From May 2025, BS 5839-1:2017 has been withdrawn and replaced by BS 5839-1:2025. In light of the tragic events at Grenfell Tower and reviews of fire safety legislation, it was clear that changes to the standards applicable to fire detection and alarm systems in non-domestic premises across the UK were needed.
If you are responsible for fire safety in a care home, school, office block, or hotel, it’s essential that you understand the implications of this revised standard.
In this article, we identify the key changes, what actions you should take now to remain compliant and how alarm management products from Drax Technology can help.
Key changes
Maintenance and Servicing Updates
The approach to maintenance has been strengthened to ensure both accurate installation and sustained reliability through proper servicing:
Servicing Intervals: While servicing every six months remains recommended practice, the new standard permits a five to seven month interval between inspections without being considered non-compliant.
Control Panel Clocks: At each service visit, control panel clocks are to be checked and adjusted to guarantee accurate event recording.
Redundant Equipment: All detectors or system components that are no longer in use must be completely removed from the system, rather than simply disconnected.
Interface Accessibility: All system interfaces (e.g., lift overrides, fire door controls) must remain fully accessible for testing purposes. Concealed or obstructed panels are now unacceptable.
Logbook Requirements: Any deviations from BS 5839-1 - such as exceptions or placement compromises- must be clearly documented within the site’s fire alarm logbook.
Engineer Competence: All personnel working on fire alarm systems must demonstrate ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Certification and Documentation Changes
BS 5839-1:2025 introduces several updates regarding documentation and certification:
Updated Certificates: Revised certificate templates have been issued to reflect updated clause numbering and terminology.
Modifications Section: A dedicated section for recording system extensions and upgrades is now included.
Terminology Refresh: Certain terms have been updated; for example, “care homes” are now designated “residential care premises,” and “fire service” is referred to as the “fire and rescue service.”
Structural Updates: Clause 4 has been relocated to the introduction, and Clause 33 has been consolidated within Clause 3.
Revised System Design and Performance
The revised standard implements changes intended to enhance fire alarm system performance and consistency, including:
Sleeping Areas: Smoke detectors are now recommended for all bedrooms or sleeping areas such as residential care premises, student accommodations, and hotels - to ensure rapid detection.
Lift Shafts: Category L4 systems are required to include detection at the top of lift shafts, improving response times along vertical escape routes.
Low-Risk Lobbies: Detection may now be required in lower-risk areas, such as toilet lobbies, based on the system category and overall risk profile.
Manual Call Points: Guidance on manual call point placement has been reinforced, emphasising the need for accessibility in occupied zones.
Lockdown Alarms: Systems may now incorporate lockdown tones, provided these signals are distinct from fire alarm notifications.
Ceiling Obstructions: Installers must take special care to address potential obstructions (e.g., ductwork, beams, pockets) that could affect detector coverage.
New Category L Monitoring Times: L-category systems are now required to monitor activation signals within 90 seconds and identify faults within three minutes.
Backup Battery Sizing: The calculation method for backup battery size has been updated according to BS 5839-1:2025.
Red Mains Cables: Fire alarm mains cables are now required to be red for clear identification.
New Panel Requirement: To help reduce false alarms, fire alarm control panels must display a ‘False Alarm’ indicator when automatically connected to the fire and rescue services.
Enhanced Safety Measures
With an increased focus on inclusive safety, the following provisions seek to protect all building occupants:
Visual Alarms: There is now a greater requirement for visual alarm devices (VADs), which are critical for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Zone Plans: Clearly displayed zone plans are mandatory in multi-zoned buildings, especially those presenting sleeping risks.
Automated Alerts: In residential care environments, fire alarm systems must automatically notify a monitoring centre upon activation, expediting emergency response.
Action Required
If you are responsible for fire safety within a commercial or residential care environment, you should:
Engage Competent Professionals: Employ certified fire alarm designers, engineers, and maintainers committed to CPD, such as those BAFE SP203-1 registered.
Update Documentation: Amend certificates, logbooks, and maintenance records to comply with the 2025 standard and any unique site requirements.
Communicate Changes: Ensure all stakeholders - including staff, contractors, and residents - are informed about updates to fire safety procedures and system layouts.
How Drax Technology can aid compliance with this new standard
Investment in Drax Technology’s innovative alarm management solutions provides substantial advantages, facilitating compliance through streamlined event management and evidence-based maintenance. For over 30 years, Drax Technology has supported leading UK organisations in healthcare, education, and manufacturing with the effective management of critical events.
The latest standard underscores the importance of zone charts - a feature that has been integral to AMX, Drax Technology’s advanced centralised alarm management platform. AMX’s sophisticated graphics enable detailed zone maps with zoom functions, providing precise information on device type, status, and location. Integration with major fire control panels allows for real-time tracking of incident progression within zones and adjacent areas as needed.
Additionally, the revised standard addresses the need to highlight high-risk factors, such as highly combustible materials, explosive gases, vulnerable occupants, sleeping risks, and volatile processes. AMX can display contextual notes triggered by specific devices or areas, proving invaluable for users unfamiliar with the premises or requiring rapid access to critical safety information during evacuation or firefighting activities.
Floor plans in AMX may also depict ‘places of relative safety’ - areas free from immediate danger but potentially at future risk from fire or smoke - and ‘places of ultimate safety’, where no current or future danger is present. This differentiation aligns with the definitions introduced in the new standard.
The standard also comments on the use of visual display units separate from Control and Indicating Equipment (CIE). Drax Technology continues to advocate for AMX as an enhancement tool, augmenting rather than replacing core CIE functionality.
Significant changes have been made regarding the use of fire alarm sounders for multiple signals. While previous editions prohibited using the same device for conflicting alerts, it is now permissible provided distinctive tones or messages differentiate each purpose - supporting scenarios such as schools utilising fire alarm infrastructure for lockdown or invacuation systems. Virtual buttons within AMX allow for manual activation of sounders with unique audible signals for non-fire emergencies.
With the UK transition to an all-IP network and the planned decommissioning of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) by 2027, alarm transmission equipment must satisfy stringent reliability criteria. BS 5839-1:2025 sets forth specific requirements for alarm transmission times. The Drax Technology product line includes IP networking solutions, and SafeVue - a secure web portal for remote alarm monitoring, testing, and maintenance tracking - facilitates comprehensive event management.
The standard mandates labelling of all CIEs connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) to prevent false alarms during testing and maintenance, with AMX able to display timely reminders. Communicating with ARCs before system tests is essential to reduce unnecessary Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) attendance, in accordance with FRS call-challenging policies.
New recommendations also require ARCs to be provided with key premises information, such as the presence of sleeping accommodation, enabling more accurate data transfer to the FRS. As digital networks advance, alarm transmissions should specify triggering device details and indicate any coincidence filtering, with AMX ensuring accurate reporting through integration with panel manufacturer protocols.
BS 5839-1:2025 further recommends thorough investigation of all false alarms by users, with commissioning or handover organisations required to provide guidance on response procedures, which may include managerial interventions, system modifications, or further professional assessment. AMX simplifies this process by consolidating event data and offering advanced analysis tools to pinpoint the source and context of activations.
False alarm investigation thresholds are now clearly defined and consistent with the recommended calculations at each service visit. Preliminary investigations are advised when annual false alarms exceed four per 100 detectors, and in-depth reviews when rates surpass five per 100 detectors in larger systems. AMX and SafeVue facilitate robust maintenance oversight by alerting users to overdue service visits, with inspection intervals now permitted between five and seven months, based on the acceptance date.
Functional testing of smoke detectors in ventilation ducts is a new requirement at the annual service visit, and verification of accurate zone identification is mandated. AMX’s graphical interface streamlines both tasks.
The new standard places increased emphasis on remote services and cybersecurity, recommending robust measures to prevent unauthorised system access, including physical safeguards and authentication protocols. Prior to granting remote access for monitoring or maintenance, a comprehensive risk assessment must be performed to ensure system integrity.
Further Reading
BS 5839-1 has evolved since its first publication in 1980 and, after eleven revisions, is recognised as an established industry benchmark. The 2025 revision undertook a comprehensive review, emphasising the role of fire detection and alarm systems in supporting building evacuation strategies tailored to the facility’s needs. System requirements are typically determined by regulatory authorities or through fire risk assessments conducted by stakeholders. Consequently, introductory sections now clarify that the applicability of fire detection standards depends upon external requirements, not the standard itself.
Guidance for installation requirements may be found in BS 9991, BS 9999, relevant fire safety documents, insurance guidelines, and fire risk assessments. The introduction clarifies that fire detection and alarm systems are generally appropriate except in small, open-plan premises and are usually not necessary in communal or ancillary spaces of purpose-built flats. National building regulations and associated legislation mandate appropriate installations for both new and existing buildings to ensure occupant safety.
Terminology and definitions within the standard are now aligned with BS 4422:2024 Fire Vocabulary, promoting consistency across fire safety documentation and ensuring clarity in both concept and communication throughout the sector.
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