Nobody enjoys a false alarm. Repeated ones disrupt work, can frustrate neighbours and, worst of all, teach people to ignore the bell. Finding the cause is part of keeping your fire detection system trustworthy.
Common causes
- Cooking fumes and steam reaching smoke detectors near kitchens and bathrooms.
- Dust and insects inside detectors, especially after building work.
- Aerosols and vapour from cleaning products or smoke from nearby smoking or vaping.
- Unsuitable detector type for the room, such as a smoke detector where a heat detector would be more appropriate.
- Damaged call points or ones that are knocked accidentally.
- Faults and ageing equipment that need servicing.
- Building work and hot work without proper control. See our guide on hot work permits.
What to do
- Investigate every alarm. Note the zone, time, cause and action taken.
- Look for patterns. The same detector going off repeatedly points to a location or device problem.
- Ask your alarm contractor to review detector types and positions where problems repeat.
- Never disable or cover detectors as a permanent fix.
- Brief staff on what to do if the alarm sounds, even if they think it is false. See our guide on testing, servicing and records.
Your duties
Under the Fire Services Acts 1981 and 2003, a person in control of premises must take reasonable measures to guard against fire and to protect people if one occurs. The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 places wider duties on employers to manage workplace risks.
Talk to Safer Solutions
A fire risk assessment looks at your premises, your people and the way you work, and gives you a clear written action list. Call us on 086 275 9728 or email info@safersolutions.ie for a friendly, no-obligation chat. See our fire risk assessments in Ireland and our fire and legionella guides.