Many fire protection systems are faulty

Approximately 70% of automatic fire alarm systems and more than 50% of sprinkler systems in Danish companies and public institutions are faulty when they are inspected. That is the result of an analysis conducted by the Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology, DBI, on the basis of figures from 2015 and 2016.

DBI inspects fire protection systems once a year and finds many different types of faults in the process. A new analysis conducted by DBI shows that only a very small percentage of the faults are so critical that the systems have to be discarded. However, less critical faults can also be serious enough in themselves. For example, faults in automatic fire alarm systems can lead to false alarms and delays in raising the alert, while faults in sprinkler systems can result in a fire spreading to areas not protected by a sprinkler system much more ferociously.

– The faults seldom mean that a system fails completely in the event of a fire, but delays can have serious consequences and false alarms contribute to undermining users’ confidence in alarm systems, says Anders Frost-Jensen, Director of Infrastructure & Quality in DBI.

Errors in orientation plans
Around half of the faults are actually administrative errors, DBI’s analysis shows, and it is orientation plans of the building and the system in particular that are lagging behind.

– If the orientation plans are wrong, it could take the fire brigade quite a long time to find the right room or area when the alarm goes off. Time is the crucial factor when it comes to the development of a fire and the safety risk. And if you have forgotten to fit detectors in a room following a refurbishment, the fire will be detected much later than it should be, explains Anders Frost-Jensen.

Work pressure and increased complexity
The 70% is the highest number of faults and errors that DBI has recorded in its statistics up to now, and the figure has been rising sharply in recent years. However, a third of the faults can be classed as installation faults which, according to the DBI Director, are partly due to work pressure on the part of the installers and partly due to increased complexity in the buildings.

– Buildings are constructed differently nowadays and different systems often have to be integrated with one another. That makes it difficult to assess whether the systems have been installed correctly, says Anders Frost-Jensen.