Fire panel required for Category M system?

[North88]

I am doing renovation to a cafe in Scotland at the moment and after speaking to the local council the building requires the minimum standard for a fire alarm system - category M which is manual system with no automatic detection, just 2 call points and 2 sounders.

Basically i was wondering do you get such simple system that covers this without the need for a dedicated fire panel or is this a standard requirement?

Im guessing i would need a dedicated RCD spur supplying said fire panel ten FP200 thereafter i was just wondering if there was another way to go.

Cheers all.

 

[James]

Don’t guess, bring a local fire alarm installation company onboard now and save yourself a lot of hassle

 

[timhoward]

Im guessing i would need a dedicated RCD spur supplying said fire panel

Just to add, this bit alone isn’t a given. Dedicated circuit - yes, but best practise is to design so RCD protection isn’t required. If it is required for electrical reasons then it shouldn’t be a shared RCD.

As James said it’s best to avoid being the person who designed it unless you have qualifications to prove competence.

There are simple panel-free solutions with call points but they are generally aimed at the domestic market and I wouldn’t fit one in a cafe without someone else approving the suitability of the system.

 

[westward10]

When they state minimum that is not necessarily adequate. Category M systems can be used in some instances but this would need assessing and I doubt it would suffice. As above get a third party in to design it.

 

[davesparks]

Im guessing i would need a dedicated RCD spur supplying said fire panel ten FP200 thereafter i was just wondering if there was another way to go.

Don't guess in electrical installations, especially not where safety systems are concerned.
Your guess with this fire alarm could cost people their lives.

First question I have is why would you want to have a fire alarm on an RCD?

 

[Lister1987]

First thing I would ask is what does the fire risk assess say? If thry don't have one then they are going to need one, if for no other reason than to know what fire risks they are dealinèg with, it also forms part of your Regulation 33 defence if anything goes wrong

Once the risks have been quantified and known THEN you look at the type of system. Category M as a minimum in a commercial property where fire/heat will be present as part of daily operations (cookers, ovens, friers) would not sit right with me at all. Given the nature of business and environment I'd want Automatic detection tion in the kitchen at least, with MCPs front of house.

It's also worth considering other users; does this premise have living accommodation on top of it (homes above shops as an example), if so then it may be prudent to link that into a system, if not for detection then warning at the very least.

Moreover the premises should have a BS6173 gas interlock system, which could easily be integrated with a fire panel.

I'm sure there's more but I've not got all my references with me.