Preventing false alarms in businesses

• Only cook in rooms intended for cooking.
• If you can, use extractor fans, and close doors between designated cooking areas and your smoke alarm to further prevent false alarms.
• Toasters often cause false alarms so carefully consider where these are placed.
• You should not have a smoke alarm in a kitchen area - only heat alarms are suitable for a kitchen space. Wrongly-placed smoke alarms could cause frequent false alarms – and cause employees to start ignoring alarms. This can be very dangerous.

Ventilation is key to reducing false alarms caused by steam from showers. Closing doors can also help.

If your business uses industrial processes which produce steam, you should make sure you have an appropriate detector for that area. Speak to a qualified alarm engineer for advice.

• Products such as deodorant and hair spray will commonly set off smoke detectors. Please avoid using them near smoke alarms, or use non-aerosol alternatives.
• Dust and insects in detectors. Dusting or vacuuming your smoke detectors can help reduce false alarms caused by dust and insects.

• Smoking near the alarm.
• Water in the alarm from flooding or leaks.
• Controlled processes that produce smoke and fumes.
• Contractors or work activities, including hot works.
  • Consider fitting temporary covers on detectors while the work is being carried out.
  • Temporary covers should only be fitted by approved staff and removed immediately after the activity has ended.
  • Whilst detectors are covered in this way, staff working in the area (including contractors) should be briefed to activate a 'break glass' call point if they see a fire. 
  • Dust can also prevent detectors from working effectively in the future. It is important to plan all hot and dusty work carefully.
• Mechanical damage/disruption or faults.
• Damaged or faulty fire and smoke detectors may result in repeated unexplained alarms. You should have the fire alarm system checked by a competent person as soon as possible.
• Testing or maintenance of fire alarm systems without prior warning to the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC).
  • Before starting any testing or maintenance you must - if your system is monitored - inform your alarm centre that the testing and maintenance is taking place and inform them when it is completed.
• Accidental or malicious alarms by activating ‘break glass’ call points.
  • There are ways to reduce the risks of break glass call point accidental or malicious alarms. Speak to your alarm engineer or maintenance contractor. If any changes are made, you must review your fire risk assessment.