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Self and Hasty  
#1 Posted : 30 August 2018 11:47:27(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Self and Hasty

Hi, 

As part of the FRA we have weekly fire alarm checks, Wednesday mornings between 10-11am, all staff are aware, the alarm company and fire service are aware of the allocated testing time.

Yesterday (and a few weeks ago) I was stuck in meetings during the testing time, so the alarms didn't get tested.

In the alarm testing register I logged the missed test and just carried on with the testing the next week.

Is this sufficient? Do I need to go through the rigmarole of filling in a non-conformity/compliance? 

Is there any significantly greater risk from missing a weekly alarm test? 

Is it better perhaps to call the alarm company, fire service and inform the employees and run the test later the same day?

Or perhaps the next day?

Or test two call points the next week?

I don't know how important this is, or what the best course of action is when I fail to complete my tasks/duties, advice appreciated.

Thanks

Kate  
#2 Posted : 30 August 2018 12:50:48(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kate

Additional tests or tests done at a later time would result in people thinking there was a real alarm and presumably evacuating, or in confusing them and making them less likely to respond to alarms in future.  So it's best to be consistent about when you do the test.

I would write off the missed test (after logging it as missed as you have done), look at what the cause of missing the test was and remedy that so that it doesn't happen in future.

It seems that the test relies on you to do it, and you may not always be able to prioritise the test over other things.  In that case I would think about training up some other people to do the test whose job duties are such that they will be able to prioritise it.

On the other hand if you think this was a one-off and you will be able to prioritise it in future, I'd just do something like set an alarm for myself to go and test the alarm and tell anyone I was with at the time (however important they thought they were) that this was more important and I absolutely had to go.

thanks 1 user thanked Kate for this useful post.
Self and Hasty on 30/08/2018(UTC)
Self and Hasty  
#3 Posted : 30 August 2018 14:42:30(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Self and Hasty

I've got a reminder on not only mine but EVERYONE (with an work email) computer five minutes before, and the other week when it happened I thought it was just a one off so wasn't too worried about it, but now it's happened again I thought I had better check, There is and will be sometimes where I am unable to do the test, or may get waylaid, as I'm doing two jobs really, was stuck in a meeting yesterday mediating between a supplier and customer, I don't even remember why I missed it the other week.

There are a few other people who know how to do it, simply because it takes two people to do it, one person to trigger the call point and one to silence and reset the alarm. But unless I'm instigating/motivating people to assist me then it, evidently, won't get done.

Will have to have a think, I take on board your points Kate, about how doing the test out of the set time will just cause confusion... 

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