Healthcare

The Healthcare sector has a duty of care for its patients, staff and visitors 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 in your healthcare environment.

Introduction

Why does your Hospital need a Fire Alarm System?

To comply with legislation
To provide a duty of care
For business continuity
For the earliest possible warning of fire
For the early and controlled evacuation of patients, staff and visitors

The events that took place at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London in 2008 offered a vivid reminder of the implications of a serious hospital fire. Patients undergoing surgery at the time had to be taken off their anaesthetics and ventilators, and over 900 staff and patients had to be evacuated.

In a typical building, when the alarm goes off everyone leaves – however, this is not the case in a hospital as many of the occupants are simply unable to do so due to restricted mobility.

Although most hospitals will only call the fire brigade after confirmation that there is a fire, all hospitals have to respond as soon as an alarm activates. In order to avoid unnecessary disruption, fast, accurate and reliable fire detection has a vital role to play.

Problems & Solutions

There are many problems within the Healthcare industry which can be resolved using Hochiki's diverse range of products and services to adapt to many environments. Below are some example issues that can be seen within the industry and how they can be resolved by Hochiki.

Complex Environment

The Healthcare environment is complex, with a multitude of risk TYPES coupled with a large number of members of the public and patients, some of which cannot be easily evacuated.

Evacuation Planning

Healthcare staff need to be signalled in the event of an alarm discreetly to avoid unduly upsetting patients, particularly the elderly and infirm.

False Alarm Disturbance

The costs to the Trust to mobilise a Fire Response Team in a typical hospital can amount to well over £1000, false alarms cause undue panic but more importantly, incur a huge waste of resources.

Multi-level Risk

Healthcare sites present various LEVELS of risk and as such sometimes pose specific response procedures.

Risky Environment

Healthcare sites present an environment with many risks and an increased potential for many types of fire from kitchens to laboratories.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order

The RRFSO imposes a requirement to minimise unwanted fire alarms. Under their duty of care, head teachers, governors & college principles must be able to provide evidence that a system is fit for purpose and is designed, installed, commissioned & maintained in accordance with the relevant standards by competent contractors.

Enhanced Sensitvity

Enhanced sensitivity of our Photoelectric Smoke Sensor, means it's equally sensitive to a wide range of fire/smoke types.

Sensitivity Adjustments

Hochiki has the functionality to adjust sensor sensitivities (prealarm and alarm) to suit any specific risk.

False Alarm Reduction

Proven reliability and virtual elimination of false alarms due to a suite of software enhancements to the robust Hochiki ESP communications protocol.

Diverse Product Range

Hochiki offers a wide range of sounders capable of emitting a selection of tones at differing volumes as well as a range of visual alarm devices fully compliant to EN54 Part 23 to suit any environment or requirement based on the risk assessment.

Low Cost of Ownership

Added flexibility, low cost of ownership to the end user and the benefits of the enhanced, virtually error-free communications protocol (ESP) ensure Hochiki's products remain cost-effective, reliable and problem-free.

Reliable System

Hochiki understands the importance of a reliable and smooth running life safety system. All unwanted alarms are disruptive, creating panic in the ensuing evacuation. Also, if there is a reoccurrance of false alarms, disbelief and complacency can occur during a real fire – something that could prove to be deadly.

False Alarm Management

Removal of Unwanted Alarms

Hochiki has taken its mission to eliminate unwanted alarms to a whole new level by redesigning the chamber structure within its photoelectric smoke detector range. The result is a high performance optical chamber that is equally responsive to all smoke types and helps to reduce the possibility of unwanted alarms.

Hochiki's addressable fire detection equipment is controlled by ESP (Enhanced System Protocol),a high integrity communications platform ensuring virtually error-free communications between the fire alarm control panel and the fire sensing equipment located in the protected areas.

Cost Effective

The lifespan of a fire detection system is generally considered to be in excess of 10 years. Therefore, although the initial cost of the system is important, the total cost of ownership – maintenance, servicing, breakdown charges and product replacement costs – can be many times higher than the initial investment.

A reliable high quality fire detection system from Hochiki will ensure that unwelcome and disruptive incidents will be all but eliminated, and that the costs associated with ensuring that it remains fit for purpose are kept to a minimum.

Open protocol - complete choice and flexibility

The options afforded by the ever-evolving technologies in the fire detection world are many and varied and, for the majority of today's businesses and property owners, can be confusing. You will receive advice from all quarters; the manufacturers of the equipment, the system designers/installers or your facilities management providers.

Regardless of the reasons that any one type of system is chosen over another, there is an absolute necessity that all of its components work seamlessly in providing the rapid and dependable detection of fire.

Hochiki provides an Open Protocol type system, we provide a range of devices and distribute the technical details of their protocol to third parties such as control panel manufacturers and other device or component manufacturers allowing all of them to produce compatible equipment – all utilising the same protocol.

With a Closed Protocol system a single manufacturer produces a range of devices AND control panels that all utilise its own specific protocol. This manufacturer does not provide general access to the technical details of its protocol and restricts the use of it to certain approved installation companies.

Learn more