BS 5839‑1:2017, Clause 23 states:

"23.2.2 The following recommendations apply to the facilities provided for visual indication of fire signals.

...e) On or adjacent to indicating equipment, there should be a diagrammatic representation of the building, showing at least the building entrances, the main circulation areas and the division into zones. The diagrammatic representation may comprise any of the following:

1) an illuminated mimic diagram; 2) a VDU with an appropriate back up; or 3) a printed, correctly orientated, zone plan 

(my red to highlight points I will discuss )

A British Standard is a recommendation of best practice and is not a legislative requirement. If you fully comply with a BS, you will almost certainly comply with the law However, you can apply a variation in the relevant British Standard if its reasonable to do so and its supported by a sound business case.

For example, you may not want to permit the operation of a manual call point at a Police Station to evacuate the building. So you may wire it up to sound a local alalrm at reception or a control room etc  Similarly, break a manual call point at a London Underground Station and it will be acted upon, but it will remain silent during an investigation  When an Inspecting Officer, I signed off a fashion outlet who wanted to paint their extinguishers the same dark green colour as the walls (with agreed caveats) which was a variation from the BS advice  In the case of Zone Plans, it is accepted practice that a framed version be available on the wall near to the control panel. But the actual BS states a 'printed plan' is acceptable.  For most premises of low to medium risk. I cannot why there would be an issue  if Zone Plans are available in a folder nearby and accessible in a manner where a stanger who is in the building for the first time will easily locate it in seconds.

One could argue that the plan is doing exactly what it is required to do in folder format as it would be hung on the wall. I daresay there's a chance that a jobsoworth Fire Safety Inspector might make a fuss, but if they do - ask them to show you which bit of legislation makes displayed plans a requirement In my opinion, they can not argue that the alarm is not suitable and sufficient as the plan is in an immediately availale folder rather than on the wall!!!!

Talking of Zone Plans, I have seen a huge fuss made in a new building we opened re the lack of Zone Plans. The premises had a fully addressible system which statesd (for example) "SD Room 123, 4th floor, South Wing'.

As a result, the whole concept of a basic Zone Plan was a waste of time. We argued with Building Control that our  detailed plan with room numbers etc was far more effective in locating the head. The fire service agreed with us and the BC jobsworth scurried off back under the stone he had come from

Thank you for your reply.

My concern is that some individuals are stuck in their old ways and resistant to change, particularly as they haven’t previously encountered someone like myself who stands firm on these matters.

From what I’ve been told, and as confirmed by the fire engineer who installed the system, these [systems/signs] need to be on display. In the event of a fire, this information is crucial for the fire service entering the building, especially if no one is on site.

I shall take on board everything you have said, and I really appreciate your help.

Originally Posted by: thunderchild

........ it may be worth having the local brigade send one of the watches in for a site visit. They could also help with the recommendation of the zones being displayed ;-)

With the greatest respect to thunderchild and operational firefighters everywhere, this is NOT a great idea

The fire service is broadly split into two groups. The operational side - who nee-naw around our streets, squirt  cold stuff on the hot stuff, check homes during voluntary home safety checks and do the heroics on the fireground. 

Then there is the regulatory fire safety staff. These are the more quiet heroes with no blue nights or medals - but they are the ones most likely to understand the fire safety legislation (I did both roles for 32 years and have worked closely with both sections across the UK for 15 years after leaving the fire service)

Some operational staff are competent in giving regulatory fire safety advice, but frankly the vast majority are not. But the issue is, many of those feel that as they are wearing the uniform, they MUST look like the expert do dish out information that is often guesswork at best. In this example, an non competent (in FS matters) Operational firefighter would probably advise the status quo as theyve seen scores or more zone plans on the wall so that must be the right way. I have experienced shockingly bad advice from Ops staff to the public, so please be careful

Long time since there was a mandatory inspection of premises by the local Fire Brigade.

Since the RRFSO we have had a number of events where competence has been questioned both within the Fire & Rescue Service and in the wider world of fire safety.

Even today the Building Safety Regulator is attempting to address the wider issue with regards to design, construction, advice and recommendation.

What people are currently doing is relying upon what they have always done - the cycle needs breaking to stop the same mistakes being repeated.