Annual smoke detector testing in HMO's

[spark attack]

Hi all, this is my first post on this forum so be gentle

I've been asked by the landlord of an HMO to complete an EICR on one of his properties containing 2 x 1 bedroom flats. This is fairly straightforward.

However, he also wants me to provide a certificate for the correct functioning of the smoke/heat detectors within the property....Basically, I'm just not sure whether it is my place to provide such a service and my feeling is that he is relying on this alone and not necessarily performing weekly/monthly user checks as may be required.

He's shown me the document a previous electrician produced which isn't so much a certificate as a written statement to say they work at the time of writing.

I'm fully aware of the need to supply an installation cert for such systems but I am unsure of the requirements for ongoing annual certification by an electrician.....

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

 

[david john cook]

if its a hmo and he is the landlord its his duty to have the fire alarms tested .if your a competent person you can surely do this .you can purchase log books for fire alarm testing which also have the relevant certificates in them .is there emergency lighting ? as you need to test that as well .hmo are sometimes inspected by councils .

 

[david john cook]

if its a hmo and he is the landlord its his duty to have the fire alarms tested .if your a competent person you can surely do this .you can purchase log books for fire alarm testing which also have the relevant certificates in them .is there emergency lighting ? as you need to test that as well .hmo are sometimes inspected by councils .

test every 6 months are the normal proceedure .

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
Useful information is available on the ESC website in it's Guidance for Landlords Electrical Safety in Communal Areas:
Useful downloads : Electrical Safety Council

 

[spark attack]

Yes I am a competent person and can carry out the test.

My concern relates more to what particular certification I would issue (the only one I'm aware of is an installation/commissioning certain)....

 

[MarkieSparkie]

The legal requirement to ensure the fire alarm and emergency lighting are in working order (i.e. a testing regime) come from the Fire Safety Order:2005 Article 17.

Maintenance
17.—(l) Where necessary in order to safeguard the safety of relevant persons the responsible
person must ensure that the premises and any facilities, equipment and devices provided in respect
of the premises under this Order or, subject to paragraph (6), under any other enactment, including
any enactment repealed or revoked by this Order, are subject to a suitable system of maintenance
and are maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair.
(2) Where the premises form part of a building, the responsible person may make arrangements
with the occupier of any other premises forming part of the building for the purpose of ensuring
that the requirements of paragraph (1) are met.
(3) Paragraph (2) applies even if the other premises are not premises to which this Order applies.
(4) The occupier of the other premises must co-operate with the responsible person for the
purposes of paragraph (2).
(5) Where the occupier of the other premises is not also the owner of those premises, the
references to the occupier in paragraphs (2) and (4) are to be taken to be references to both the
occupier and the owner.
(6) Paragraph (1) only applies to facilities, equipment and devices provided under other
enactments where they are provided in connection with general fire precautions.

General fire precautions include the fire alarm and emergency lighting. The frequency of testing for fire alarms comes from BS5839 and for emergency lighting from BS5266. Although these British Standards are not statue law they would be used in a court of law to establish if Fire Safety Order:2005 Article 17 was complied with. BS5839 recommends a weekly call point test and the system maintained by a competent engineer every 6 months. BS5266 recommends visual checks and a monthly test and also 6 month checks by a competent engineer. The Building Regulations Approved Document B Volume 1 should be consulted in addition to the British standards.

Useful sources of related information:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electricians...5832781&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electricians...833194&sr=1-12
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/upl..._ADB1_2006.pdf

 

[oldtimer]

Also th batteries should be changed every 2-3 in these its not the first time I have went into a student residence with a stack ie 5-6 smoke detectors sitting on the telephone table with the batteries removed. Why because they cannot agree who pays for it and either dont tell the landlord or the landlord ignores it