How to Test Safety Systems around the Home and Office

November 17, 2015

Businesses and homes should be safe places. Our home is where we want to relax and enjoy ourselves. Our business is where we want to focus on work. Safety hazards distract us and can cause stress and anxiety. We need to take precautions to make our homes and businesses feel safe and secure.

One way to have peace of mind is to have a variety of alarm and detection equipment in your home or office. Security and safety systems are constantly watchful, allowing you to relax and focus on current problems and tasks. However, safety systems can’t run on their own. They require our attention to make them effective.

You should regularly test your safety and security systems to make sure you stay protected. A failed sensor can miss a potential hazard, leading to property damage and personal injury. Tests allow you to find defective systems, ensuring your system always functions properly. Here we will explain the usage of a few security systems, and then show how you can test them and ensure your own safety.

Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors monitor the amount of smoke particles in the air. Once smoke becomes dense enough, it sets off the alarm. Their simplicity makes them appropriate for both a commercial and home setting.

You should test your smoke detector once a month. You should also replace batteries twice a year – you can use daylight savings as a reminder. Testing a smoke detector is rather easy. Here are the steps:

  1. Make sure your family or your business knows the test is occurring so the test doesn’t startle them.
  2. Have family members or workers stand in different corners and rooms of your home or office. This way you can know the range of the alarm. You should have alarms placed so everyone in the building can hear the alarm easily.
  3. Test the alarm sound by pressing the test button. Replace the battery if the sound doesn’t work and try again.
  4. You should also test the alarm’s ability to detect smoke. Light a match under the detector (but not close enough to actually harm the detector). Blow it out and allow smoke to rise, and then put the match in a bowl of water. If the alarm doesn’t react after a few moments, replace the battery and try again.
  5. If the alarm fails with either test, even after you check its power source, then you should get a new detector.

Fire Alarms
Fire alarms are smoke detectors and then some. Not only can they detect smoke, but they also detect changes in heat and atmosphere. As well, people can trigger the alarm manually. Because of their more complicated systems, fire alarms are better suited for businesses than homes.

When you test your fire alarm system, keep in mind all of its various components. You should test each sensor, as well as the communication system and firefighting systems like electromagnetic doors. Here are the steps for an effective test:

  1. Contact the monitoring company to inform them of the test. Ask them to set your system to offline mode so your test does not alert emergency services.
  2. Isolate the area to avoid affecting workers.
  3. Activate the alarm using a control panel or an actual alarm station.
  4. Monitor your system to make sure every component responded. Electromagnetic doors should close, alarms ought to sound in the building, and the monitoring company should receive an alert.
  5. Depending on the results, replace any defective equipment.

When you have safety and security systems, you ensure the people and things you care about stay safe. In addition to regular testing, security systems allow you to focus on what matters most to you. Our guide covered a handful of safety systems, but there are many more out there. Find systems that meet your needs and take steps to make your home or business safe today.

For more information, be sure to read our safety blog or contact our helpful staff at Nutech Safety in Kamloops or Kelowna should you have any further questions.

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