Fire Safety Resources – United Kingdom

Fire detection and alarm work in the UK runs on BS 5839-1, with third-party certification under the BAFE SP203-1 scheme providing the usual evidence that a company is competent to do it. The two are separate things and are regularly conflated.

BS 5839-1 tells you what a system should be. BAFE SP203-1 tells you whether the company working on it has been independently audited, and for which parts of the work. The articles here cover both, plus what happens once the system is in service and the Responsible Person owns it.

What this section covers

• BS 5839-1 system categories and how the right one is chosen
• What BAFE SP203-1 certification actually covers, module by module
• The Responsible Person duty, servicing intervals and the logbook

Who it is for

Electricians and installers moving into fire alarm work, facility managers and building owners who hold the Responsible Person duty, and anyone specifying or accepting a system.

Where training fits

BH Courses runs Level 3 BS 5839-1 covering the standard itself, and the Level 3 BAFE SP203-1 competency training pathway for companies working toward or maintaining third-party certification.