Large corporate warehouses, including shopping centres, are advised to enlist the services of certified companies for the installation of a suitable fire detection system.
This follows a 2022 report by insurance giant Allianz Global, which revealed fires led the most expensive losses for South African businesses over a five-year period Z more than 60% of the value of all claims.
Denzil Steyn, managing director of Intellisec, strongly emphasised the importance of a certified company to install a suitable fire detection system.
“Legally, any occupied building taller than 30 m (approx. 10 floors), or a floor that exceeds 5 000 m² in size, is required to have a fire detection system,” said Steyn.
“Just having a fire detection system may not guarantee an insurance pay-out.
“If the system is not properly specified for your structure, your insurance company can deny the claim. Compliance is only met if your system meets certain criteria.
“Specifically, it must be designed, installed, and maintained by competent persons conforming to SANS 10139; that is, technicians trained and certified by the South African Qualification and Certification Committee (SAQCC) or Fire Detection Industry Association (FDIA).”
Additionally, the system must be serviced every six months in order to remain compliant.
“All of this is a good reason to work with a company that specialises in fire detection systems – and can meet all legal requirements.
“A properly installed system has a self-checking function. This prevents a scenario of only discovering that your system is faulty when an actual fire breaks out.
“A proper fire detection system will also indicate the precise source of the fire, so fire-fighters do not waste time searching for it,” said Steyn.
