No law says every business must have an electrical fire alarm system, which is why the answer you get often depends on who you ask. What the law does require is that everyone in your building can be warned of a fire in time to get out. For most premises in Stockport, from a shop on the Underbanks to a unit in Bredbury, that means a proper alarm system.
Business premises fall under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. It makes the "responsible person", usually the employer, owner or occupier, responsible for carrying out a fire risk assessment and acting on it. Since October 2023 that assessment has to be written down in full, whatever the size of the business.
The Order does not name a type of alarm. It says you must have appropriate means of detecting fire and giving warning. Your risk assessment decides what "appropriate" means for your building. Locally, the Order is enforced by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, whose officers can inspect premises, issue enforcement notices and prosecute in serious cases.
A very small, single storey, open plan premises can sometimes do without an electrical system. Think of a small kiosk or a one room workshop where a fire would be seen straight away and a shout of "fire" would be heard by everyone. In that case a shouted warning or a hand operated sounder may be enough, provided your risk assessment says so in writing.
You will almost certainly need a system if any of these apply:
Commercial systems are designed to BS 5839-1, which sorts them into categories. Category M is manual only: break glass call points and sounders. The L categories add automatic detection to protect life, from L4 (escape routes only) up to L1 (detectors throughout). P categories protect property and are often what insurers ask for.
A small shop or office usually suits a conventional panel that shows which zone has triggered. Larger or more complicated buildings, such as converted mills in Reddish or multi unit industrial sites in Cheadle Heath, are better served by an addressable system that pinpoints the exact device. Wireless systems are worth considering in older or listed buildings around the Market Place, where running cable is disruptive.
Prices depend on floor area, number of rooms, ceiling heights, how easy cabling is and the category your risk assessment calls for. As a rough guide, a conventional system for a small shop or office typically comes in somewhere between £800 and £2,500 installed. A mid sized addressable system for a larger office, nursery or warehouse is more often £3,000 to £10,000 or more.
Wireless equipment costs more per device but can save on labour and making good. Treat any figure given without a site visit as a ballpark. A proper quote should refer to your fire risk assessment and state the BS 5839-1 category being installed.
Fitting the alarm is only part of the duty. BS 5839-1 recommends a weekly test using a different call point each time, with the result written in a log book, plus a service by a competent engineer at least every six months. Servicing for a small system typically runs from around £150 to £400 a year, depending on the number of devices.
Review your risk assessment whenever you change the layout, take on more staff or change what you store. An alarm that suited the last tenant may not suit the way you use the building.
Not automatically. The law requires a suitable way of detecting fire and warning people, and your written fire risk assessment decides whether that means an electrical system. In practice, any shop with a stockroom, an upper floor or flats above will need one.
It depends on your lease. Tenants are usually responsible for the area they occupy, while the landlord covers shared parts such as stairwells and corridors. Check the lease and agree in writing who tests and services the system.
BS 5839-1 recommends a weekly user test and a service by a competent engineer at least every six months. Keep a log book of both, as fire officers and insurers may ask to see it.