Owners of shops, cafés and offices often learn about fire alarm requirements during an inspection or after they have already rented the premises. Here is how to work out what your property needs, what the system consists of and how to avoid overpaying.
What the law says
The Civil Protection Code of Ukraine requires businesses to install automatic fire detection and keep fire protection equipment in working order. General fire safety requirements for properties are set by the Fire Safety Rules of Ukraine (Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 1417 of 30 December 2014).
Which premises and buildings must be fitted with fire alarm and warning systems is determined by the building standards — DBN V.2.5-56:2014 «Fire protection systems». The requirements depend on the purpose of the property, its size, the number of floors and the number of people. That is why they are determined for each property individually, during the site survey and design.
What to consider: shop, café, office
Shop. Besides the sales floor, the alarm is needed in back rooms and the storeroom — that is where combustible materials and packaging are often kept. For a floor with customers, fire warning and illuminated exit signs matter.
Café and restaurant. Kitchens are usually fitted with heat detectors, because smoke and steam from cooking would trigger false alarms from smoke detectors. In halls where many people gather at once, special attention is paid to warning and evacuation.
Office. Server rooms, archives and rooms with a lot of equipment are considered separately. If the office is in a business centre, the system has to be coordinated with the building’s own fire protection system — check this with the landlord before installation.
What the system consists of
- Detectors — smoke, heat and manual call points that are the first to register a fire.
- Control panel — the «brain» of the system: it receives signals and controls the rest of the equipment.
- Warning devices — sirens and illuminated signs that warn people and help them evacuate.
- Connection to a monitoring station — so that an operator receives the fire signal around the clock, even when nobody is on site.
If the premises are rented
The lease sets out how fire safety duties are split between the owner and the tenant. Before signing, check who is responsible for the fire alarm system, its maintenance and the paperwork for inspections — it will save you unpleasant surprises.
How to avoid overpaying
- A design for your property, not a «standard kit». Extra detectors cost money, and too few will not pass an inspection.
- Plan for maintenance and monitoring from the start. The system needs regular maintenance, and monitoring means a response at night and at weekends.
- One contractor for everything. When design, installation, monitoring and maintenance are in one pair of hands, there are no disputes about «whose fault it is».
How we work
Kodeks Bezpeky carries out fire protection work under a licence from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. We survey the property, determine the requirements, prepare the design and estimate, install the system, hand over the paperwork and connect the alarm to our own 24/7 fire monitoring station.
Learn more on the turnkey fire alarm systems page. For the general obligations of businesses, read «Fire safety at work». This article is for general information; to find out what your property needs, send a request — we will survey it and prepare a quote.