Fire Alarm Systems Compliance: The National Picture
What are the costs of failing to comply with fire alarm regulations? Safe to say, they can be significantly higher than the cost of installing and maintaining a compliant fire alarm system. Fire alarm systems compliance is checked in fire safety audits carried out by Fire & Rescue Authorities across the country.
The latest government data shows that, in the year ending March 2026, over 50,000 fire safety audits were carried out. These are not all quick drop ins; on average each audit lasted for more than five hours. And the result? Only 60% of the audits had a satisfactory outcome. This is the sort of statistic that might make you want to review your fire safety systems, documents and procedures.
The unsatisfactory outcomes were for a wide range of failures in their “duty to take general fire precautions” to failures in “training” and “provision of information to employees”. The report highlights almost 10,000 breaches of Article 17: Maintenance and more than 7,000 breaches of article 13: Fire fighting and Fire detection.
Fire Alarm Systems & Non Compliance
It’s really important to maintain a functional and compliant fire alarm systems for the safety of everyone in the building. A number of high profile incidents reported in the media have highlighted the significant financial (not to mention reputational) damage businesses can suffer due to non compliance.
Earlier this summer, a guest house in Somerset was handed a £26,000 penalty after failing to comply with fire safety regulations. This fine was the result of a single guest complaint, which led to an inspection revealing nine faults on the fire alarm system and the absence of a fire risk assessment. The guest house pleaded guilty to four offences under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Last year a business was fined £165,000 after failing to put in place fire safety precautions during renovation work to a building.
Is your fire alarm maintained and working?
A working fire alarm, with regular maintenance from a competent person is one of the areas that so many organisations appear to fall down on. Luckily, it’s not too complex to resolve. For fire alarm maintenance compliance you need a competent person. You can find one by searching the BAFE website for contractors who are approved for the maintenance of fire alarm systems, such as Keybury Fire and Security.
If your fire alarm system has a fault, it may not work when you need it to. The system should be regularly checked and any faults, messages, lights or bleeps should be reported to your fire alarm maintenance provider for investigation. Carrying out a weekly test gives you a good opportunity to take a closer look at the system. You should report any concerns immediately.
What’s the worst that could happen?
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 mandates that businesses conduct regular fire risk assessments, maintain functional fire detection systems, and ensure all safety equipment is properly serviced. Failure to do so can result in substantial fines and damage to your business reputation, if you’re lucky. On the other hand, the absence of a working fire alarm could have horrible consequences for businesses and those who work in them.
To avoid these fines, notifications and prosecutions, businesses should put a rigorous fire alarm maintenance program in place. This should include regular inspections, and of course repairs to any issues. All of this should be thoroughly documented. Stay informed about the latest fire safety regulations and keep your team up to date too to ensure compliance.
Don’t wait for a complaint or an inspection. Contact us today for expert guidance on maintaining and repairing your fire alarm system.
Keybury Fire and Security design, install, commission and maintain fire alarm systems. We’re based in Yorkshire and cover Yorkshire, Lancashire and across the North of England. Keybury are BAFE certified and NSI Gold approve. Our FIA trained team of experts bring complete peace of mind to business owners.
You can book your free fire alarm survey online. Alternatively, you can contact our team directly on 0800 458 7486 or sales@keybury.co.uk.