Visual Alarm Devices - LPCB first with UKAS
Published: 24 June, 2011
LPCB has become the first certification body in the UK to offer a UKAS-accredited service for testing and approving Visual Alarm Devices (beacons and strobes used as part of a fire detection and alarm system) to EN 54-23:2010.
From the outset, LPCB has been involved in the writing of EN 54-23 and, as well as conducting trials, has provided test methods to CEN TC72 WG3, the European standards working group responsible for writing the standard.
Raman Chagger, Senior Consultant at LPCB said “In order to provide an effective fire warning for the deaf and hard of hearing the requirements of EN 54-23:2010 are very rigorous. New light measurement equipment was designed to overcome all the technical complexities of the standard yet with the flexibility to be used for product development purposes having many additional features above and beyond the test requirements of EN 54-23.”
The bespoke piece of equipment used for conducting the majority of pulsed light measurements from EN 54-23:2010 was supplied by Product Technology Partners (www.ptpart.co.uk) and was developed with staff at LPCB.
Martin Saxon, Director of PTP said, “The technical challenges posed by the new standard are considerable, and compliance would have been hard to achieve without working in partnership with LPCB. Their application experience combined with our own expertise in the innovative use of technologies enabled the development of robust yet economic test equipment that fully meets the measurement requirements.”
The test facility was assessed by UKAS and given the go-ahead after the UKAS assessor observed successful demonstrations of all of the clauses from the standard.
The work of LPCB with EN 54-23:2010 is not limited to standards writing, testing and approving products. Recently, LPCB have produced LPS 1652 - The Code of Practice for Visual Alarm Devices with the involvement of the Fire Industry Association (FIA). The code provides recommendations for the planning, design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of Visual Alarm Devices in and around buildings. LPS 1652 will shortly be available on the redbooklive website.
