A monthly inspection of the panel and an annual test of every device. AS 1851-2012 has the fire indicator panel checked every month for fault, alarm and zone indications, mains power and battery health, with the fire trip to the air handling plant exercised at the same visit where the building has one. Once a year every device on the system is tested: detectors, manual call points, sounders, flow switches and ancillary relays, with the cause-and-effect matrix verified, the standby battery capacity tested, the brigade monitoring interface proved and the logbook completed. A six-monthly routine applies only where the detection system carries special-hazard features. Every five years the standard's extended routine is carried out with the annual service.
The intervals
| Interval | What happens | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | Visual inspection of the panel for fault, alarm and zone indicators; mains power and battery health confirmed; the fire trip to supply and exhaust fans exercised with the panel test where the building has mechanical smoke control. | Fire services contractor |
| Six-monthly | Only where the detection system also carries special-hazard features (gaseous suppression, pre-action); otherwise the standard sets no six-monthly routine for detection. | Fire services contractor |
| Annual | Test of every device on the system: detectors, manual call points, sounders, flow switches and ancillary relays; cause-and-effect verification; standby battery capacity test; brigade monitoring interface test; logbook completed. | Fire services contractor |
| Five-yearly | The extended routine the standard sets for detection and alarm systems, carried out with the annual service in that year. | Fire services contractor |
Who does it and what to keep
A fire services contractor with the system's cause-and-effect matrix and the monitoring service on the phone, so the annual test does not call the brigade. The record is the logbook at the panel: every monthly inspection, every annual device test with the devices identified, the battery capacity result, defects and repairs. The false alarm history is kept with it, because the fire brigade charges for repeated unwanted alarms and the annual test is where a dirty detector is found first. In New South Wales the system is an essential fire safety measure on the annual fire safety statement.
The rule behind the interval
AS 1851-2012 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment, Section 6, sets the intervals for fire detection and alarm systems, and the monthly fire trip exercise follows the mechanical services routine in the same standard. AS 1670.1 is the design and installation standard the system was commissioned to. The building regulation of each state requires the system to be maintained to the standard it was approved with.
Common questions
Does every detector have to be tested every year?
Yes. The annual routine tests every device on the system, not a sample, which is why the annual visit for a large building runs over several days and needs access to every room with a detector.
What happens when the panel shows a fault between visits?
A fault indication is reported to the contractor the same day and recorded in the logbook. An isolated zone or a fault left standing means part of the building has no detection, which the fire authority treats as a failed measure.
Put it in the register
An interval only holds when the asset is listed with its tasks, its contractor and where the record lives. Standara's library carries this asset with the tasks above attached, so adding it to a site's register produces the year's schedule, the monthly to-do list and the completion record the auditor or insurer asks for. The fuller picture, with the neighbouring assets and the rule behind each interval, is in the AS 1851 maintenance schedule.
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- A worked example: one club's register, planner and records for a year
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