and fire alarm systems to BS 5839-1 - with the test records kept in a logbook the responsible person can produce on demand.

Talk to us about life safety systems
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What we deliver

Life safety systems designed, installed, tested and serviced

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 the responsible person for a non-domestic building must make sure emergency routes are lit when the mains fails and that a fire can be detected and the building warned. Rossair delivers both systems. Emergency lighting: self-contained luminaires or central battery systems, escape route and open-area lighting designed to BS 5266-1, monthly function tests and the annual full-duration test. Fire alarms: systems designed to the BS 5839-1 category the risk assessment calls for (L1 to L5 for life protection, P1 and P2 for property), installed, commissioned, and serviced on the periodic schedule. Because we also maintain the HVAC plant, the cause-and-effect between the fire alarm and the ventilation - damper closure, AHU shutdown, smoke control - is designed and tested by one team.

  • Emergency lighting design and installation to BS 5266-1 - escape routes, open areas, high-risk task areas
  • Self-contained and central battery emergency lighting systems
  • Monthly function tests and annual 3-hour duration tests, recorded in the logbook
  • Fire alarm system design, installation and commissioning to BS 5839-1, categories L1 to L5 and P1 to P2
  • Periodic fire alarm servicing, false-alarm management and detector cleaning or replacement
  • Fire alarm cause-and-effect with HVAC - fire dampers, AHU shutdown and smoke control interfaces
  • Intruder alarms and lightning protection delivered within installation projects
Rossair engineer installing a ceiling-mounted fitting in a commercial corridor

One team across the fire alarm and the plant it has to shut down

BS 5266
Emergency lighting standard
BS 5839
Fire detection and alarm standard
3 hours
Annual full-duration test
NICEIC
Registered installer

In NHS, care and education buildings the fire alarm does more than ring. It closes dampers, shuts down air handling and in some buildings runs the smoke control. When the fire alarm contractor and the ventilation contractor are different companies, the interface is the first thing to go untested. Rossair has delivered mechanical and electrical installations in live NHS clinical environments, including the Wembley Health Centre decarbonisation, where the life safety interfaces were designed, installed and witnessed by the same engineers who commissioned the plant.

Compliance

Compliance documentation included in every contract

  • Fire Safety OrderRegulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 - the responsible person’s duty to provide and maintain fire detection and emergency lighting.
  • BS 5266-1Emergency lighting code of practice - design, installation, monthly and annual testing.
  • BS 5839-1Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings - design, installation, commissioning and maintenance.
  • BS EN 1838Lighting applications - emergency lighting illuminance levels for escape routes and open areas.
  • BS 7671IET Wiring Regulations - supplies to life safety systems designed and certificated to the current edition.
  • BS EN 62305Lightning protection systems designed and installed to the European standard.
6 sectors

Sectors we serve

CareL1 fire detection and emergency lighting for sleeping-risk premisesNHS HealthcareFire alarm and ventilation interfaces in clinical buildingsEducationCampus fire alarm servicing and emergency lighting tests around termCommercialOffice and retail systems installed and tested out of hoursFacilities ManagementPortfolio-wide test schedules and logbooksAirportsLife safety systems around critical terminal operations
Related electrical pages

Other electrical services

Electrical maintenance contractsMonthly, annual and six-monthly life safety tests on the PPM schedule.Commercial EICR and fixed wire testingFixed wiring condition - the other half of the fire risk assessor’s electrical questions.MEP installationsLife safety systems delivered inside a full M&E installation package.Electrical services hubCommercial and industrial electrical contracting from one in-house team.
Frequently asked

Questions about emergency lighting and fire alarm systems

How often does emergency lighting need to be tested?
BS 5266-1 requires a short monthly function test of every emergency luminaire - switching the mains off and checking each light operates - and an annual full-duration test, normally three hours, to prove the batteries last the rated period. Both are recorded in the emergency lighting logbook. Rossair carries out both under a maintenance contract, or the annual test alone where the site does its own monthly checks.
How often does a fire alarm need to be serviced?
BS 5839-1 recommends a weekly test by the responsible person, usually a single call point tested at a set time, plus periodic servicing by a competent person at intervals not exceeding six months. The service visit checks the panel, batteries, a proportion of detectors and call points, sounders and the cause-and-effect interfaces, and records any false alarms. Over a year every device is tested.
What category of fire alarm system does my building need?
The fire risk assessment decides it. BS 5839-1 defines categories L1 to L5 for life protection - L1 covers the whole building, L2 and L3 cover escape routes and the rooms opening onto them, L4 escape routes only, L5 a defined risk - and P1 and P2 for property protection. Care homes and premises where people sleep are normally L1. Rossair designs to the category the assessment calls for and documents the design basis with the certificate.
What is the difference between self-contained and central battery emergency lighting?
Self-contained luminaires each have their own battery and charger; they are simple to install and suit most offices, schools and care homes. A central battery system powers all the emergency luminaires from one battery bank, which is easier to test and maintain on large or high-ceilinged buildings and gives a longer service life, at a higher installation cost. Rossair installs and maintains both.
Can Rossair link the fire alarm to the ventilation and air handling plant?
Yes, and this is where having one contractor across electrical and mechanical pays off. The fire alarm cause-and-effect matrix sets out what happens on activation - fire dampers close, air handling units shut down, smoke control starts, lifts ground. Rossair designs the interfaces, wires them, and witnesses the cause-and-effect test with the fire alarm and the plant together.
Does Rossair install intruder alarms and lightning protection?
Intruder alarms and lightning protection to BS EN 62305 are delivered within Rossair installation projects as part of the electrical package, alongside fire alarms and emergency lighting. See the MEP installations page for the full scope.

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