SAFETY AND SECURITY

Managing False Alarms

Why false alarm management should be an essential part of your rail safety and security strategy

Every year false fire alarms cost the UK economy upwards of £1 billion, halting operations and causing chaos for travellers. Back in July, Birmingham New Street had to be evacuated due to a false alarm causing huge disruption to the station itself as well as all journeys running through the station. Journeys with Avanti West Coast, Cross Country, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway needed to be cancelled, delayed or diverted as a result.

In this article we explore why false alarm management should be included as part of your risk assessment as well as form an essential part of any rail safety and security strategy and what equipment can help reduce the likelihood of suffering a false alarm.

Reduced profit and diminished trust

According to the Office for National Statistics, of all the incidents attended to in England alone for the year ending June 2020, 42 per cent of incidents were fire false alarms. When you consider the rail industry in the UK alone generated around £43 billion in 2019 and on average (before Covid put the brakes on travelling in 2020) transported 1.7 billion passengers every year, the impact false alarms have on this industry and ultimately the UK economy is enormous.

Secondly, not only do they impact industry from a financial point of view, but false alarms also have a detrimental effect on the confidence in reliability of a fire detection system, potentially causing passengers to become complacent and less willing to react during a genuine emergency.

Research has demonstrated that voice alarm messages can result in quicker reactions than when sirens or bells are used. This has resulted in voice activation systems becoming more commonplace as the primary means of evacuation in public spaces. However, all of that is useless if frequent false alarms are sounded and the trust is diminished.

Reducing false alarms is imperative for a safer journey, ensuring passengers react to genuine emergencies will save lives. And for UK rail operators, it could save tens of thousands (if not millions) of pounds in lost hours, re-routing and cancellations. False alarm reduction also means fewer costs when preventing last-minute engineer callouts to check on faults, through continued maintenance.

Following a site safety upgrade, the Eurostar terminus at St Pancras International in London bristles with the latest high-performance fire detection and alarm technology, including 5,000 Hochiki ESP – Enhanced System Protocol – analogue addressable devices, installed throughout the site.

What causes false alarms?

A false fire alarm is a signal from an alarm system that is not specifically alarmed by a fire. Since every fire alarm must be considered serious until investigated, particularly if the false alarm is triggered in a travel hub with a high footfall of passengers, often if an alert comes in via 999 the call handler will try to establish the reason for the alarm.

Sometimes however, fire detection systems react to triggers that are not necessarily the start of a fire. Steam, dust, fumes, tobacco smoke, humidity are all common triggers which can cause false alarms across the UK’s rail network. However, did you know the most common cause of false alarms is faulty fire system apparatus? Installing high integrity products, carrying out regular drills and working with installers that plan regular maintenance visits to check the condition of wiring, devices, panels all go towards reducing false alarms. It is also important to check the space for defects, such as roof leaks, inadequate ventilation, steam leaks etc, as these could damage fire alarm equipment.

Today all train and underground/metro stations in the UK and across Europe should, by strict public law, be protected from fire through the installation of a fire detection system. The next step for travel operators looking to increase protection should look to manufacturers of life safety systems with a proven track record in false alarm reduction.

Which devices are best for reducing false alarms?

There are several detector types available on the life safety market all of which have been designed for different applications, so it is important to consult with expert installers to find the best device for your premises.

Heat Detectors monitor either the rate of rise of temperature or the general temperature compared to a fixed point, e.g., 60°C. These detectors are ideal for areas where catering equipment is used because they will be able to differentiate between a fire and burnt cooking.

Smoke Detectors are well suited to most fire detection applications and respond quickly to developing fires. Smoke detectors

may work using photoelectric or ionisation technology; again, you should ensure that you chose the best technology for the application.

Multi Sensors offer a range of approved modes of operation, including combinations of smoke detection, fixed temperature heat detection, rate of rise heat detection, CO detection and COHb threat detection, making them ideal for a variety of applications.

Beam detectors use an obscuration technique, whereby a constant beam of infra-red light is monitored for a decrease in strength due to smoke particles obscuring the beam. They can cover a huge volume of space and therefore are often used in large travel hubs, leisure centres, shopping centres, warehouses, and auditoriums etc.

Flame detectors respond to the radiation from flames; therefore, they are ideal for storage facilities that harbour items that are likely to flame, rather than smoulder. They are not well suited for places that use a furnace or welding equipment as this is likely to cause a false alarm.

Air Sampling systems are extremely sensitive and are ideal for clean environments such as network control rooms where early detection of smoke is essential. These detectors would not be appropriate for high traffic or dirty environments such as train stations.

The importance of regular system maintenance

It is essential that the system and devices in place to detect and warn of fire are subject to regular inspection and servicing. This means faults are identified, preventative measures can be taken to ensure continued reliability of the system, the potential for any false alarm is identified and suitably addressed and that building management is made aware of any changes to the premises that may affect protection afforded by the system.

It is important to note that periodic inspection and servicing does not constitute a fresh review of system design; it is a verification of the functionality and serviceability of the existing system. Periodic inspection and servicing should be carried out by a competent person with specialist knowledge of the fire detection and fire alarms system, including knowledge of the causes of false alarms and sufficient information regarding the system.

Planning for system upgrades or building works

It is important to forward think to ensure your installation company has enough time to complete any installations to avoid having to rush jobs and therefor missing vital checks, leaving your system susceptible to false alarms.

Similarly, if you are having building work carried out onsite, the workers need to be aware of the fire detection system. If the work is going to cause dust, smoke, paint spray etc, precautions should be taken to protect the system and prevent unwanted false alarms.

Taking the time to find a well-respected and experienced life safety installation company to work with who can recommend and install the best devices and/or life safety system which best suits the application will ensure that you are free to get on with business, knowing your people and passengers are safe.

The Transport sector has a duty of care for its passengers and staff as well as having to provide constant protection of its property and assets from the threat of fire. Learn the key benefits of specifying Hochiki products for your transport environment by visiting getting in touch via the contact information below.

Company profile

For over 100 years Hochiki has led the way in the design and manufacturer of innovative life safety solutions. Its leading edge commercial and industrial fire detection and emergency lighting products have acquired global acceptance as the benchmark for high-integrity and long-term reliability. With global group sales turnover exceeding £400 million, Hochiki is a wholly independent, multinational, publicly listed company with over 1,500 employees working across five manufacturing plants, 32 sales offices and 18 subsidiaries. Its ongoing commitment to manufacturing innovation ensures customer satisfaction and its production facilities in Japan, the USA and Europe offer international continuity in quality, service and supply.

Tel: +44 (0)1634 260133 Email: info@hochikieurope.com Visit: www.hochikieurope.com LinkedIn: Hochiki Europe Twitter: @HochikiEurope Facebook: Hochiki Europe (UK) Ltd Address: Hochiki Europe (UK) Ltd Grosvenor Road, Gillingham Business Park Gillingham, Kent ME8 0SA

RAILWAY APPROVED FOR THE DUBAI METRO

Hochiki ‘Railway Approved’ range, has been tested to be compliant with the DIN EN 50155:2018, standard as well as two others – DIN EN 45545-2:2016-02 (fire testing) and DIN EN 50121-3-2:2017-11 Rail EMC. Meaning that not only does Hochiki protect train stations, but we protect the actual trains themselves too from fire but also false alarms. A great example of this is our most recent rail project on the Dubai Metro.

Dubai Metro is almost 75 kilometres long, designed to transport tens of thousands of passengers every day. The system itself operates in a hot and sandy environment and is vulnerable to false alarms which could potentially cause mass disruption, costing the operator financially, especially during peak service times.

Hochiki sensors have been installed inside both the metro stations and inside the tram coaches, as this project was considered an extremely sensitive area with thousands of people transiting at a time, posing a higher chance of triggering false alarms. The system is configured so that any fire alarm triggers the sending of a command to the central station, which halts the operations within the entire network, until the problem is rectified.

This joined up approach to life safety, providing complete protection for every train passenger across their whole journey, from start to finish is just one example of how Hochiki can make a difference to rail professional’s false alarm strategy planning.