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Fire Detection and Alarm Systems
Inspection, Certification & Ongoing Compliance
It is imperative
that
Fire Detection and Alarm Systems installations be designed, installed,
inspected and maintained to a suitable standard
to ensure the satisfactory performance and
compliance of the system.
The New Zealand
Building Code identifies compliant fire alarm
systems, and permits relaxation in other aspects
of building construction subject to an approved
fire alarm system being installed. This provides
trade-offs in building design and construction,
but puts additional emphasis on the performance
of the fire alarm system, both at the time of
installation, and ongoing for the life of the
building. Every Fire Alarm System must be
installed as part, or whole of a Building
Consent.
NZS4512:2003 is
the NZ Standard for Fire Detection and Alarm
Systems in Buildings.
Fire detection and
alarm systems are designed and installed to
ensure that the building occupants successfully
evacuate the building in the case of fire, or
similar emergency.
There is a variety
of detection devices specified and used on fire
alarm systems. Detectors shall be installed to
respond to the normal phenomena arising at an
early stage in a fire.
However the
selected detector shall not respond to ambient
and environmental conditions typical of the
location. This will result in unwanted
evacuations, and attendance by NZ Fire Service
personnel.
To ensure a fire
alarm system is compliant, the following
criteria are specified in NZS4512:
(a)
Be undertaken by
competent and qualified personnel who have
access to all relevant instructions published by
the manufacturer;
(b)
Be in conformity
with the manufacturer’s instructions;
(c)
Be in conformity
with all other requirements of NZS4512;
(d)
Use only listed
equipment and components. The Fire Protection
Association of NZ maintains a register of listed
equipment, components and materials;
(e)
Be certified as
being compliant by an accredited inspection body
that has been independently accredited by an
internationally recognized accreditation body to
AS/NZS ISO/IEC 17020 as competent to inspect to
NZS4512.
At this point we
now have a compliant fire detection and alarm
system installed.
You need to ensure
that the system remains compliant in the future,
both for the requirements of the Fire Detection
and Alarm Standard, but also to meet with
requirements for compliance of the building that
it is installed in.
Additional to the
regular testing performed by appropriately
qualified persons, the system must also have an
annual survey of the entire system, including
functional tests of some equipment.
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