BS 5839 9 2011

BS 5839-9:2011
BSI Standards Publication
Fire detection and fire alarm

systems for buildings
Part 9: Code of practice for the
design, installation, commissioning
and maintenance of emergency voice
communication systems
BS 5839-9:2011 BRITISH STANDARD
Publishing and copyright information

The BSI copyright notice displayed in this document indicates when the
document was last issued.
© BSI 2011
ISBN 978 0 580 64108 4
ICS 13.220.20; 13.320
The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard:

Committee reference FSH/12/5
Draft for comment 09/30187281 DC
Publication history
First published February 2003
Second (present) edition January 2011
Amendments issued since publication
Date Text affected

BRITISH STANDARD BS 5839-9:2011
Contents
Foreword ii
Introduction 1
Section 1: General 2
1 Scope 2
2 Normative references 2
3 Terms and definitions 3
4 Need for an emergency voice communication system 5
5 Exchange of information and definition of responsibilities 6
6 Variations from the recommendations of this standard 7
Section 2: Design considerations 9
7 Purpose 9
8 System circuitry and software 10
9 Audio and data signal paths 11
10 Fault monitoring and indication 12
11 Outstations 16
12 Master stations 22
13 Power supplies 29
14 Cables, wiring and other interconnections 32
15 Wireless-linked EVC systems 35
16 Environmental conditions 38
17 Electromagnetic compatibility 39
18 Electrical safety 39
Section 3: Installation 41
19 Responsibility of installer 41
20 Installation practices and workmanship 41
21 Testing of wiring 42
Section 4: Commissioning and handover 44
22 Commissioning 44
23 Documentation 45
24 Certification 46
25 Acceptance 47
26 Verification 48
27 Training 48
Section 5: Maintenance 50
28 Routine testing 50
29 Inspection and servicing 51
30 Non‑routine attention 52
Section 6: User responsibilities 55
31 Responsible person 55
32 Logbook 55
Annexes
Annex A (informative) Explanation of access level 56
Annex B (normative) Modified subclauses from BS EN 54‑2:1998 57
Annex C (informative) Model certificates 59
Bibliography 66
List of figures
Figure 1 – Measuring field strength – plan view 21
Figure 2 – Measuring field strength – side view 22
Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover,
pages i to ii, pages 1 to 66, an inside back cover and a back cover.
© BSI 2011 • i
Foreword
Publishing information
This part of BS 5839 is published by BSI and came into effect on
31 January 2011. It was prepared by Subcommittee FSH/12/5, Alarm
devices, voice alarm evacuation sub-systems and emergency voice
communications, under the authority of Technical Committee FSH/12,
Fire detection and alarm systems. A list of organizations represented
on this committee can be obtained on request to its secretary.
Supersession
This part of BS 5839 supersedes BS 5839‑9:2003, which is withdrawn.
Information about this document

This is a full revision of BS 5839‑9, and introduces the following
principal changes.
• A clause on wireless-linked EVC systems has been included.
• A subclause on the use of audio frequency induction loop systems
at EVC outstations has been included.
Use of this document

As a code of practice, this part of BS 5839 takes the form of guidance
and recommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a
specification and particular care should be taken to ensure that claims
of compliance are not misleading.
Any user claiming compliance with this part of BS 5839 is expected
to be able to justify any course of action that deviates from its
recommendations.
It has been assumed in the preparation of this British Standard that the
execution of its provisions will be entrusted to appropriately qualified
and experienced people, for whose use it has been produced.
Presentational conventions
The provisions in this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright)
type. Its recommendations are expressed in sentences in which the
principal auxiliary verb is “should”.
Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented
in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.
The word “should” is used to express recommendations of this
standard. The word “may” is used in the text to express permissibility,
e.g. as an alternative to the primary recommendation of the clause.
The word “can” is used to express possibility, e.g. a consequence of an
action or an event.
Notes and commentaries are provided throughout the text of this
standard. Notes give references and additional information that are
important but do not form part of the recommendations. Commentaries
give background information.
Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions
of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from
legal obligations.
ii • © BSI 2011
Introduction
Emergency voice communication (EVC) systems allow firefighters and
others to communicate with one another during emergency situations
in and around buildings and at sports and similar venues, such as
entertainment centres. They also allow communication with disabled
persons. Emergency voice communication systems, as later defined in
this part of BS 5839, are used in connection with life safety and need,
therefore, to be subject to high standards of design, manufacture,
installation, commissioning and maintenance, similar to those covering
fire detection and fire alarm systems and voice alarm systems.
This part of BS 5839 has been prepared to:
a) give guidance to those who specify, design, manufacture,
install, commission, maintain and use such emergency voice
communication systems;
b) ensure that high standards of reliability, safety and security are
achieved, together with acceptable standards of performance.
© BSI 2011 • 1
Section 1: General
1 Scope
This part of BS 5839 provides recommendations for the planning,
design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of emergency
voice communication systems in and around buildings and at sports,
entertainment and similar venues. It does not recommend whether or
not an emergency voice communication system should be installed in
a given premises.
This part of BS 5839 primarily relates to the use of emergency voice
communication (EVC) in assisting both firefighters and those responsible
for evacuating buildings or sports stadiums in fire emergency situations,
including evacuation of disabled persons. Use, other than in fire
emergency situations, by disabled persons and others, although not
precluded, is not addressed in detail.
Other than in exceptional circumstances, EVC systems are not intended
as the means of raising a fire alarm, in lieu of manual call points. Refer
to BS 5839‑1 for guidance on fire detection and alarm systems.
This part of BS 5839 covers systems with components linked by wires,
wirelessly, or a combination of both.
This part of BS 5839 covers emergency voice communication systems
and is therefore not intended to cover general‑purpose intercom
systems, lift intercom systems, local (internal) telephone systems for
general use, or any external communication systems, such as the
public switched telephone network and cellular telephone networks.
Voice alarm systems are primarily intended for the automatic
broadcasting of evacuation messages; they are covered by
BS 5839‑8 and are therefore excluded from this part of BS 5839.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the
application of this document. For dated references, only the edition
cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
BS 476 (relevant parts), Fire tests on building materials and structures
BS 5499‑1, Graphical symbols and signs – Safety signs, including fire
safety signs – Part 1: Specification for geometric shapes, colours and
layout
BS 5839‑1:2002+A2:2008, Fire detection and alarm systems for
buildings – Part 1: Code of practice for system design, installation,
commissioning and maintenance
BS 7671, Requirements for electrical installations – IEE Wiring
Regulations – Seventeenth edition
BS 9999:2008, Code of practice for fire safety in the design, management
and use of buildings
BS EN 54‑2:1998+A1:2006, Fire detection and fire alarm systems –
Part 2: Control and indicating equipment
BS EN 54‑3, Fire detection and fire alarm systems – Part 3: Fire alarm
devices – Sounders
2 • © BSI 2011
BS EN 54‑4:1998+A2:2006, Fire detection and fire alarm systems –

Part 4: Power supply equipment
BS EN 54‑16:2008, Fire detection and fire alarm systems – Part 16:
Voice alarm control and indicating equipment
BS EN 54‑23, Fire detection and fire alarm systems – Part 23: Fire alarm
devices – Visual alarm devices
BS EN 60529, Specification for degrees of protection provided by
enclosures (IP code)
BS EN 60702‑1, Mineral insulated cables and their terminations with a
rated voltage not exceeding 750 V – Part 1: Cables [IEC 60702‑1]
BS EN 60702‑2, Mineral insulated cables and their terminations with a
rated voltage not exceeding 750 V – Part 2: Terminations [IEC 60702‑2]
BS EN 60118‑4, Electroacoustics – Hearing aids – Part 4: Induction loop
systems for hearing aid purposes – Magnetic field strength
BS EN 61672-1, Electroacoustics – Sound level meters – Part 1:
Specifications
[1] Approved Document B (Fire safety) – Volume 2: Buildings other
than dwellinghouses (2006 edition). ISBN‑13: 978 0 117 03725 0.
[2] Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). Guide
to Safety at Sports Grounds. The Stationery Office, 2008.
ISBN-13: 978 0 11 702074 0.
[3] Fire Safety Guide No. 3, Phased Evacuation from Office Buildings.
London District Surveyors Association.
3 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this part of BS 5839, the following terms and
definitions apply.
3.1 access level
one of several states of the EVC system in which selected:
• controls can be operated,
• manual operations can be carried out,
• indications are visible and/or
• information can be obtained
NOTE Further information on access level is given in Annex A.
3.2 competent person

person with the necessary training and experience, and with access
to the requisite tools, equipment and information, and capable of
carrying out a defined task
3.3 duplex operation
operation of transmitting and receiving apparatus at one location in
conjunction with associated transmitting and receiving equipment at
another location, the processes of transmission and reception being
concurrent
3.4 emergency voice communication system
EVC system
system that allows voice communication in either direction between
a central control point and a number of other points throughout a
building or building complex, particularly in a fire emergency situation
© BSI 2011 • 3
3.5 evacuation lift

lift that may be used for the evacuation of disabled people in a fire
under the direction of management or firefighters
3.6 EVC mode
status of a system whereby communication is taking place between
type A or B outstations and a master station
NOTE If the system is used for purposes other than EVC, then their
functions are to be overridden by the EVC functions.
3.7 firefighting lobby

protected lobby providing access from a firefighting stair to the
accommodation area, and to any associated firefighting lift
3.8 firefighting stair
protected stairway communicating with the accommodation area only
through a firefighting lobby
3.9 fire telephone system
commonly‑used form of emergency voice communication system that
includes telephone handsets at outstations and usually also at master
stations
3.10 group call
call made from a master station to more than one outstation
simultaneously
3.11 handset
part of a telephone, combining receiver and transmitter, one at each
end of the handle
3.12 hook‑switch
switch operated automatically by removal of a handset from, or
replacement of a handset in, its rest position
3.13 intelligibility
measure of the proportion of the content of a speech message that
can be correctly understood
3.14 master station
control unit located at a central control point which controls the
EVC system
NOTE In large buildings or building complexes, there may be several
master stations communicating with each other.
3.15 non-EVC mode

status of a system whereby communication is taking place between
devices other than type A and B outstations and the master station
NOTE Non-EVC functions typically include help points, lift intercoms and
accessible toilet alarms.
3.16 off‑hook
status of a handset when removed from its normal rest position to
initiate an outgoing call or receive an incoming call
3.17 on‑hook
status of a handset when in its normal rest position, terminating a call
or permitting notification of an incoming call
3.18 outstation
unit, located at a strategic point in a building or building complex,
that allows two‑way voice conversation with a master station
4 • © BSI 2011
3.19 phased evacuation

system of evacuation in which different parts of the premises are
evacuated in a controlled sequence of phases, those parts of the
premises expected to be at greatest risk being evacuated first
3.20 protected lobby/corridor
circulation area consisting of a lobby or corridor enclosed with
fire‑resisting construction (other than any part that is an external wall
of a building)
3.21 protected stairway
stair discharging through a final exit to a place of safety (including
any exit passageway between the foot of the stair and the final exit)
that is enclosed with fire resisting construction
3.22 refuge
area that is enclosed with fire‑resisting construction (other than any
part that is an external wall of a building) and served directly by a safe
route to a storey exit, evacuation lift or final exit, thus constituting
a temporarily safe space for disabled people to await assistance for
their evacuation
NOTE The term disabled people can also include any person who is
unable to safely use an exit route, e.g. people with back or sports injuries,
pregnant women and those who cannot walk unaided.
3.23 VSWR
voltage standing wave ratio
measure of how efficiently radio-frequency power is transferred to
the antenna system
3.24 wireless link budget
accounting of all the gains and losses through the transmitting medium
to the receiver. It accounts for the attenuation of the transmitted
signal due to propagation, as well as the antenna gains, feedlines and
miscellaneous losses
3.25 wireless repeater
device used to extend the coverage of a wireless-linked system
4 Need for an emergency voice

communication system
COMMENTARY ON CLAUSE 4
An EVC system enables communication between strategic points
throughout the building or site and the central control point(s). EVC
systems are generally needed in the following situations:
a) In any building or sports or similar venues where there are disabled
people or people who may have difficulty negotiating the evacuation
route.
b) In buildings with phased evacuation and/or firefighting lifts where
it facilitates secure communications for building managers, fire
wardens and attending fire officers.
NOTE Installation of an EVC system might be appropriate for buildings
without phased evacuation where the types, size and/or shape of the
building necessitates communication between remote locations and a
central control point, to facilitate evacuation or firefighting.
c) At sports venues and in similar complexes, where it will assist
stewards in controlling the evacuation of the area in an emergency.
© BSI 2011 • 5
In some buildings it might be necessary to take into consideration that

the EVC system will address multiple uses and the outstation design will
reflect its intended use.
The need for EVC in any specific building or complex will normally be
determined by the appropriate regulation and/or a fire risk assessment
carried out by the owner, landlord, occupier(s), employer(s) or other
responsible person, as appropriate.
The following should be consulted when determining the type and
function of an EVC system:
a) Approved Document B (Fire safety) – Volume 2: Buildings other
than dwellinghouses [1];
b) BS 9999;
c) Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, Fifth edition, 2008 [2];
d) Fire Safety Guide No 3, Phased Evacuation from Office Buildings.
London District Surveyors Association [3];
e) guidance documents that support fire safety legislation;
f) any authority responsible for enforcing fire safety legislation that
applies to the premises.
5 Exchange of information and definition

of responsibilities
The main purpose of an EVC system is to support the fire safety strategy
of the building or complex (see Clause 7). It is therefore important that
system design suitably supports the required evacuation and firefighting
procedures.
The system requirements, including those imposed by the evacuation
procedures, the configuration of the building or complex, and the use to
which the building is put, need to be ascertained as accurately as possible
by consultation between the user or purchaser and other interested
parties, such as the enforcing authority. A key performance requirement
to be determined in relation to EVC systems is whether there is a need for
calls to be made to, as well as from, outstations. Any proposal to make
outstations more secure [see 11.5g)] needs to also be agreed with the
interested parties.
There ought also to be relevant consultation between the user or
purchaser and the system designer. The design may be undertaken by the
supplier, the installer, representatives of the user or purchaser, or by any
combination of these parties.
The following recommendations are applicable:
a) The user or purchaser of the system should ensure that, to the
extent appropriate, there is consultation at, or prior to, the
system design stage with the authority enforcing legislation
(e.g. the building control body, fire and rescue authority, local
authority or Health and Safety Executive) and, where applicable,
the police service.
NOTE 1 Where any variations from the recommendations of this
part of BS 5839 are proposed, they need to be agreed with the
relevant interested parties.
b) The purchaser or user should ensure that the designer of an EVC
system is adequately apprised of the objectives of the system and,
6 • © BSI 2011
in particular, whether there is a requirement for calls to be made

to, as well as from, outstations.
c) The designer of the system should ensure that, to the extent
appropriate, there is consultation at the design stage with all
relevant interested parties within the following list:
• the user or purchaser;
• the supplier of the system;
• the installer of the system;
• consultants (including architects, mechanical and
electrical consultants, fire safety engineering consultants,
access consultants, acoustic consultants and risk assessment
consultants).
NOTE 2 Some of the consultations may be undertaken by parties such
as the designer or consultants, acting on behalf of the user or purchaser.
d) The installer of the system should ensure that, to the extent
appropriate, there is consultation with all relevant interested
parties within the following list:
• the designer;
• the supplier of the system;
• consultants (including architects, mechanical and
electrical consultants, fire safety engineering consultants,
access consultants, acoustic consultants and risk assessment
consultants).
e) Before an order is placed for the system, the responsibility for each
of the following stages should be clearly defined and documented:
• system design;
• installation;
• commissioning and certification.
6 Variations from the recommendations of

this standard
This part of BS 5839 is a code of practice and, as such, its contents
take the form of recommendations, rather than requirements. The
recommendations, which are based on recognized good practice in the
design, installation and maintenance of EVC systems, are suitable for the
majority of normal applications. There will, however, be applications in
which the recommendations may be unsuitable and would lead to systems
that would be unnecessarily expensive, incorporating measures that could
not be regarded as cost‑effective, or that could be difficult to install.
This does not, however, imply that the designer or installer ought to
have freedom to ignore the recommendations of this standard under
circumstances in which a user, purchaser or enforcing authority seeks
compliance with it. Variations are always the subject of specific agreement
amongst all interested parties and need to be clearly identified in all
relevant system documentation. Some variations may arise from a fire
risk assessment, or may be based upon the engineering judgement of a
competent person. There might, for example, be situations where the
number or siting of outstations would not conform exactly to this code of
practice for reasons relating to the particular building construction.
© BSI 2011 • 7
The following recommendations are applicable.

a) Any variations from the recommendations of this part of
BS 5839 incorporated within a specification or design proposal
should be clearly identified, so that they are obvious to any party
from whom approval of the specification or design proposal may
be sought, such as the user, purchaser, or enforcing authority.
b) Any variations from the recommendations of this part of BS 5839
identified or proposed during installation or commissioning,
but not clearly identified in the documented design, should be
documented (other than in the case of errors or “snags” for
which rectification is proposed), for subsequent approval.
NOTE This recommendation is not intended to imply that it is the
responsibility of the installer or commissioning engineer to verify or
certificate compliance of the installation design with this standard.
However, if variations are identified by an installer or commissioning
engineer, particularly variations related to circumstances that might
not have been known to the designer (e.g. structural features of
the building that affect outstation number or siting), they need to
be documented for referral to the designer, user or purchaser for
agreement or action.
c) All variations, whether of the type described in a) or b), should
be agreed amongst the interested parties (see Clause 5).
d) All variations should be listed in the system certificate
(see Clause 25).
8 • © BSI 2011
Section 2: Design considerations
7 Purpose
Emergency voice communications systems, in the context of this part
of BS 5839, are intended for specific types of communication. They are
not, for example, designed for general use for non‑emergency purposes,
and the location and construction of EVC system component parts
(see Clause 11 and Clause 12) tend to illustrate this.
Intended uses for EVC systems are as follows.
a) Use by the management of the building or complex for its initial
evacuation:
In the first stages of evacuation, before the fire and rescue service
arrives, the EVC system may be used for communication between a
person at a fire control centre with, for example, fire wardens or fire
marshals on various floors of the building or with stewards at a sports
venue. Typically, in the case of a building, a call would be made from
an outstation on a particular floor to advise the fire control centre
that the floor in question had been cleared of occupants.
b) Use by the fire and rescue service during an evacuation:
After arrival in the building or at the venue, the fire and rescue
service would normally take over control of evacuation, with an
officer at the fire control centre communicating with other officers
via the EVC system.
c) Use by the fire and rescue service after evacuation:
During the course of a fire, the fire and rescue service would continue
to use EVC after completion of evacuation, to assist firefighting.
d) Use by disabled people:
Particularly during a fire, but also in any other emergency situation,
disabled persons in refuges (and anyone who is not able to use an
exit route – see Note to 3.23) would be able to identify their presence
and communicate with a person, e.g. a control room operator,
at the fire control centre, via appropriately situated outstations.
Such communication arrangements would then conform to the
recommendations of BS 9999:2008, 46.8 on use of refuges, which
states “To address these issues there needs to be a system of two‑way
communication between those waiting in each refuge and the team
who are organizing the evacuation of the building. These two‑way
communication systems need to be such that they are readily operated
by, and comprehensible to, all persons likely to need to use them..”,
BS 9999:2008, 4.6 on inclusive design; BS 9999:2008, 17.1 on horizontal
escape; BS 9999:2008, 18.8 on methods of vertical escape for disabled
people and BS 9999:2008, 41.9 on communications.
e) Other uses:
1) An EVC system may be used by designated persons within a
building for non‑emergency purposes; for example, someone
on a security patrol could use outstations to communicate
that person’s location to the fire control centre (which would
normally also be a security centre).
2) An outstation may have a “loud speak” capability, allowing voice
messages or signals arising from a master station to be broadcast
over a limited area in the region of the outstation. This facility
might be used to allow the operator at the master station to
continue to speak to someone in distress near the outstation.
© BSI 2011 • 9
3) Whether on- or off‑hook, an outstation may also have a “listen”

facility such that any sound in its immediate vicinity can be
heard at the relevant master station(s). In addition to enabling
the operator at the master station to listen generally for any
sounds near outstations, this facility might be used to allow that
operator to continue a conversation with someone in distress
near an outstation.
4) Use for communication between outstations ought to be
available only under the control of the master station.
NOTE When a group call is made by a master station, there may
be a “conferencing” outcome, such that outstations are able to
communicate with other outstations as well as with the master
station. The facilities referred to in e) as “other uses” are not
addressed within the scope of this standard.
5) Communication with Help Points.
6) Communication with lift intercoms, particularly in evacuation and
fire-fighting lifts (see BS 9999:2008, 46.9 on evacuation using lifts).
7) Signals from alarm systems in accessible WCs.
a) Other than in the case of EVC systems provided in refuges, users
of an EVC system should generally be restricted to appropriate
staff (e.g. stewards, fire marshals and control room operators)
and members of the fire and rescue service.
b) Communication should be between an outstation and a master
station, not between an outstation and any other outstation,
except where this is possible only because the relevant master
station has performed a group call.
c) Communication should normally be initiated from the outstation.
However, the facility to call an outstation from the master
station might be required in some applications. This should be
determined by consultation with interested parties (see Clause 5).
d) Optional features such as the capability for “loudspeaking” and
“listening” may also be provided subject to the following.
1) Where a voice alarm is installed in the building or complex,
care should be taken that voice alarm emergency broadcast
is not affected adversely or overridden by use of the
“loudspeaking” capability of the EVC system as described
in Commentary e)2) on Clause 7.
2) Where an outstation has the “listening” capability described
in Commentary e)3) on Clause 7, this should not interfere
with the use of the EVC system for communications within
the scope of this code of practice.
8 System circuitry and software

The components of EVC systems may be interconnected in various ways.
A radial wiring arrangement can be used. It might, however, be more
economical for cable to use a loop configuration, or multiple loops.
Wireless-links, or any combination of wireless or wired links may also be
used. Whichever arrangement is chosen, circuits need to be continuously
monitored for faults and circuit design needs to be as resilient as possible
to faults.
10 • © BSI 2011
It is important that unauthorized persons are not able to operate the

equipment and that unauthorized changes are not made to system
configuration.
a) A radial‑wired system may be used. In this case, if a cable fault
occurs, an individual fault indication should be given, specifically
related to the radial link affected. [see 10.2a)3)iv)].
b) Alternatively, a single or multiple loop configuration may be used.
In either case, for integrity in operation, each loop should be
closed, such that emergency voice communication can continue
to take place between any outstation and the master station, in
the event of an open‑circuit of the loop at any one point. Fault
monitoring of the loop(s) should be as recommended in 10.2a)3)iv).
c) A wireless-linked system may be used. In this case, if a link fails an
individual fault indication should be given at the master station,
specifically related to the link affected [see 10.2a)3)vi)].
d) Where program‑controlled systems are used changes to the
programs should be possible only at access level 3 or 4.
NOTE Access levels are described in Annex A.
e) Master stations should be able to be operated only at access level 2.
f) Outstations for public use, such as outstations in refuges, should
be at access level 1 but outstations for restricted use, such as fire
telephones, should be at access level 2.
g) If a master station is supplied with power from power supply
equipment contained in a separate enclosure, the connections
between the equipment should be duplicated such that a single
open or short‑circuit in the connections does not completely
remove power from that master station.
9 Audio and data signal paths

In an emergency situation, delays in voice communication need to be
minimized. Conversation in an emergency needs to involve no further
actions by the outstation user other than initiation, and communication
quality ought to be as a normal telephone or hands-free telephone system.
Conversation needs to be as near continuous as possible. If however a
technical requirement arises whereby the full duplex nature of a two way
conversation is not possible, then any manual speech direction steering
requirement needs to be controlled by the master station operator, and
not involve any action by the outstation user. Since it is quite possible
that a handset could be accidentally left off‑hook (or the door of its
enclosure could be left open), particularly in an emergency, it is important
that this does not jeopardize the correct operation of the remainder of
the EVC system.
Similarly, it is possible for a “call” button to become jammed in the
“call” position. Once again, it is important that this does not affect
communication between other elements of the EVC system.
Compatibility of EVC system components, both within a master station
or outstation, and particularly between master station and outstation, is
necessary for effective communication. A typical EVC system will be supplied
as a complete set of equipment, without wiring. Outstations may be
presumed to have been designed to be compatible with the master stations
© BSI 2011 • 11
supplied. However, it is important to use the correct type of interconnecting

cables and for the cable links to be reliable. In the case of wireless-linked
systems it is important that the signal strength of each wireless link has
sufficient wireless link budget to ensure that the link is reliable.
The system designers might wish to incorporate the EVC system into other
systems such as building management systems, fire detection and fire
alarm, voice alarm, telephone systems, intercoms or LAN based systems. In
such cases, the primary objective of the system is to ensure that it operates
reliably and in the manner recommended by this code of practice.
a) Type A outstations, which use a telephone-style handset, should
employ full duplex speech communication. Type B outstations,
which use an intercom-style fixed microphone and adjacent
loudspeaker, may be full duplex. However, they may use automatic
voice level speech direction steering techniques as employed in
hands free loud-speaking telephones or they may use manual
steering from the master station.
b) When a call is initiated, either at an outstation or at a master
station, the incoming call warning indication at the receiving end
should operate within three seconds of the initiation.
c) If any outstation handset is off‑hook, this should not affect
communication between any other outstation on the EVC system
and the master station.
d) Jamming of a “call” button or any other means of initiating a call
should not affect communication between any other outstation
on the EVC system and the master station.
e) Compatibility should be ensured between system components. In
particular, master stations and outstations should be compatible.
Generally, therefore, it is recommended that the complete
equipment set for an EVC system should be purchased from one
supplier, which would then have responsibility for its overall
performance.
f) Interconnections should be in accordance with the
recommendations of Clause 14 and should be monitored for
faults as recommended in 10.1d).
g) Where an EVC system is incorporated into another system, or
where another system or systems are incorporated with an
EVC system, the recommendations of this standard should take
precedence. Any fault in the non-EVC system should not affect
the operation of the EVC system.
10 Fault monitoring and indication

EVC needs to be a secure and reliable means of communication.
Nevertheless, however good its design and installation, there is still the
possibility of an EVC system developing a fault. A fault could occur within
a master station, a wireless repeater or an outstation, in a power supply,
or anywhere in the system wiring. Such faults need to be detected and
indicated without delay, so that a service engineer may be called in to
effect any necessary repairs.
12 • © BSI 2011
10.1 Fault conditions

The master station should be capable of monitoring any of the
following conditions:
a) power supply fault indications as required by BS EN 54‑4;
b) rupture of any fuses or operation of automatic circuit breaker,
isolator or protective devices that could prevent voice
communication in an emergency;
c) failure of any transmission path including any open-or short‑circuit
fault up to the transducers in a handset;
d) open‑circuit, and short‑circuit faults on interconnecting cabling
or failure of any transmission path linking any outstation to
any master station including any cables between a handset and
outstation enclosure;
e) any earth fault on interconnecting cabling linking any outstation to
any master station, where this fault would inhibit any mandatory
function of the system;
f) any failure of a wireless link from an outstation to a master station
either direct or via a wireless repeater;
g) failure of any processor to correctly execute its software program,
including cessation of any scanning or interrogating process, or
detection of any error in memory checking procedures.
All of the above faults a) to g) should be monitored at all times,
including when the system is in non-EVC mode.
10.2 Fault indications

a) The following fault indications should be given at all master stations
in the system within 100 s of the occurrence of a fault regardless of
whether the EVC system is in EVC mode or non-EVC mode:
1) an audible warning device, preferably within each master
station. The sound level should not be less than 50 dB(A) at
one metre from the master station, when measured with an
instrument conforming to BS EN 61672-1, any group, either
Class 1 or Class 2, with time weighting (slow);
NOTE A master station ought to be located in an area with low
background noise.
However, if the background noise exceeds 47 dB LAeq, 5 min , the
level of sound from the audible warning device should be at
least 3 dB above that of the background noise. An (additional)
external audible warning device might then be required.
2) a visible indication by means of a separate light emitting
indicator (the general fault indicator);
3) separate light emitting indicators and/or a graphic or
alphanumeric display, giving the following:
i) a visible indication, common to all power supplies, of the
faults described in 10.1a);
ii) a visible indication, common to all signal paths, of the
rupture of any fuse or operation of protective device, as
© BSI 2011 • 13
described in 10.1b), if the fault is capable of adversely

affecting emergency voice communication and is not
otherwise indicated as a fault of a monitored function;
iii) an individual visible indication, for each outstation, of
the faults described in 10.1c), except in the event of a
fault of the type described in 10.1b), that would prevent
transmission of the fault signal to the master station;
iv) in the case of radially‑wired systems, an individual visible
indication, for each cable connecting an outstation to
the master station, of the faults described in 10.1d). In
the case of a loop‑wired system, assuming the loop to
be closed as recommended in Clause 8b), an individual
visible indication, for each such loop, of the faults
described in 10.1d);
v) a visible indication common to faults described in 10.1d)
and e). This indication may be the general fault indicator.
4) all fault indications should conform to the design requirements
of BS EN 54‑16:2008, 13.7;
5) graphic and alphanumeric displays should conform to
BS EN 54‑16:2008, 13.8, except that “the voice alarm
condition” is replaced by “a call from an outstation”.
b) The indication of faults that exist prior to emergency use of the
system may be suppressed during emergency use, except the
general fault indicator.
c) If the indication of any fault condition is suppressed during
emergency voice communication, the indication should be given
in accordance with the recommendations of 10.2a) within 100 s
after cessation of that communication.
10.3 Audible fault warning

The audible fault warning recommended in 10.2a)1) should be
different from the audible warning of an incoming call. This audible
fault warning should sound for a minimum of 0.5 s every 5 s.
10.4 Silencing of the audible fault warning

Provision may be made for manually silencing the audible fault
warning. [See 12.2i)].
10.5 Resetting from the fault warning condition

Resetting from the fault warning condition should either be automatic
when all faults are removed (non‑latching fault warnings), or should
be by a manual control (latching fault warnings). If the fault warning
condition can be cancelled by resetting when the fault(s) still exists, then
the fault warning condition should be restored within 100 s.
NOTE It is permissible for the fault warnings to latch for some types of
fault and not for others.
14 • © BSI 2011
10.6 Monitoring of software controlled equipment

The correct operation of the system software by any processor
should be monitored by internal self‑checking procedures and by an
appropriate monitoring circuit, e.g. a watch‑dog circuit, in accordance
with the following recommendations.
a) The monitoring circuit and its associated indication and signalling
circuits should not be prevented from determining and signalling
a fault condition by the failure of any monitored processor or
associated clock circuits.
b) The monitoring circuit should monitor the operation of routines
associated with the functions of the main program elements;
i.e. it should not be solely associated with “waiting” or other
“housekeeping” routines.
c) In the event of failure by a microprocessor to execute its software
correctly the monitoring circuit should, in addition to initiating an
audible and visual fault warning, perform as follows:
1) re‑initialize the processor and attempt to restart the program
at a suitable point within 10 s of the occurrence of the failure.
The re‑initialization procedure should verify that the contents
of the memory, both program and data, are not corrupted;
2) either:
i) record that a failure has occurred using a system capable
of recording a minimum of 999 failures and resettable
only by an operation restricted to authorized servicing
personnel; or
ii) automatically reset the equipment and give both a visual
and audible warning that an automatic reset has occurred.
10.7 System integrity

10.7.1 A fault in one circuit or wireless transmission path between an
outstation and a master station, or between master stations, should
not affect any other such circuit or path.
NOTE This means, for example, that where, in a wired system, a master
station is radially connected to a number of outstations, an open or short
circuit occurring on one radial circuit from one outstation will affect
emergency voice communication to and from that outstation only.
10.7.2 In a wired system, where a master station is connected to
a number of outstations via one ring (closed loop) circuit, in the
event of a single open circuit or short circuit fault in that circuit, an
appropriate fault indication should be given at the master station but
emergency voice communication to and from all outstations on the
circuit should be unaffected by the fault.
10.7.3 In a wired system, where a master station is connected to
a number of outstations via one ring (closed loop) circuit, in the
event of a single open circuit or short circuit fault in that circuit, an
appropriate fault indication should be given at the master station
but emergency voice communication to and from outstations on the
circuit should be unaffected by the fault, except for those within the
fire compartment in which the fault occurred.
© BSI 2011 • 15
10.7.4 In a wired system, different circuits interconnecting master

stations and outstations should not be contained within a common
cable sheath and, where a master station is connected to a number of
outstations via one ring (closed loop) circuit, ‘go’ and ‘return’ sections
of that circuit should not be contained within a common cable sheath.
NOTE For example, if a number of circuits are served by a multicore cable
this will not adequately protect against loss of some or all such circuits
because of fire or mechanical damage.
10.7.5 If a master station is powered by power supply equipment
contained in a separate enclosure, the connections between the
equipment should be duplicated such that a single open or short
circuit in the connections does not completely remove power from the
master station. The duplicated cables should be separated by at least
300 mm where practicable. Where a power supply unit or a standby
battery is housed in a separate enclosure from the master station,
any cable between that enclosure and the master station should be
suitably protected against overcurrent in accordance with BS 7671.
NOTE Where the enclosure is located immediately adjacent to, and in
contact with, the master station, such that cables run directly between the
enclosure and the master station, the enclosure need not be regarded as
separate from the master station; the recommendations of this subclause
do not then apply.
11 Outstations
11.1 General
COMMENTARY ON 11.1
An EVC system contains a number of outstations, located at strategic
points throughout a building or complex. Intercoms for disabled people
may be included as forms of outstations, but there will often be several
outstations specifically located for use by persons such as firefighters,
during evacuation of the building or during firefighting.
Two (physical) types of outstation are covered by this code of practice.
These are:
a) Type A – an outstation using a telephone‑style handset for voice
communication, so that the user’s mouth and ear can be as close as
possible to the microphone and ear‑piece, respectively.
b) Type B – an outstation using an intercom‑style fixed microphone and
adjacent loudspeaker, normally mounted on a wall or other vertical
surface.
During an evacuation or firefighting in a building or at a complex,
there might be a high level of background noise. It is important that
outstation design minimizes the effect of background noise upon voice
communication.
An outstation needs to be of high integrity so that it may be used in an
emergency with high confidence that it will operate correctly.
a) An outstation intended for evacuation or firefighting use should
be type A [see Commentary a) on 11.1]. A type B outstation
[see Commentary b) on 11.1] should be used for such purposes
only where it is impractical to install a type A outstation.
b) An outstation intended for use by disabled people at refuges may
be either type A or type B.
16 • © BSI 2011
However, type B outstations should be used in situations where

the outstation will be operated by members of the public.
c) When an outgoing call has been initiated, a reassurance tone, i.e. a
tone similar to the ringing tone in a normal telephone system, or a
reassurance message should be heard by the caller at the outstation
via either the handset ear‑piece or the integral loudspeaker.
11.2 Controls
COMMENTARY ON 11.2
Controls at outstations are for use during emergencies. It is therefore
essential that operation of an outstation be as simple as possible, to avoid
confusion. All controls need to be clearly labelled.
a) For operation of type A outstations, no controls should be necessary
to make a call in EVC mode; i.e. lifting the handset to make a call
should automatically operate the hook‑switch or, alternatively,
opening the door of the enclosure should initiate the call.
b) Operation of type B outstations should require only use of a
single call button to initiate a call. This control should be a
momentary‑action pushbutton switch so that there is no need for
it to be mechanically reset after use.
c) In the case of type B outstations, consideration should be given
to the inclusion of means to help locate the call button. For
example, a raised bezel might be fitted around the pushbutton.
d) Both type A and type B outstations should be labelled with simple
instructions on how to initiate a call. Preference should be given
to pictograms to describe the method of operation.
11.3 Indications
COMMENTARY ON 11.3
It is important for indications at an outstation to be kept to the minimum
to avoid any confusion in an emergency.
For outstations intended to receive incoming calls, the incoming call needs
to be indicated audibly and, where necessary, visually.
a) Where the facility for calls to, as well as from, outstations is
required [see Clause 5b)], an audible warning of an incoming
call should be provided at every outstation. This warning may be
given by the ear‑piece of a handset, a loudspeaker, or a separate
audible fault warning device. The audible warning should sound
continuously or in pulsing mode (sounding for a minimum of 0.5 s
every 5 s) when there is an incoming call. For a type A outstation,
the sound should be cancelled when the handset is removed from
its hook or the outstation’s door is opened, depending on the
mode of operation. In the case of a type B outstation, the audible
warning should be cancelled preferably via the call button (which
then acts also as a “audible warning silence” control).
b) For a type A outstation, if a handset is left off‑hook or the
outstation door is left open (depending upon the mode of
operation) after a call has been completed, the master station
should preferably still be able to initiate an audible warning at
the outstation.
© BSI 2011 • 17
c) Where high background noise is unavoidably present, the

audible warning signal may be external to the outstation and
be supplemented by audible and/or visual indicators. Audible
indicators should conform to BS EN 54‑3 and visual indicators
should conform to BS EN 54‑23.
External wiring between the outstation and external indicators
should be monitored for open- and short-circuit faults.
d) A red indicator or appropriate text on a graphic or alphanumeric
display should be provided to illuminate, either steadily or in
flashing mode, when there is an incoming call, except where the
outstation is dedicated to use as a fire telephone.
11.4 Electrical performance

COMMENTARY ON 11.4
An EVC system is expected to be safe, secure and able to perform its
designed functions satisfactorily. Since the main function of an EVC system
is voice communication, audibility and intelligibility of conversation is very
important.
a) Operating voltage should be extra low voltage, as defined in
BS 7671. Guidance on wiring is provided in Clause 14. Earthing
of the housing of an outstation should also be in accordance with
BS 7671.
b) Outstations should be monitored for faults [see 10.1a)].
c) Both microphone and ear‑piece or loudspeaker should have a
minimum ±3 dB frequency response of 250 Hz to 4 kHz. Where a
fixed microphone is used, the minimum ±3 dB frequency response
should be 250 Hz to 5 kHz.
d) Any pre‑amplifier or other circuitry within an outstation
should have a bandwidth such as to prevent the overall audio
transmission bandwidth falling below 250 Hz to 4 kHz.
11.5 Mechanical details

COMMENTARY ON 11.5
Outstations in an EVC system need to be secure, robust, suitable for the
environment, easy to locate and readily accessible in an emergency.
a) Handsets of type A outstations should be enclosed in a housing
with a door or removable front panel.
b) All parts of an outstation should be of robust construction,
including, as appropriate to type, housing and/or front panel,
handset, curly cord to handset, hook‑switch, and push button.
c) In locations where surface‑mounted outstations could obstruct or
injure people, or could readily suffer damage, outstations should
be flush‑mounted.
d) Where an outstation is mounted outdoors, e.g. at a sports venue,
it should be weatherproof, i.e. housed in an enclosure providing a
degree of protection of at least IP65, as specified in BS EN 60529. If
mounted indoors, the degree of protection should be at least IP3X.
NOTE 1 If an outstation could be subject to water spray or splashing,
higher IP classification for the enclosure might be needed.
18 • © BSI 2011
e) Housings on front panels of outstations provided for firefighting

use should be red in colour or otherwise be indicated by means of a
red sign conforming to the requirements of BS 5499‑1. Housings or
front panels provided for refuge communication by disabled people
should be green in colour or otherwise be indicated by means of a
green sign conforming to the requirements of BS 5499‑1.
f) Outstations should generally be readily accessible for use at all
times. Where an outstation is unavoidably mounted in an area
readily accessible by the public or where it might be subject
to abuse, it may be secured, provided that a reliable means of
opening it in an emergency is readily available.
g) If the door to an outstation is remotely unlocked or opened
under control of the fire detection and fire alarm system or other
emergency warning system it should not shut or relock until the
warning system is manually reset.
If the door to an outstation is remotely unlocked or opened
under control of authorized staff at the controlling master station
the controls should be at access level 2. It should only relock
under the control of authorized staff at the controlling master
station at access level A2.
NOTE 2 There may be a manual means of opening the door at the
outstation.
NOTE 3 Access levels are described in Annex A.
h) Where key locking is used as a method of securing the outstation,
all outstations should have a common key. The user should be
provided with sufficient keys for all relevant personnel.
i) Any proposal to secure an outstation should be agreed with the
interested parties [see Clause 5a)].
j) In sports venues, outstations should be key locked to avoid misuse.
NOTE 4 Safety measures ought to ensure that management and
stewards or marshals have appropriate keys and are trained to use
the outstations in the event of emergencies.
k) Outstations provided for use by people at refuges should be
readily available at all times and should not be secured.
11.6 Location
COMMENTARY ON 11.6
The preferred location of an outstation varies dependent upon its
use. Outstations for use by disabled people will need to be located in
designated refuges, and outstations for evacuation/firefighting purposes
where they would be of most use to firefighters and persons controlling
an evacuation in an emergency, (e.g. in lobbies of firefighting staircases).
Outstations need to be mounted at a height appropriate to the application.
The main purpose of an EVC is effective communication and so it is essential
that background noise levels in the vicinity of outstations are kept as low as
possible. Outstations have to be located in fire fighting lobbies or in refuges
and, during an emergency, the background sound level may be significantly
increased due to, for instance, fire alarm sounders, stair-core pressurization
or extraction fans and building occupants.
© BSI 2011 • 19

a) The number and location of outstations should be as agreed with
the appropriate interested parties [see Clause 5a)].
b) The number and location of outstations should be determined on
the basis of the purpose of the EVC system (see Clause 7).
c) Within a sports or similar venue, no‑one should have to travel
more than 30 m to reach the nearest outstation. Outstations
should also be provided at key points as recommended by the
Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds [2].
d) Where an EVC system is provided in a building for use by the
fire and rescue service to assist firefighting, outstations should
be provided on all floors of the building served by firefighting
stairs, and in the firefighting lobby to each firefighting stair. An
additional outstation should be provided at each fire and rescue
service access point.
e) Where an EVC system is provided in a building for use by
management during an evacuation, outstations should be
provided on all escape staircases on every floor of the building.
f) Each outstation should be located in a protected lobby or
protected corridor, or, where there is no lobby or corridor
approach to the staircase, in the protected stairway itself.
g) In a multi‑storey building, to assist in locating outstations,
outstations should normally be installed in the same horizontal
location on each floor.
h) Because, in a building, an outstation will be located in an escape
route that should be free from obstacles, it should normally be
wall‑mounted. In general, the outstation should be mounted at
a height of 1.3 m to 1.4 m above the floor in an easily accessible,
well illuminated and conspicuous position free from obstruction.
Likewise, at sports and similar venues, such outstations should be
mounted at a height of 1.3 m to 1.4 m above the ground in easily
accessible positions free from obstruction.
i) Where possible, outstations installed in public access buildings
should not be installed in areas of the building where they can
be subject to abuse. Where this is unavoidable, they should be
secured [see 11.5g)].
j) Where the EVC system is provided to facilitate communication by
disabled people in an emergency, outstations should be provided
in all refuges and, where appropriate, an outstation should be
provided adjacent to the evacuation lift on each floor. They
should be mounted at a height of between 900 mm and 1.2 m
above the floor in an easily accessible, well illuminated and
conspicuous position free from obstruction. Likewise, if required
at sports and similar venues, such outstations should be mounted
at a height of 900 mm to 1.2 m above the ground in easily
accessible positions free from obstruction.
k) As far as practicable, outstations in buildings should be located
where background noise is normally low [preferably not more
than 40 dB(A)]. Where there is a higher level of background
20 • © BSI 2011
noise in an emergency, the installation of an acoustic hood or

structure around the outstation might help to reduce this to an
acceptable level. Fire alarm sounders should not be located near
to outstations.
NOTE 1 The use of visual alarm devices instead of audible alarm
devices may be appropriate, which may mean varying from the
recommendations of BS 5839‑1, in which case this should be
documented.
NOTE 2 BS 8300:2009, 9.1.2 gives advice on acoustic treatment of spaces
and recommends that the recommendations of BS 8233 should be followed.
11.7 Audio frequency induction loop systems

COMMENTARY ON 11.7
In order to make EVC systems more accessible to disabled people, audio
frequency induction loop systems may be specified to supplement the
loudspeaker at Type B outstations.
In this case it is important that the field strength is adequate and that the
system is intelligible for both seated and standing users.
Where an audio frequency induction loop system is provided at
an outstation, it should be installed and maintained according to
the recommendations of BS 7594. The performance of the audio
frequency induction loop system should meet the requirements of
BS EN 60118‑4 at the six locations shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2.
Figure 1 Measuring field strength – plan view
© BSI 2011 • 21
Figure 2 Measuring field strength – side view
NOTE The recommended installation height of Type B outstations is between 0.9 m and 1.2 m above the
floor. This is in order to present the call button, microphone and loudspeaker at a practical distance from the
user. The recommendations for the induction loop field strength are related only to ear height and are also
designed to provide coverage at head height to a standing person.
12 Master stations
12.1 General
COMMENTARY ON 12.1
An EVC system will contain at least one master station. The EVC system is
controlled from a master station located at a central control point such
as a fire control centre or security room or, if there is no manned control
centre, at the main fire and rescue service access point. A master station
would be expected to be permanently manned in an emergency. In a fire
emergency situation, control might be taken over by a fire officer. In a
large building or complex, there may be more than one point from which
evacuation or other emergency situations can be controlled. It may then
be appropriate for a master station to be installed at each such location.
Where more than one master station is installed in a building or complex,
one master station needs to have overall control of the EVC system
at any given time, the remainder of the “master stations” effectively
22 • © BSI 2011
becoming repeaters. A master station will communicate with a number

of outstations throughout the building or complex (see Clause 11). It
needs to be powered from the normal low voltage electricity supply in
the building or complex, but will also have a secondary supply consisting
of a secondary battery kept fully charged (whether or not the building or
complex has a standby generator (see Clause 13).
A master station needs to be able to receive calls from all outstations.
Where required, it will also have the facility to call each individual
outstation, group of outstations or all outstations. As a minimum, a
master station will have a telephone‑style handset or microphone and
loudspeaker for voice communication purposes, controls for making calls
to, and receiving calls from, outstations, indicators to identify incoming
calls, and fault and status indicators. Under the control of the master
station, a “conferencing” facility may be available for a limited number
of outstations. In a complex of different buildings, it may be desirable to
have a voice communication link between a master station in one building
and master stations in other buildings.
a) There should be at least one master station in a building or complex,
located as described in 12.6.
b) Where more than one master station is installed in a building, the
EVC system should be designed so that it can be controlled from
only one master station at any given time. A secure means, such as
an interlocking key system or an arrangement whereby a security
code (password) has to be entered at a keypad, should be provided
to switch EVC control from one master station to another.
c) The power supply for a master station should conform to BS EN 54‑4
and the recommendations of Clause 13 and Clause 16b).
d) For communication with outstations, a master station should have
either:
1) a telephone-style handset; or
2) a noise-cancelling microphone mounted on a flexible or fixed
arm with in-built windshield to prevent “popping” noises
whilst speaking, and a separate panel- or desk-mounted
loudspeaker.
NOTE 1 Option 2) is the less desirable option.
e) Where audio transducers are outside the master station, the
interconnections should be monitored for open and short-circuit
faults.
f) It should not be possible to disconnect external audio transducers
without the use of tools.
g) Where master stations are not located in a sound-controlled
environment, background noise levels should be kept as low as
possible. The following should be considered.
1) On the fire alarm and fire detection system, install visual
alarm device(s) (VAD) instead of fire alarm sounders or voice
alarm loudspeakers.
NOTE 2 This might involve a variation to BS 5839‑1.
2) On the fire alarm and fire detection system, siting fire
alarm sounders or voice alarm loudspeakers away from the
master station.
© BSI 2011 • 23
3) On the fire alarm and fire detection system, isolating

individual fire alarm sounders or voice alarm loudspeakers.
NOTE 3 In this case, it is important to meet the recommendations of
BS 5839‑1 regarding indication of isolated alarm devices.
h) If required, a headset with a boom microphone may be used to
supplement either of the above.
i) A master station should have controls and indicators as
recommended in 12.2 and 12.3, respectively.
j) A master station should conform, electrically and mechanically, to
the recommendations of 12.4 and 12.5, respectively.
k) As an option, a facility may be provided for voice communication
between master stations. If installed, such a facility may use the
existing handset or microphone/loudspeaker (for communication
with outstations) or a separate handset or microphone/loudspeaker.
The interconnecting link between master stations (for control
signals and audio) should be monitored for short‑circuit and
open‑circuit faults as outlined in 10.2b) for outstations‑to‑master
station connections. For wireless-linked systems, the wireless link
should be monitored with a failure resulting in warnings at all
master stations.
12.2 Controls
COMMENTARY ON 12.2
Controls at master stations are for use mainly during emergencies.
Operation of a master station ought therefore to be simple and
straightforward, with all controls clearly labelled.
Adequate initial and continuing training is important to ensure that
systems will be correctly used in an emergency.
a) An “accept call” switch should be provided to receive a call from
each outstation individually or by another device fulfilling the
same function e.g. scrolling graphic or alphanumeric display and
accept/make call switch.
b) Where the EVC system is required to have the facility to call
outstations, additional controls should be provided as follows:
1) a “make call” switch, or similar device fulfilling the same
function, should be provided to initiate a call to each
outstation individually;
2) as an option, an “all call” switch may be provided to allow
a call to be made from the master station to all outstations
connected to it;
3) as an option, “group call” switches may be provided to allow
calls to be made from the master station to particular groups
of outstations.
NOTE 1 For Type A outstations, the handset might have to be lifted
in order to hear what is being said.
NOTE 2 Each “make call” and “accept call” switch may be combined.
c) Means should be provided to allow conversation to take place
with selected outstations.
NOTE 3 This function may be an integral part of the functions of the
call switches referred to in 12.2b).
24 • © BSI 2011
d) An arrangement should be provided for cancelling conversations

with outstations. For example, a call to a particular outstation
(or a group or all outstations) may be cancelled by a second
operation of the appropriate call switch (if a pushbutton type) or
by a similar “deselect” arrangement.
NOTE 4 This cancelling operation ought not of itself to cancel the
“call indication” (see 12.3), which will be cancelled only when the
relevant outstation reverts to on‑hook or “enclosure door closed”
condition [see 11.2a)].
e) A non‑latching method of testing indicators should be provided
When operated, it should cause all master station visual indicators
to illuminate and the audible warning indicator to sound.
f) Where a “loudspeak” facility is required [see Commentary e)2)
on Clause 7], a momentary action “loud speak” switch may
be provided to allow, in association with the operation of
appropriate call switch(es), a local voice broadcast to be made
from the outstation(s) selected.
g) Where a “listen” facility is required [see Commentary e)3) on
Clause 7], a momentary action switch should be provided to allow,
in association with the operation of appropriate call switch(es),
a facility whereby the operator at the master station can “listen
in” for any sounds in the immediate vicinity of the outstation(s)
selected.
h) Where software is used in the master station, a secure non‑latching
method should be provided either to:
1) reset the software execution failure recorder [see 10.6c)2)i)];
or
2) reset the automatic reset warning [see 10.6c)2)ii)].as
appropriate.
NOTE 5 “Secure” in 12.2h) means operated by a key, or on entry of
a security code (password) via e.g. a number of pushbutton switches.
i) A momentary action switch may be provided to allow the audible
fault warning to be silenced (without affecting any visual fault
indications). When this facility is provided, and the audible fault
warning has been silenced, it should be automatically reinstated
in the event of a different type of fault occurring. The audible
warning should also be automatically reinstated after it has
been silenced for a maximum of eight hours during a continuing
fault condition.
j) A momentary action switch may be provided to reset any fault
conditions. (See 10.5.)
k) Any further controls associated with voice communication that
are outside of the scope of this code of practice should be clearly
separate from the EVC controls and their functions should be
overridden by use of the master station(s) as recommended in this
code of practice.
NOTE 6 The controls referred to in 12.2a) to k) may take the form of keys
of a keypad, associated with a graphic or alphanumeric display. In large
EVC systems, they may take the form of icons on a visual display unit,
selected by, e.g., mouse pointer, light pen or touch.
l) All controls should be clearly labelled.
© BSI 2011 • 25
m) Staff should receive operational training prior to system handover

and management should ensure that this training is repeated
whenever new staff are employed and at least once a year for all
staff who might use the system.
12.3 Indicators
COMMENTARY ON 12.3
Indicators are needed at a master station for identification of outgoing
and incoming calls, for identification of faults in the EVC system, to confirm
that the system is operational and possibly to confirm that certain optional
functions have been selected.
If indicators are not clearly labelled and consistent throughout the building
there is a risk that operators will misunderstand or misinterpret them.
a) Where the facility to call outstations is required, a visual indicator
should be provided at each “make call”, “all call” or “group
call” switch [see 12.2b)]. The appropriate indicator should be red
in colour, preferably in pulsing mode (lighting for a minimum
of 0.5 s every 5 s), when an outgoing call is initiated via the
“make call” switch. The indication should preferably change from
red to green (pulsing) when the outstation(s) called becomes
off‑hook. Cancellation of the call at the master station should
cause each appropriate indication to revert to flashing red mode
until the outstation called becomes on‑hook, when it should
extinguish. [See 12.2d)].
b) A visual indicator should be provided at each “accept call”
switch [see 12.2a)]. The appropriate indicator should be red
in colour, preferably in pulsing mode (lighting for a minimum
of 0.5 s every 5 s), when there is an incoming call. The indication
should preferably change from red to green (pulsing) when
the appropriate “accept call” switch is operated. Cancellation
of the call at the master station should cause each appropriate
indication to revert to flashing red mode until the outstation
called becomes on‑hook, when it should extinguish. [See 12.2d)].
NOTE Each “make call” and “accept call” visual indicator may be
combined. [See Note to 12.2b)].
c) A common audible warning of an incoming call should be
provided, preferably within the master station. The sound
level should not be less than 50 dB(A) at one metre from the
master station, when measured with an instrument conforming
to BS EN 61672-1, any group, either Class 1 or Class 2, with
time weighting (slow). However if the background noise
exceeds 47 dB(A), the level of sound from the audible fault
warning device should be at least 3 dB higher than that of the
background noise. An additional external audible fault warning
device might then be required. The type of sound from this
audible fault warning device should be markedly different from
that of the audible fault warning devicereferred to in 10.3.
d) When a “loudspeak” facility [see 12.2f)] is provided, a green
visual indicator should be provided at the appropriate switch.
This indicator should illuminate while the “loudspeak facility”
is operational.
26 • © BSI 2011
e) When a “listen in” facility [see 12.2g)] is provided, a green visual

indicator should be provided at the “listen in” switch. This indicator
should illuminate while the “listen in” switch is operated.
f) All the fault indicators referred to in 10.2 should be provided.
Each visual indicator should be yellow.
g) All indicators should be clearly labelled.
h) Some or all of the indicators referred to in 12.2a), and d) to g) may
take the form of one or more graphic or alphanumeric displays,
instead of, for example, individual LEDs. All the indications
referred to in 12.2 should be displayed when required, and readily
distinguishable as to their functions, e.g. “make call”, “accept call”,
outstation off‑hook, etc. The graphic or alphanumeric display(s) may
then indicate such functions by appropriate text and/or numerals.
Where graphic or alphanumeric displays are proposed to be used
at the master station(s) of an EVC system, prior to installation of
the system discussions should be held with appropriate persons,
including the user and system designer, to ensure that the form and
functioning of these displays are acceptable to all parties.
i) All master stations throughout the building should have consistent
display types and colours.
12.4 Electrical performance

COMMENTARY ON 12.4
An EVC system is expected to be safe, secure and able to perform its
designed functions satisfactorily. Since the main function of an EVC system
is voice communication, audibility and intelligibility of conversation is very
important.
a) The recommendations of 13.1 apply for the primary power supply
to the EVC system. These recommendations will therefore apply
to the master station if the primary (mains) supply is fed directly
into it. As in the case of the outstations, the operating voltage
(derived from the mains supply) should be extra low voltage, as
defined in BS 7671. Earthing of the housing of a master station
should also be in accordance with BS 7671.
b) The master station should be monitored for faults [see 10.1c)].
c) The path of audio through the master station (either from
incoming audio from an outstation to the ear‑piece piece or
loudspeaker, or from the microphone to the outputs to the
outstations) should have a minimum ±3 dB frequency response
of 250 Hz to 4 kHz. Where a fixed microphone and loudspeaker
arrangement is used at the master station, the minimum ±3 dB
frequency response should be 250 Hz to 5 kHz for the microphone
and for the loudspeaker.
NOTE The upper frequency limit of 4 kHz is to allow for an overall
upper audio transmission limit of about 3.4 kHz, traditionally used for
telephone communication. That overall limit ought to be acceptable
for communication via a telephone‑style handset, where coupling to
ear and mouth is fairly close, with consequent reduction of the effect
of background noise on voice communication. Where a handset is not
used, audio transmission of wider bandwidth is desirable to counter
the effect of background noise.
© BSI 2011 • 27
12.5 Mechanical construction

COMMENTARY ON 12.5
Master stations in an EVC system need to be secure, robust and suitable
for the environment.
a) Where, in a building, there is no central control room and therefore
the master station is located, for example, at a fire and rescue service
access point, it will probably need to be wall‑mounted, because
of space restriction. In such a case, the master station should be
locked, i.e. with a locked front door or with a key‑operated switch to
enable/disable all controls. A reliable means of manually opening it
in an emergency should be available, local to the master station.
b) To allow for mounting in a common area, in the absence of
a suitable control room, a master station should be of robust
construction, including in particular its exposed parts, such as
the housing, front panel, handset, curly cord to handset, control
switches, etc.
c) In locations where a surface‑mounted master station could obstruct
or injure people, or could readily suffer damage, it should be
flush‑mounted.
12.6 Location
COMMENTARY ON 12.6
To assist the operator of a master station in controlling an evacuation, or
during firefighting, a master station ought to be located close to a fire
panel or repeater fire panel. To minimize the likelihood of unauthorized
use or abuse, a master station will preferably be installed at a supervised
location. Such a location would have additional advantages in that it would
normally have a low background noise level and it would probably allow
the master station to be desk‑mounted. Where a master station has to be
mounted in a common area because of the absence of a suitable control
room, it needs to be installed at an appropriate height above the floor.
It is important that the background noise levels in the area of master
stations are low so that the person operating the system can hear the users
and can be clearly heard by the users. For this reason it is preferable for
master stations to be located in dedicated control rooms where background
noise levels are low. However, it is accepted that, regardless of the normal
sound levels, background noise may increase during an emergency.
Where master stations are located in an uncontrolled environment, it is
even more important to minimize the effects of background noise, for
instance by minimizing room reverberation and by controlling the level of
sound from fire alarm sounders or voice alarm loudspeakers in the vicinity
of the master station.
In both cases, the ability of the microphone at the master station to pick up
the operator’s voice clearly whilst rejecting unwanted sounds is important.
a) EVC system master station(s) should be located:
1) close to the main fire alarm panel or a repeater fire panel.
2) preferably in a manned control or security room.
3) in an area of low fire risk.
4) in an area with low background noise, particularly during
an emergency.
28 • © BSI 2011
NOTE 1 Background noise can be minimized during an

emergency by, for instance, providing the facility to mute
audible alarms from within easy reach of the master station.
b) Where there is no suitable control room in a building or complex,
a master station should be installed close to the fire and rescue
service access point to the building. However, to avoid distraction
of the operator of the master station by evacuating occupants,
where possible the master station should not be installed in an
escape route.
NOTE 2 If the installation of the master station in an escape route
is unavoidable then arrangements should be made to minimize
distraction of the operator by, for instance, physical separation.
c) If a master station is to be used by a standing operator, the
vertical centre of the panel controls and handset, if used, should
normally be between 1.4 m and 1.5 m above the floor. In a
control room, the master station controls and handset, if used,
should be within easy reach from the operator’s normal position.
d) In a building, where it is not possible to install the master station
in a low‑noise control room, it should, if possible, be located
where background noise is normally low, preferably not more
than 40 dB(A). Where there is a higher level of background noise,
the installation of an acoustic hood or structure around the
master station might help to reduce the effect of background
noise to an acceptable level.
NOTE 3 BS 8300:2009, 9.1.2 gives advice on acoustic treatment of
spaces and recommends that the recommendations of BS 8233 should
be followed.
e) Fire alarm sounders should not be located near to master stations.
NOTE 4 The use of visual alarm devices instead of audible alarm
devices may be appropriate.
13 Power supplies
The primary supply for the EVC system will normally be derived from the
low voltage mains supply in the building, transformed or modified as
necessary. The mains supply would be expected to be reliable and capable
of supplying the largest load that can be placed on it under normal and
fault conditions. In order to minimize the potential for failures, the design
of the mains supply to the system ought to be such that it is unlikely to be
affected by faults on other circuits or equipment, or by isolation of supplies
in the building for maintenance or economy in consumption of electricity.
It is likely that the mains supply will fail at some time during the lifetime
of the EVC system whether through failure of the mains supply to the
building or failure of the final circuit serving the EVC system. Accordingly,
the mains supply needs to be backed up by a secondary supply, usually
consisting of a battery under continuous charge, that is able to support
the system while the fault in the mains supply is corrected. The secondary
supply is expected to be reliable, and transfer between the two supplies is
not expected to affect the operation of the system.
The duration of the secondary supply needs to be sufficient to allow
for more than the maximum likely single‑period failure time of the
public electricity supply. Failure of the primary supply might, however,
arise because of failure of the final normal supply circuit serving the
EVC system. During any failure of the primary supply, there is need for
© BSI 2011 • 29
sufficient standby battery capacity to allow typical emergency use of the

EVC system for a reasonable period.
The presence of the mains supply needs to be indicated by a visual
indicator at the master station(s) to enable mains failure to be identified
by the user. This indication would be particularly useful when the building
or complex was reoccupied after a period of non‑occupation of longer
than the maximum duration of the secondary supply. The loss of primary
power needs to be reported at the master stations
If the premises are provided with an automatically started standby
generator, the capacity of the standby battery may be reduced, provided
the circuits served by the generator include that of the EVC system.
13.1 Recommendations for mains power supplies

The following recommendations are applicable to the low voltage
mains supply to the system.
NOTE 1 This supply ought to be regarded as an integral part of the
EVC system, particularly for the purpose of certification of the system
(see Clause 25), regardless of whether it is provided by the organization
responsible for installation of the EVC system.
a) For reasons of electrical safety, the mains supply to all parts of the
EVC system should be supplied, via an isolating protective device
(such as a circuit‑breaker), from the load (“dead”) side of the
main isolating device for the building or complex.
b) The mains supply circuit(s) to all parts of the EVC system except
outstations should be dedicated solely to the EVC system, and
should serve no other systems or equipment. The circuit(s) should
be derived from a point in the building’s electrical distribution
system close to the main isolating device for the building.
c) All power supplies providing power to any part of the system
should indicate any faults at the master station.
d) To facilitate local isolation during maintenance, the low voltage
supply circuit for the main power supply and master station(s)
should supply the EVC system via double pole isolation facilities
located adjacent to the equipment.
e) Subject to conformity with 13.1a) to c), the number of isolating
devices between the incoming power supply to the building and
the EVC system power supply unit should be kept to the minimum
practicable for conformity to BS 7671.
NOTE 2 For example, the supply may comprise a dedicated circuit
emanating from the first electrical distribution board in the building’s
electrical distribution system.
f) Every isolator and protective device that can isolate the supply
to the EVC system, other than the main isolator for the building,
should be labelled either:
“EMERGENCY VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”, in the case of a
protective device that serves only the EVC circuit, but incorporates
no switch; or
“EMERGENCY VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM. DO NOT
SWITCH OFF”, in the case of a switch (whether incorporating a
protective device or not) that serves only the EVC circuit; or
“WARNING. THIS SWITCH ALSO CONTROLS THE SUPPLY TO THE
EMERGENCY VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”, in the case of
30 • © BSI 2011
any switch that disconnects the mains supply to both the EVC
system and to other circuits.
g) Every isolator, switch and protective device that is capable of
disconnecting the mains supply to the EVC system should be
situated in a position inaccessible to unauthorized persons or be
protected against unauthorized operation.
h) The circuit supplying the EVC system should not be protected
by a residual current device unless this is necessary to conform
to the requirements of BS 7671. Where a residual current device
is necessary for electrical safety, a fault on any other circuit or
equipment in the building should not be capable of resulting in
isolation of the supply to the EVC system.
i) Irrespective of the condition of any standby battery (e.g.
disconnected or fully discharged), the mains power supply should
be capable of supplying the maximum operating load of the
system, i.e. the load applying when, for example, continuous
attention‑drawing signals are being sent from the master station(s)
to all outstations.
13.2 Recommendations for EVC system power supply units

The following recommendations apply to every power supply unit
that forms part of the EVC system.
a) Transition between the primary supply and the secondary
supply, and vice versa, should not cause any interruption to voice
communication via the system.
b) A fault in the primary supply should not affect the secondary
supply or vice versa. The operation of a single protective device
should not result in failure of both the primary and the secondary
supply.
c) The condition of the primary supply should be indicated by a
green lamp, lit when the primary supply is healthy, located in a
position that makes it readily obvious to any person responsible
for monitoring faults on the EVC system (e.g. mounted on every
master station).
d) Primary and secondary supplies should each be independently
capable of supplying the maximum operating load of the system,
irrespective of the condition of the other supply.
e) The secondary supply should comprise a secondary (rechargeable)
battery with an automatic charger, to which the following
recommendations apply.
1) The battery should be of a type having a life of at least four
years under the conditions of use likely to be experienced in
the EVC system. An automotive battery (of the type used for
starting car engines) should not be used.
2) A label should be fixed to the battery indicating its date of
installation. The label should be so sited that it can be read
without disturbing the battery.
3) The charging rate of the battery should be such that, having
been discharged to its final voltage, the battery can be
charged sufficiently to conform to the recommendations
of 13.2i) after a charging period of 24 h.
© BSI 2011 • 31
4) The recommended capacity of the battery is as follows.

i) In the event of failure of the primary supply, where the
building or complex does not have an automatically
started standby generator to provide power to the
EVC system, the capacity of the battery should be
sufficient to maintain the system in a quiescent state of
operation for at least 24 h, after which sufficient capacity
should remain to allow the system to be used for voice
communication in an emergency situation for at least 3 h.
ii) In the event of failure of the primary supply, where the
building or complex has an automatically started standby
generator to provide power to the EVC system, the
capacity of the battery should be sufficient to maintain
the system in a quiescent state of operation for at
least 3 h, after which sufficient capacity should remain to
allow the system to be used for voice communication in
an emergency situation for at least 3 h.
14 Cables, wiring and other interconnections

The components of most EVC systems are connected by cables and wiring,
but it is possible to connect them by other means, such as wireless-links
or fibre optics. Where fibre optic connections are used, they are expected
to provide equivalent integrity and reliability to other cables that could
be used for the same purpose. It is essential that all interconnections are
ready to operate correctly at the start of a fire and that they will continue
to do so for as long as possible during the fire. This is to ensure that voice
communication will be possible during evacuation and, as far as possible,
during firefighting. Interconnecting cables therefore need to have
long‑term resistance to fire.
The integrity of the mains supply to the system is also regarded as essential;
even though the system has a secondary power supply, its reliability might
not be as high as that of the primary mains supply. Accordingly, mains
supply circuits need to be adequately protected against the effects of fire.
BS 5839-1:2002+A2:2008, Clause 26 defines two levels of fire performance
of fire resisting cables, termed “standard” and “enhanced”. It is important
that the selection of the level of fire resistance for cables used in EVC
systems is suitable for the required evacuation and fire-fighting procedures
for the building.
EVC systems in buildings generally need to operate correctly during a
fire for periods in excess of those normally required for single phase
evacuation of a building, and often in excess of normal fire and rescue
service attendance times. Therefore, cables used for EVC systems generally
need to have “enhanced” fire performance. This would be the case, for
instance, in EVC systems installed for use by the fire and rescue service and
EVC systems for use in disabled refuges, in unsprinklered buildings with
evacuation in four or more phases and (unsprinklered) buildings greater
than 30 m in height.
Nonetheless, the use of cables with standard fire resistance performance
in an EVC system may be acceptable where the system is intended for use
only in disabled refuges and not for fire-fighting or similar purposes by
the fire and rescue service and where such cables would be capable of
operating correctly during the period specified by the evacuation strategy
for the building.
32 • © BSI 2011
In sports and similar venues, underground sections of cable may not need
to have “enhanced” fire performance but they will require appropriate
mechanical protection. Mineral insulated copper sheathed cables normally
provide both “enhanced” fire performance and mechanical protection
The probability of disablement of any part of the EVC system as a result
of mechanical damage to cables can be reduced by the use of sufficiently
robust cables, careful selection of cable routes and by the provision of
mechanical protection in areas where cables are susceptible to mechanical
damage. Monitoring of circuits does not ensure that cable faults will
not occur, but is essential to minimize the time between occurrence and
identification (and hence repair) of the fault. Monitoring of circuits and
protection of cables against damage are, therefore, complementary
precautions, rather then alternatives.
It is the responsibility of the designer to ensure that the electrical
characteristics of the cables, including current carrying capacity and
voltage drop, are suitable for the system. The choice of cable and routes
selected ought to take into account the need to avoid electromagnetic
interference from other cables and sources of electromagnetic radiation,
particularly in the case of systems in which cables are used for transmission
of serial data. In the latter case, the cable selected needs also to be
suitable for the characteristics of the data transmission.
EVC circuits need to be segregated from the cables of other circuits to
minimize any potential for other circuits to cause malfunction of an EVC
system arising from:
• breakdown of cable insulation of other circuits;
• a fire caused by a fault on another circuit;
• electromagnetic interference to any EVC circuit as a result of the
proximity of another circuit;
• damage resulting from the need for other circuits to be installed
in, or removed from, conduit, ducts or trunking containing an
EVC circuit.
The use of cables conforming to BS EN 60702‑1, BS EN 60702‑2,
BS 7629-1 or BS 7846 (see BS 5839‑1), together with corresponding
terminations, is sufficient to achieve segregation of the EVC cables from
those of other services for the purpose of protecting the integrity of the
EVC system against failures in the insulation of other cables and fires
involving those cables.
EVC cables ought to be colour coded or otherwise marked, e.g. by labels,
so that the possible need for appropriate segregation can be identified.
There will also be less likelihood of inadvertent manual interference with
the circuits of EVC systems (e.g. during work on other electrical circuits).
a) The electrical characteristics of all cables, such as voltage drop,
current carrying capacity and impedance, should be suitable for
the system.
b) Except for applications listed in c), cables used for all
interconnections between components of an EVC system and
for the low voltage mains supply to the system, should be of
enhanced resistance to fire [see BS 5839-1:2002+A2:2008, 26.2e)].
c) Standard fire resisting cables [see BS 5839-1:2002+A2:2008, 26.2d)]
should be considered to provide sufficient resistance to the
effects of fire with appropriate methods of support and jointing
[see BS 5839-1:2002+A2:2008, 26.2g)] for:
© BSI 2011 • 33
1) EVC systems for use in disabled refuges but not for

fire‑fighting or similar purposes by, e.g. the fire and rescue
service, in:
i) sprinklered buildings;
ii) unsprinklered buildings less than 30 m in height, provided
that evacuation takes place in three or fewer phases.
2) underground sections of cabling at sports and similar venues.
d) Methods of cable support should be non-combustible and such
that circuit integrity will not be reduced below that afforded
by the cable used, and should withstand a similar temperature,
duration and water application to that of the cable, while
maintaining adequate support.
NOTE 1 In effect, the recommendation precludes the use of plastic
cable clips, cable ties or trunking, where these products are the sole
means of cable support.
NOTE 2 Experience has shown that collapse of cables, supported
only by plastic cable trunking, can create a serious hazard for
firefighters, who could become entangled in the cables.
e) Cables should be installed without external joints wherever
practicable. Any such joints should be enclosed in junction boxes,
labelled with the words “EMERGENCY VOICE COMMUNICATION
SYSTEM”, and should be constructed of materials that will
withstand a similar temperature, duration and water application
to that of the cable whilst maintaining integrity of the joint.
f) Except in particularly arduous conditions, mineral insulated
copper sheathed cables and steel wire armoured cables may be
used throughout all parts of the installation without additional
mechanical protection. Cables conforming to BS 7629 should be
given mechanical protection in any areas in which physical damage
or rodent attack is likely. In particular, mechanical protection
should be given to all areas that are less than two metres above
floor level, other than in relatively benign environments (e.g.
offices, shops and similar premises) in which the cable is clipped
directly to robust construction. Conduit should conform to the
relevant part of BS EN 50086 and non-metallic trunking should
conform to BS 4678-4.
NOTE 3 Protection may be provided by laying cable on tray, burying
in the structure of the building, or by installation in conduit, ducting
or trunking.
g) All conductors should have a nominal cross‑sectional area of
at least 1 mm2, other than in the case of twisted‑pair cables, in
which individual conductor size should be at least 0.5 mm2.
h) EVC cables should be segregated from LV and HV cables of other
services but may be run together with other fire services, such as
voice alarm and fire detection.
i) Where multi-core cable is used for interconnection of EVC circuits,
none of the conductors should be used for circuits other than
those of the EVC system.
NOTE 4 This recommendation does not preclude the multiplexing
of signals of other systems with those of the EVC system. Guidance on
such integrated systems is given in Clause 9.
34 • © BSI 2011
j) EVC system cables carrying electric current at a voltage in excess

of extra‑low voltage should be segregated from extra‑low
voltage EVC circuits. In particular, the mains supply cable to any
master station should not enter the equipment through the
same cable entry as cables carrying extra‑low voltage. Within the
equipment, low voltage and extra‑low voltage cables should be
kept separate to the extent practicable.
k) Where practicable, all EVC cables should be of a single, common
colour, that is not used for cables of general electrical services
in the building, to enable these cables to be distinguished from
those of other circuits. This colour should be the same as for the
fire alarm and fire detection system.
NOTE 5 The colour red is preferred.
15 Wireless-linked EVC systems

Some of the recommendations of this standard, applicable to wired systems,
are unsuitable for, or cannot be applied to, wireless-linked systems. These
include, in particular, those relating to power supplies and fault monitoring.
Additional recommendations apply to wireless-linked systems in order to
address the integrity and performance of the wireless communications link
between master stations, wireless repeaters and outstations.
In practice, no systems can have total reliability, but one of the objectives
of good system design is to minimize the probability of the system being
inoperative in the area of a fire once a fire has started. Great care needs
to be taken when assessing a site and choosing the technology to use, as
neither the wireless nor hardwired system is singularly suitable for every site.
Components of an EVC system interconnected by wireless-links can
include master stations, outstations, wireless repeaters, as well as ancillary
components.
Wireless communications may also be used to link a number of components
to what is essentially a wired system. The recommendations of this standard
apply equally to such wireless-linked systems.
Due to the constraints of commonly-used wireless technologies and
the restrictions placed by licensing authorities on channel occupancy,
Push-To-Talk (PTT) techniques for speech steering might be appropriate
for wireless-linked EVC systems.
If a user of a PTT outstation encounters difficulties in understanding
that they need to press a button in order to speak, it is expected that the
operator of the master station will prompt them accordingly.
An alternative method of speech steering is for control to be solely from
the master station even if this results in providing the outstation user with
fixed periods of transmission (talk) time.
Where a wireless system relies on a single operating frequency or pair of
operating frequencies, the system ought to ensure that equipment misuse
or fault does not allow a single transmitting device to block a wireless
frequency and prevent communication between other elements of the
EVC system.
Portable devices may be used to supplement the EVC system as
receivers or transceivers. Receivers enable EVC system communications
to be monitored by authorized persons. Transceivers enable two-way
communications with outstations and the master station from locations
© BSI 2011 • 35
around the building and even outside of the building. However the
following operational constraints are relevant.
a) As the portable device could be used in any location within the
building, it is important that full building coverage is validated
before the devices are relied upon operationally.
b) Battery life is finite and the users need to ensure that batteries
are regularly charged and that low battery warnings are heeded.
With modern battery technologies the operational time between
re-charges is expected to exceed a day and battery capacity is not
expected to be affected by recharging when only partially discharged.
a) Wireless-linked systems should conform to all recommendations
of this standard except that:
1) outstations should be supplied from at least two independent
power supplies; possible arrangements are as follows.
i) The primary mains supply plus a reserve battery (primary
or continuously-charged secondary); or
ii) a primary battery plus a second primary battery; or
iii) a primary battery plus a secondary battery.
NOTE Where a secondary battery is specified, capacitors with
an appropriate specification may be used as an alternative.
2) components, other than master stations and wireless
repeaters, may utilize a battery, or some form of alternative
energy supply, to provide the primary power supply;
3) power supplies incorporating a battery should give at least
30 days’ warning of impending battery failure. This should be
indicated as a low battery warning condition at the master
station;
4) at the point at which the primary battery can maintain the
component for no more than seven days in the standby state
plus 30 min in the active state, a fault warning should be
given at the master station;
5) a primary battery should have a minimum, normal operational
life of three years over the temperature range of +15 °C to
+35 °C before the low power condition is signalled;
6) any fault giving rise to loss of communication with a radio
linked component should be indicated at the master stations
within two hours of the occurrence of the fault;
7) a wireless-linked EVC system should be able to operate with
attenuation of the transmitted signal by at least 10 dB.
b) Cables of antennas that are external to, but connected to,
master stations and radio repeaters should normally satisfy the
recommendations of 26.2. However, cables that do not conform
to 26.2 may be used provided they are routed through areas with
automatic fire detection or areas of low fire risk, or are protected
against exposure to fire by burial in at least 12 mm of plaster or
by separation from any fire risk by materials that would afford a
fire resistance of at least 30 min if tested in accordance with the
relevant part of BS 476. These cables and the associated antennas
should be continuously monitored for their VSWR at the system’s
36 • © BSI 2011
operating frequency. Any change which will adversely affect the

reliability of the wireless signal link should be displayed at the
master station within 100 s.
c) Antennas should be so arranged that special tools are required
for their disconnection or removal.
d) When using a wireless technology, consideration should be
given to interference sources and the security of the system from
those sources such that the system is as reliable as is practicable.
Radio-linked EVC systems should operate on a radio frequency
allocated by the regulatory authority to minimize the potential
for co-channel interference.
e) A fault indication should be given within 100 s at the master
station if no valid transmissions are received from all of the
wireless-linked components for two hours.
f) After 30 s of continuous interference to the transmitted signal
that may compromise the performance of the EVC system, a
fault indication should be given at the master station within a
further 100 s.
g) Wireless systems that utilize single or dual frequency working
should automatically ensure that a single device (outstation,
master station or portable) cannot block the frequency by
either transmitting on at the same time as another device or
transmitting continuously.
1) Before commencing transmission the device should listen to
check that no other transmission is already taking place and
should inhibit transmission if the frequency is in use.
2) If the device successfully commences transmission, it should
time out after a pre-set period of 25 s and return to receive.
3) If a user continuously holds down the PTT, the time out
period in item h)2) should operate and, in order to prevent
immediate repeated transmission an additional timer should
inhibit transmission for 5 s to enable another device to take
the channel.
h) If portable devices are connected to the EVC system they should:
1) not be used in lieu of a master station. It is recommended
that a master station be only operated during an evacuation
by a trained operative.
2) only be considered as an extension to the EVC system and not
be relied upon as a primary means of communication.
3) only be used in environments where comprehensive wireless
coverage surveys have been completed and wireless coverage
to portable devices has been established throughout the
building. Where direct wireless links from outstations to the
master station have been proven, the use of an in-building
wireless repeater should still be considered to provide
effective portable coverage.
4) only be provided to trained personnel who understand the
EVC system and the operation of the master station.
© BSI 2011 • 37
5) operate with a power source comprising rechargeable

batteries normally kept in a fully charged state by a dedicated
and suitable charger.
NOTE It is preferable to use batteries that do not suffer
from degraded performance when charged intermittently or
continuously.
6) have a battery capacity that exceeds one day with a duty
cycle of 1 hour of talk time and 23 hours of standby.
7) display the identity of the outstation or master station that is
being received.
i) Where an outstation uses PTT for voice steering adequate signage
and labelling should be displayed to explain to the user how the
equipment should be operated.
j) Installation of a wireless-linked EVC system should only take
place only after a comprehensive survey has been undertaken to
ascertain the following:
1) there are no other sources of wireless transmission that could
interfere with, or block communication between the master
station and other components of the system;
2) there is adequate signal strength for communication both
to and from components as appropriate in all areas of
the building(s) in which wireless-linked components are
to be located. This should take into account the minimum
acceptable signal level defined by the manufacturer in
respect of the level of background “noise” at the time of the
survey and the site attenuation level specified in item a)7).
This should be established by the use of calibrated field
strength measuring equipment at each receiving component
of the system and recording the measurements made for
future reference.
k) Where the system is networked, it should be established that
the communication conditions described in g)2) are achieved
throughout the network.
l) Only survey test equipment that has been approved by the
manufacturer and regularly calibrated should be used to carry
out the survey. A record of the date of calibration and the date
when the next calibration is due should be marked on the survey
equipment.
m) To meet the audio bandwidth recommendations of this standard
(see 12.4) on FM radio systems, an RF channel spacing of 25 kHz is
necessary. Where the licensing authority cannot allocate a suitable
RF bandwidth the audio bandwidth might be restricted. If the
audio bandwidth that is achieved is lower than is recommended
by this standard this should be agreed as a variation.
16 Environmental conditions
The design of an EVC system needs to allow it to operate in accordance
with this part of BS 5839, over a reasonable range of ambient conditions,
such as temperature and humidity. Parts of an EVC system may be installed
out‑of‑doors, particularly in sports and similar venues.
38 • © BSI 2011

a) For applications in buildings, the equipment used in an EVC
system (including master stations, power supplies and outstations)
should be capable of performing all its functions in the
environmental conditions expected in buildings.
b) Master stations should, in particular, when subjected to all the
environmental and EMC immunity tests described in BS EN 54‑2,
satisfy the criteria for conformity specified in those clauses.
See Annex B.
17 Electromagnetic compatibility
It is necessary to take particular care in the design and installation of the
EVC system to avoid electromagnetic interference, particularly from, but
also to, other equipment. Electromagnetic interference to an EVC system
can result from mobile telephones, radio transmitters, other equipment
used within the building, lightning and power transients.
Attention is drawn to the importance of designing and installing EVC
systems so that they do not cause, and are not unduly susceptible to,
electromagnetic interference, in accordance with the Electromagnetic
Compatibility Regulations 1992 (as amended to date), which implement
the EMC Directive 89/336/EEC (as amended).
a) In order to comply with the Regulations, there should be compliance
with, at least, the following recommendations, although these
might not, alone, be sufficient to ensure compliance.
1) Every system component should satisfy the relevant
requirements of the product standard for that component in
respect of electromagnetic capability.
2) Cables should be installed in accordance with the
recommendations of Clause 14.
3) Installation workmanship should conform to the relevant
recommendations of Section 3, particularly in relation to
quality of terminations and continuity of earthed screens.
18 Electrical safety
An EVC system is a special form of electrical installation, much of which
operates at extra low voltage (ELV) but some of which operates at low
voltage (LV) whereby the BS 7671 recommendations regarding safety and
earthing are applicable.
It is important to understand that mains supplied equipment normally has
a circuit protective conductor (CPC) to provide a protective earth. Some
electrical equipment, e.g. double insulated, does not have a protective
earth because of inherent safety built into the design but, in general, low
voltage mains supplied (LV) EVC systems do require a protective earth.
EVC systems may have one or both of the following types of earth
connection:
a) protective earth (PE), intended to protect from shock hazard anyone
touching exposed conductive parts of the installation. In the event
of a fault, the CPC is intended to conduct the fault current to earth,
© BSI 2011 • 39
causing a final circuit protective device to operate and disconnect the

supply, so preventing shock hazard;
b) functional earth (FE), an earth provided for purposes not necessarily
related to safety, but primarily a screen for electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) purposes (see Clause 17). The FE needs to have
continuity throughout all relevant circuits. It needs to be connected
according to the EVC system manufacturer’s instructions. There may be
more than one FE, each associated with, for example, a loop, a radial
circuit or an interface. Unless the manufacturer advises otherwise, each
FE circuit needs to be connected to the PE at one place only. The FE
might not necessarily meet the requirements of a CPC.
If, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the FE and PE are or are
intended to be the same (as would normally be the case when mineral
insulated copper sheathed cable is used), it is acceptable to connect the
screen to the earth at more than one point.
Particular care is necessary to ensure the adequacy of earthing and of
protection against shock from exposed metal parts. Expert advice (for
example from the equipment manufacturers) might be necessary in
complex sites in which different earth potentials exist, so that electrical
safety is not compromised and circulating currents are avoided.
The designer also needs to ensure that the system can be maintained
safely. The mains (LV) power supply for each equipment needs to have a
double pole isolation facility nearby.
18.1 The system design should conform to BS 7671. In particular, CPCs
should be adequately rated.
18.2 The EVC system manufacturer’s instructions or product marking
should be followed, particularly in respect of earthing arrangements.
18.3 LV and ELV circuits should be segregated throughout in
accordance with Clause 14j). In particular, if any EVC system cables
share the same wiring containment with other cables, the cable
insulation of such cables should be rated for the highest voltage.
18.4 Means should be provided for isolation of the mains power
supply to all parts of the system [see 13.1c)].
40 • © BSI 2011
Section 3: Installation
COMMENTARY ON SECTION 3
This section of BS 5839‑9 provides recommendations for the work
associated with installation of the EVC system equipment. EVC systems
are often used for non-EVC purposes and controls may be provided in the
same location. Care is needed to ensure that access to these controls does
not necessarily include access to emergency controls.
19 Responsibility of installer
a) The responsibility for installation of an EVC system should be
clearly defined and documented before the start of the installation
contract.
b) The installer should comply with the recommendations of
Clause 5d).
c) The installer should comply with the recommendations of
Clause 6b).
d) The installation of outstations should be in accordance with the
e) The installation of master stations should be in accordance with
the recommendations of Clause 12.
f) The installer of the mains power supplies to the master stations
should ensure that the supplies conform to the recommendations
of 13.1.
g) The installer should ensure that all outstations, master stations
and power supply equipment that are likely to need routine
attention for maintenance are sited in readily accessible locations
that facilitate safe maintenance work.
20 Installation practices and workmanship

The nature and quality of the installation work needs to be such as to
maintain the integrity of the EVC system and minimize the duration and
extent of disablement of the system during maintenance or modifications.
Installation practices and workmanship need to meet the requirements
of BS 7671. Penetrations of construction (e.g. for the passage of cables,
conduit, trunking or tray) need to be made good to avoid the free
passage of fire or smoke, regardless of whether the construction has a
recognized degree of fire resistance.
a) The entire installation should conform to the requirements
of BS 7671. In general, the recommendations of this standard
supplement, but do not conflict with, these requirements; where
any such conflict is considered to exist, the recommendations of
BS 7671 should take precedence.
b) Surface‑laid cables should be neatly run and securely fixed at
suitable intervals, in accordance with the recommendations of the
cable manufacturer.
NOTE Cables ought not to rely on false ceilings for their support.
© BSI 2011 • 41
c) The installer should ensure that all wiring conforms to the

d) Joints in cables, other than those contained within the enclosures
of equipment, should be avoided wherever practicable.
e) Where new conduit, trunking or tray is installed, ample facilities
should be provided for installation of cable.
f) Where a cable passes through an external wall, a smooth‑bore
sleeve of metal or other non‑hygroscopic material should be sealed
into the wall. It should slope downwards towards the outside and
should be plugged with a suitable non‑hardening waterproof
compound to prevent the entry of rain, dust or vermin.
g) Where a cable passes through an internal wall, a small clearance
hole should be provided. If additional mechanical protection is
necessary, a smooth‑bore sleeve should be sealed into the wall.
h) Care should be taken to ensure that the ends of any sleeves are
free from sharp edges to guard against damage to cables during
installation.
i) When a cable passes through a floor, the considerations of
Clause 20g) and h) apply, but the sleeve should extend as far
above floor level as is required for protection of the cable it is to
carry, and in any case not less than 300 mm.
j) Where cables, conduits, trunking or tray pass through floors,
walls, partitions or ceilings, the surrounding hole should be as
small as reasonably practicable and made good with fire stopping
materials that ensure that the fire resistance of the construction
is not materially reduced. Spaces through which fire or smoke
could spread should not be left around the cable, conduit,
trunking or tray.
k) If cables or conduits are installed in channels, ducts, trunking or
shafts that pass through floors, walls, partitions or ceilings, barriers
with the appropriate level of fire resistance should be provided
within the channels, etc to prevent the spread of fire unless, in
the case of ducts and shafts, the construction of the duct or shaft
affords equivalent fire resistance to the structure penetrated; in
the latter case, fire stopping need only be provided where cables
pass into, or out of, the duct or shaft.
21 Testing of wiring
On completion of wiring, or sections of wiring, the installer ought to
carry out tests to ensure the integrity of cable insulation and adequacy of
earthing. Usually, the tests on cables will be carried out with equipment
disconnected and prior to completion of the entire installation. Further tests
need, therefore, to be carried out on completion of the installation; these
tests may form part of the commissioning process. Maximum impedance
may sometimes be specified by the system manufacturer, in which case any
measurements of impedance recommended by the manufacturer need also
to be carried out, either by the installer on completion of installation or at
commissioning (see Clause 22).
42 • © BSI 2011

a) All installed cable should be subject to insulation testing
at 500 V d.c. Prior to this test, cables should be disconnected from
all equipment that could be damaged by the test.
b) Insulation resistance, measured in the above test, between
conductors, and between each conductor and earth, should be at
least 10 MΩ.
c) Earth continuity and, where appropriate, earth loop impedance,
should be tested to ensure conformity to BS 7671.
d) Unless there is specific agreement that the following tests will
form part of the commissioning process, the tests should be
carried out on completion of the installation work:
1) where maximum circuit resistance for any circuit is specified
by the manufacturer, measurement of the resistance of every
such circuit;
2) any other tests specified by the manufacturer of the system.
e) The results of all tests should be recorded and made available to
the organization responsible for commissioning the system.
© BSI 2011 • 43
Section 4: Commissioning and handover
22 Commissioning
The process of commissioning involves thorough testing of the
installed system to ensure that it operates correctly in accordance with
the recommendations of this standard and with the specification.
At commissioning, it ought also to be confirmed that all relevant
documentation has been handed over to the user (see Clause 23). The
organization responsible for commissioning the system needed to clearly
defined prior to the start of the installation work.
It is not, in general, the responsibility of the commissioning engineer to
verify conformity of the design, or of the installation work, with this part
of BS 5839 (i.e. with Section 2 and Section 3 of this standard). In general,
the responsibility of the commissioning engineer is to verify that the
system operates correctly in the manner designed and that the installation
workmanship is generally of an adequate standard. The commissioning
engineer needs to be provided with the specification for the system.
a) The system should be commissioned by a competent person,
who has access to the requirements of the designer (i.e. the
system specification).
b) Any person responsible for commissioning an EVC system in
accordance with the recommendations of this standard should
possess, at least, a basic knowledge and understanding of
Section 2 and Section 3 of this standard.
c) At commissioning, the entire system should be inspected and tested
to ensure that it operates satisfactorily and in particular, that:
1) intelligible conversation can be carried out between any
outstation and the master station(s). The intelligibility check
should be carried out in the presence of the approximate
level of background noise anticipated to be present when
the building or sports or similar venue is fully occupied and
there is an emergency;
2) all controls and indicators at outstations and master stations
operate correctly;
3) the style of outstations conforms to 11.1;
4) the siting of outstations conforms to 11.6;
5) electrical and mechanical details of all outstations conform
to 11.4 and 11.5, respectively;
6) the location of master station(s) conforms to 12.6.
7) the electrical and mechanical details of master station(s)
conform to 12.4 and 12.5 respectively;
8) the mains power supplies conform to the recommendations
of 13.1.
9) the secondary power supplies conform to the
recommendations of 13.2.
10) as far as it is reasonably practicable to ascertain, the specified
cable type has been used in all parts of the installation and
the workmanship conforms to Clause 19;
44 • © BSI 2011
NOTE The above recommendation is not intended to imply

that it is the responsibility of the commissioning engineer
to verify or certificate conformity of the installation design
with this standard. However, if variations are identified by
the commissioning engineer, particularly variations related to
circumstances that might not have been known to the designer,
they need to be documented for referral to the designer, user or
purchaser for agreement or action [see Clause 6b)].
11) there are no other obvious shortcomings in conformity to
Section 2 of this standard;
12) adequate records of insulation resistance, earth continuity
and, where appropriate, earth loop impedance tests exist;
13) all relevant documentation has been provided to the user
or purchaser.
d) Unless already undertaken and documented by the installer, the
tests recommended in Clause 21d) should be carried out and the
results recorded.
e) Labels, visible when a battery is in its normal position, should be
fixed to the battery, indicating the date of installation.
23 Documentation
On completion of the system, it is necessary that adequate records and
other documentation are provided to the purchaser or user. “As fitted”
drawings and operation and maintenance manuals are particularly
important. Without these drawings and manuals, maintenance or future
modification of the system might be difficult.
It is recommended that the following documentation should be
provided to the purchaser or user of the system.
a) Certificates for design, installation and commissioning of the
system (see Clause 24).
b) Adequate operation and maintenance manuals for the system;
these should provide information regarding the following:
1) the equipment provided and its configuration;
2) the meaning of all indications and the use of all controls;
3) routine testing of the system;
4) servicing of the system.
c) “As fitted” drawings indicating at least the following:
1) the positions of all outstations;
2) the position of the master station(s);
3) the type, sizes and routes of cables.
NOTE 1 The cable routes shown need to comprise a reasonable
representation of the route followed, such as to enable a
competent person to locate the cable in the event of a fault or
need for modification or extension of the system.
NOTE 2 In the case of extensions or alterations, existing “as
fitted” drawings will need to be updated.
d) Such other records as are required by any purchase specification
(e.g. insulation resistance test records or commissioning records).
© BSI 2011 • 45
24 Certification
On completion of design, installation and commissioning, a separate
certificate needs to be issued for each process, confirming conformity
to this standard for the stage in question (i.e. design, installation
or commissioning) or identifying variations. Each process might be
undertaken by one organization or different organizations. Whichever
arrangement applies, three separate certificates need to be issued. An
organization may issue a certificate for the process for which they are
responsible, regardless of whether a certificate has been issued for either
of the other processes.
It is essential that the person(s) who sign(s) these certificates is competent
to verify whether the recommendations of this standard in respect of the
process to which the certificate refers have, or have not, been satisfied.
The purchaser or user might, subsequently, rely on the certificate as, for
example, evidence of compliance with legislation. Liability could arise on
the part of any organization that issues a certificate without due care in
ensuring its validity.
The purchaser will be asked to complete an acceptance certificate
provided by the organization bearing contractual responsibility for the
system upon completion. The purpose of this certificate is to provide
a record that the purchaser is satisfied that the requirements of the
specification have been met. The certificate also needs to confirm that
adequate documentation has been handed over to the user, that the
user has been instructed in the use of the system and understands their
obligations in respect of the maintenance of the system. The purchaser
might wish to carry out an independent inspection of the system, or to
witness certain tests (which may include any or all commissioning tests) as
a pre‑requisite for completion of the acceptance certificate.
For certain (usually large and/or complex) systems, the purchaser or user
might wish to arrange for independent verification of conformity with this
standard. If so, a verification certificate needs to be issued by the verifier.
24.1 On, or as soon as practicable after, completion of each of
the following processes, a certificate should be issued by the
organization responsible for the process, certifying conformity to
the recommendations of this standard in respect of the process or, if
variations exist, clearly identifying these variations:
a) design;
b) installation;
c) commissioning;
d) acceptance;
e) verification.
24.2 If a purchaser or user commissions an independent audit to
verify, as far as practicable, conformity (see Clause 26), the purchaser
should request that the auditor issues a verification certificate.
24.3 Where modifications are carried out to a system (see 30.3), the
purchaser should request that the organization responsible for the
work issues a modification certificate.
24.4 Information and statements of conformity within the certificate
models for design, installation, commissioning, acceptance, verification
and modification provided (see Annex C) should be included on the
certificate, but the certificate may vary in format from those models.
46 • © BSI 2011
25 Acceptance
On completion of the system, arrangements need to be made for formal
handover of the system to the purchaser or user, and formal acceptance of
the system by the purchaser (or representative of the purchaser).
Before accepting the handover of the system, the purchaser or a
representative needs to ensure that they are satisfied with the installed
system, that the user has an adequate understanding of the operation
of the system and that relevant documentation has been provided. In
the case of small, simple systems, or systems installed in the premises of
small organizations with little relevant in‑house expertise, acceptance
might involve little more than a brief inspection of the system by the
user, demonstration of its operation by the commissioning engineer,
and handover of the relevant documents to the user. In large, complex
systems, it is likely that the purchaser would wish to witness relevant tests,
as part of a formal and structured acceptance procedure.
As evidence of acceptance, an acceptance certificate needs to be signed by
the purchaser (see Clause 24).
25.1 Acceptance procedures should be carried out in accordance with
the agreed purchase specification [see Clause 5e)], including any tests
that are to be witnessed and details of the witnessing procedure.
25.2 Before accepting a system, the purchaser (or appropriate
representative of the purchaser) should check that:
a) all installation work appears to be satisfactory;
b) calls can be established from outstations to master station(s);
c) intelligible two-way conversation is possible between the
master station(s) and outstations in emergency conditions such
as when extraction fans and fire alarm sounders or voice alarm
loudspeakers are operating;
d) the system fully operates when the primary power supply is
removed;
e) the following documents have been provided to the purchaser
or user:
• as‑fitted drawings;
• operating and maintenance instructions;
• certificates of design, installation and commissioning
(see Clause 24);
• a logbook (see Clause 32);
f) representatives of the user have been adequately trained in the
operation of the system;
g) the nominated responsible person has been advised of their
responsibilities and how these might be discharged (see Clause 32);
h) all relevant tests, defined in the purchase specification, have
been witnessed.
25.3 As evidence of acceptance, the purchaser (or appropriate
representative of the purchaser) should sign an acceptance certificate
(see Clause 24).
© BSI 2011 • 47
26 Verification
The purchaser or user might decide that there is a need for verification
of conformity of the installed system as a result of one or more of the
following:
a) the division of work elements between different organizations;
b) the evolution of the building design during construction;
c) the lack of detailed information at the time of design.
The verifying organization might be one of those involved in the design,
supply, installation or commissioning processes (e.g. the system supplier or
the designer) or an independent third party.
It is important that any person assigned to carry out the verification process
is competent and experienced in the design of EVC systems conforming to
BS 5839, and familiar with the relevant installation practices.
26.1 Where a purchaser or user considers that there is significant
potential for the installed system to deviate from this standard,
verification of conformity should be arranged.
NOTE In the event that the verification process identifies areas of
non‑conformity, the purchaser or user might request a further verification
of the affected areas after correction.
26.2 Any person responsible for verification should be competent
in the design of EVC systems in accordance with this standard and
familiar with the relevant installation practices.
26.3 The scope and extent of the verification process should
be agreed between the purchaser or user and the organization
responsible for verification.
26.4 On completion, a verification certificate should be issued
(see C.5). The verification certificate should also contain information
on the scope and extent of the verification carried out or identify
where this information is available (e.g. a report).
27 Training
Before accepting the handover of the system, the purchaser needs to
ensure that they are satisfied with the installed system and that the user
has an adequate understanding of the operation of the system. This will
involve training of personnel in the operation of outstations and the use
of the master station controls.
a) Before accepting a system, the purchaser (or appropriate
representative of the purchaser) should ensure that sufficient
representatives of the user have been properly trained in the
operation of the system.
NOTE 1 It is important to recognize that untrained users will be
operating the outstations. Therefore, the master station operator
needs to be trained to prompt the outstation user in the correct
operation of the system. This might be particularly important in full
duplex or PTT systems when the untrained user might otherwise hold
the communication channel open and not be able to hear the master
station operator.
48 • © BSI 2011
b) Responsibility for provision of the training should rest with the

organization bearing contractual responsibility to the purchaser
for the system, albeit that the provider of the training is likely to
be the supplier of the system.
NOTE 2 This is likely to necessitate a formal training course for a number
of people; the requirements for such training ought to be defined in the
purchase specification.
© BSI 2011 • 49
Section 5: Maintenance
28 Routine testing
Although EVC systems incorporate a high degree of monitoring so that
faults are indicated automatically, it is still necessary for the responsible
person nominated by the user to ensure that fault indications at the
master station are identified for appropriate action. It is also important
for a regular test to be carried out to ensure that there has not been any
major failure of the entire system, or a significant part of the system.
28.1 Recommendations for weekly testing by the user

a) In premises in which the location of the master station is such
that the audible fault warning signal could go unnoticed for
longer than 24 h, a special check should be carried out each day
to confirm that either the equipment indicates normal operation
or that any fault indication is receiving necessary attention. This
inspection need not be recorded.
b) Every week, an outstation should be operated. It should be
confirmed that the call is correctly received at the master station
and that a short test conversation is clear and intelligible at both
master station and outstation.
c) A different outstation should be used at the time of every weekly
test, so that all outstations in the building are tested in rotation.
The result of the weekly test and the identity of the outstation
used should be recorded.
28.2 Recommendations for monthly attention by the user

a) If an automatically started emergency generator is used as part
of the secondary power supply to the EVC system, it should
be started up once each month by simulation of failure of the
primary power supply and operated on‑load for at least one hour.
The test should be carried out in accordance with the instructions
of the generator manufacturer, including instructions on the load
that should be operated. At the end of the test, the fuel tanks
should be left filled, and the oil and coolant levels should be
checked and topped up as necessary.
b) If a vented battery is used as a secondary power supply, a visual
inspection of the battery and its connections should be made
to ensure that it is in good condition. Action should be taken to
rectify any defect, including low electrolyte level
NOTE Care needs to be taken to ensure that any person undertaking
this task is competent to do so safely.
50 • © BSI 2011
29 Inspection and servicing

It is essential that the system is subject to periodic inspection and servicing
so that unrevealed faults are identified and preventive measures can
be taken to ensure the continued reliability of the system. Periodic
inspection and servicing needs to be carried out by a competent person
with specialist knowledge of the equipment used. This will normally be
an outside organization; care needs to be taken to ensure that, if, for
example, in‑house employees are used for this task, they have equivalent
competence to the technicians of a typical servicing organization.
29.1 Recommendation for quarterly inspection of a

vented battery
All vented batteries and their connections should be examined by
a person competent in battery installation technology. Electrolyte
levels should be checked and topped up as necessary, and the specific
gravity of the electrolyte in each cell should be checked to ensure that
it is correct.
NOTE In many large premises and sites, in‑house maintenance personnel
are competent to carry out this task.
29.2 Recommendations for six‑monthly inspection and

test of the system
The following work should be carried out by a competent person
every six months.
a) Each outstation should be operated to check that the outstation is
functioning and that speech is clear and intelligible, and that audio
frequency induction loops (if fitted) meet the recommendations
given in 11.7. A visual inspection should be made to check that all
outstations remain unobstructed and conspicuous.
b) Batteries and their connections should be examined and load
tested, to ensure that they are in good serviceable condition and
not likely to fail before the next service visit. Vented batteries
should be examined to ensure that the specific gravity of each cell
is correct.
c) The functions of the master station(s) should be checked.
d) All controls and visual indicators at the master station(s) should
be checked for correct operation.
e) Where provided, all optional functions of the master station(s)
and outstations should be tested.
f) All fault indicators should be checked, where practicable, by
simulation of fault conditions.
g) All further checks and tests recommended by the manufacturer of
the EVC system should be carried out.
h) On completion of the work, any outstanding defects should be
reported to the responsible person and a certificate of servicing
issued to the user.
i) The signal strength of wireless links should be checked to ensure
they continue to exceed the minimum acceptable levels.
© BSI 2011 • 51
30 Non‑routine attention
The arrangements in Clause 29 are intended to maintain the system in
operation under normal circumstances. However, from time to time, the
EVC system is likely to require non‑routine attention, including special
maintenance. Non‑routine maintenance includes:
• a special inspection of an existing EVC system when a new
organization takes over maintenance of the system;
• repair of faults or damage;
• modification to take account of extensions, alterations or changes in
occupancy;
• inspection and test of the system following a fire.
30.1 On appointment of a new maintenance organization:
a) a special inspection of the existing EVC system should be
commissioned, including the records (see Clause 23) in order to
produce a plan for effective maintenance of the system;
b) areas of non‑conformity should be documented and identified
to the responsible person and, although the degree of a
non‑conformity is subjective, the following non‑conformities
should be regarded as requiring resolution:
NOTE Not all non‑conformities need to be rectified; this is a matter
for the user to determine, based on the advice of the maintenance
organization, the enforcing authorities, the insurer and any
third‑party advisers engaged by the user, as appropriate.
• calls cannot be established from outstations to master
station(s);
• intelligible two-way conversation is not possible between the
master station(s) and outstations;
• the system does not fully operate when the primary power
supply is removed;
• secondary power supplies that fail to conform to Clause 13;
• cabling with fire resistance that fails to conform to Clause 14;
• monitoring for faults of circuits that fail to conform
to Clause 10;
• standards of electrical safety that fail to conform to Clause 18;
c) if no logbook suitable for enabling conformity with Clause 32 exists,
the maintenance organization should provide a suitable logbook.
30.2 For arranging repair of faults or damage:
a) where maintenance is carried out by a third party there should
be an agreement for emergency call out to deal with any fault
or damage that occurs to the system and this agreement should
be such that, on a 24‑hour basis, a technician of the maintenance
organization can normally attend the premises within eight hours
of a call from the user;
NOTE It is accepted that this might not be possible in very remote
areas and certain offshore islands, in which case this may be regarded
as a variation from the recommendations of this standard in respect
of maintenance arrangements; and will need to be recorded in the
system logbook.
52 • © BSI 2011
b) the name and telephone number of any third party responsible

for maintenance of the system should be prominently displayed
at the master station(s), and the records and documentation as
identified in Clause 23 kept updated;
c) the user should record all faults or damage in the system logbook,
and arrange for repair to be carried out as soon as possible.
30.3 For modification work, regardless of whether it is carried out on
site or remotely:
a) the responsibility of modifying an EVC system should rest with a
person who is competent in the principles of EVC system design,
and is conversant with this standard and the installed system,
with access to the as‑fitted drawings;
NOTE 1 This person may, for example, be the original designer, or a
competent representative of the user or maintenance organization.
b) before modifying an EVC system, care should be taken to ensure
that the proposed modifications do not detrimentally affect the
conformity of the system to fire safety legislation;
c) the responsible person (see Clause 31) should be aware of and
agree in writing any modifications proposed for the system;
d) all components, circuits, system operations and site‑specific
software functions known to be affected by the modifications
should be tested for correct operation following the modifications;
in particular:
• if any additional load has been placed on the system, the
rating of the power supply unit and the capacity of the
standby battery;
• if any changes have been made to the outstation circuits;
• if software has been modified, selective testing of other
aspects of the system;
NOTE 2 The nature and extent of these tests cannot be specified
in this standard; this will depend on the nature and extent of the
software changes and needs to be defined by the organization
responsible for the software changes.
e) on completion of the modifications, all as‑fitted drawings and
other relevant system records should be updated as appropriate;
f) on commissioning of the work and completion of the tests, a
modification certificate should be issued, confirming that the work
has been carried out in accordance with the recommendations of
this standard, or identifying any variations (see C.7 for a model
modification certificate);
NOTE 3 A modification certificate will generally be necessary where
the system changes include addition or removal of outstations.
g) where responsibility for the conformity, or otherwise, of the
modified system to the recommendations of Section 2 of this
standard rests with any person other than the organization
carrying out the modification, that person should sign the
appropriate section of the modification certificate and make it
available with the system documentation (see Clause 23).
© BSI 2011 • 53
COMMENTARY ON 30.3
Modifications to the system can arise for a number of reasons, including:
• extension of the system to cover previously uncovered or newly
constructed areas of the building;
• changes as a consequence of changes to the evacuation strategy or
other changes within the EVC system.
It is possible, in some systems, for modification of the system
configuration to be carried out remotely.
Whether modifications are undertaken on site or remotely, great care
needs to be taken to ensure that they do not affect conformity with this
standard, or that existing non‑conformities are not exacerbated.
Although the modifications may be carried out remotely by the
maintenance organization, it would be appropriate for a competent
person from the maintenance organization to visit the premises before
the modification is carried out, to confirm the validity of the modification
and consider its effect on conformity with this standard.
30.4 After a fire:
a) every outstation, master station and repeater that might have
been affected by the fire should be inspected and tested in
accordance with Clause 29;
b) a visual examination and suitable tests should be carried out on
all other parts of the system that lie within the fire area and other
areas affected by corrosive smoke from the fire and that might
have been damaged by the fire (e.g. power supplies, master
stations and cable). Where there is evidence of damage, suitable
action should be taken;
c) circuits external to the master station(s) that might have been
affected by the fire should be tested for correct operation;
d) on completion of the work, any defects found should be recorded
in the system logbook, and the responsible person notified
accordingly;
30.5 After long periods of disconnection of the EVC system, inspection
and testing should be carried out in accordance with Clause 29.
54 • © BSI 2011
Section 6: User responsibilities
31 Responsible person
There is a need for the user to appoint a single, named responsible
person to supervise all matters pertaining to the EVC system. The role of
the responsible person ought to be to ensure that the system is tested
and serviced in accordance with the recommendations of this part of
BS 5839, that appropriate records are kept, and that relevant occupants
in the protected premises are aware of their roles and responsibilities in
connection with the EVC system.
a) A single, named responsible person should be appointed
to supervise all matters pertaining to the EVC system. The
responsible person should be given sufficient authority to carry
out the duties described in this subclause.
b) The responsible person should ensure that arrangements are in
place for testing and servicing of the system in accordance with
the recommendations of Section 5 of this standard.
c) The responsible person should ensure that suitable records are
kept in relation to testing and servicing.
d) The responsible person should ensure that all relevant staff or
occupants of the premises are instructed in the proper use of
the system. Particular care should be taken to ensure they are
adequately familiar with the appropriate controls and understand
when and when not to use the system and how to make calls
efficiently and to the point. In premises in multiple occupation, it
should be ensured that sufficient representatives of each building
occupier are instructed.
e) When changes are made to the system, the responsible person
should ensure that record drawings are updated.
32 Logbook
A logbook is kept for the purpose of recording events that occur in
respect of the system, including fault signals and work on the system.
This information might be of value to the organization that maintains
the system.
The following information should be recorded in the logbook:
a) the name of the responsible person;
b) details of the maintenance organization;
c) brief details of maintenance arrangements;
d) dates, times and types of all tests;
e) dates, times and types of all faults and defects;
f) dates and types of all maintenance (e.g. maintenance visit or
non‑routine attention).
© BSI 2011 • 55
Annex A (informative) Explanation of access level

The operation of certain manual controls ought to be limited to
authorized personnel. Where this limitation is not provided on the
master station(s), (for example by entering a code or by a key‑operated
switch), then it may be provided by restrictions to the equipment by use
of a lock or its location in disciplined environment (such as a security
control room), or by restriction of access to the control equipment to
authorized personnel.
This standard defines access level for the indications and controls
relating to the emergency functions covered. In some cases alternatives
are offered (e.g. access level 1 or 2). This is because either might be
appropriate in different operational circumstances. The purpose of
the different access levels is not defined by this standard. However, in
general, they are expected to be used as described in A.1 to A.4.
A.1 Access level 1

By member(s) of the general public initiating calls in disabled refuges
or persons having a general responsibility for safety supervision who
might be expected to investigate and initially respond, e.g. to a fault
warning.
A.2 Access level 2

By persons having a specific responsibility for safety and who are
trained and authorized to operate the EVC in the:
a) quiescent condition;
b) EVC mode; and
c) fault warning condition.
A.3 Access level 3

By persons who are trained and authorized to:
a) re-configure the site specific data held within the EVC system or
controlled by it (e.g. labelling, configuration); and
b) maintain the EVC system in accordance with the manufacturer’s
published instructions and data.
A.4 Access Level 4

By persons who are trained and authorized by the manufacturer to
either repair the EVC system or alter its firmware, thereby changing its
basic mode of operation.
Only access levels 1 and 2 have a strict hierarchy. Examples of special
procedures for entry to access level 2 and/or to access level 3 are the
use of:
a) mechanical keys;
b) a code of at least 3 manual sequential operations; or
c) access cards.
56 • © BSI 2011
Examples of special means for entry to access level 4 are the use of:
1) mechanical keys;
2) tools; or
3) an external programming device.
It might be acceptable that the entry to access level 4 requires only
a simple tool, such as a screwdriver, after access level 2 or 3 has
been reached. For example, the manufacturer may declare in his
documentation which parts of the EVC system are not user serviceable,
and the entry to access level 4 may then be controlled by management
of the user. It is also considered acceptable to use external tools to carry
out certain functions at access level 3, e.g. to program site-specific data.
It might be desirable in certain circumstances that the EVC system
has additional access levels within access level 2, or access level 3
(e.g. 2A and 2B), which would permit different classes of authorized
user to have access to a selected group of controls or functions. This
is not forbidden by this British Standard. The exact configuration will
depend on the type of installation, the way the EVC system is used,
and the complexity of the functions provided.
Annex B (normative) Modified subclauses from BS EN 54‑2:1998

BS EN 54‑2 is a specification for control and indicating equipment
used in fire detection and fire alarm systems. There are therefore
references in 15.1 and 15.2 of BS EN 54‑2 to “c.i.e.”, zones, detection
circuits, and other non‑EVC items. For the purposes of this code
of practice only, 15.1.2 to 15.2.2.2 should be read as the following
modified version:
15.1.2 Specimen configuration
The specimen configuration shall include at least two outstations
of each type (type A and type B) provided by the manufacturer or
supplier, appropriate transmission paths and internal circuits.
15.1.3 Mounting and orientation
Unless otherwise stated in a test procedure, the specimen shall be
mounted in its normal orientation by the normal means of mounting
indicated by the manufacturer.
15.1.4 Electrical connection
If a test procedure requires the specimen to be in the operating
condition, it shall be connected to a power supply conforming to the
requirements of BS EN 54‑4. Unless otherwise required, the power
supply shall be in the nominal operating condition.
All transmission paths (to communicate with outstations) shall be
connected to cables and outstations or to dummy loads. Equipment
other than master stations and outstations may be kept in the
standard atmospheric condition during the tests.
15.2 Functional test
15.2.1 The object of the test
The object of the test is to demonstrate the operation of the equipment
before, during and/or after the environmental conditioning.
© BSI 2011 • 57
15.2.2 Test schedule

A test schedule shall be drawn up, which ensures that during the
functional test each type of input function and each type of output
function is exercised.
This shall include as a minimum tests of signalling and audio
communication between outstations and master station(s), and fault
warning condition.
15.2.2.1 Signalling and audio communication between outstations
and master station(s)
Initiate a call from an outstation to a master station(s). Check that
the correct indications are given at the master station(s), and that
an appropriate “reassurance tone” is received at the outstation
ear‑piece. Accept the call and check that audio can be satisfactorily
transmitted and received in both directions, using microphones and
ear‑pieces/loudspeakers. Cancel the call and check that all indicators
revert to their pre‑call condition. Repeat the test using at least one
different outstation.
Where the facility is provided, initiate a call from a master station
to an outstation. Check that the correct indications are given at the
master station(s), and that an appropriate call signal is received at the
outstation, either at the ear‑piece/loudspeaker or as a separate warning
signal. Accept the call and check that audio can be satisfactorily
transmitted and received in both directions, using microphones and
ear‑pieces/loudspeakers. Cancel the call and check that all indicators
revert to their pre‑call condition. Repeat the test by calling at least one
different outstation from the master station.
15.2.2.2 Fault warning condition
Initiate and reset fault warnings corresponding at least to:
a) loss of one of the power sources;
b) short‑circuit in a circuit connecting outstations to the master
station(s);
c) open‑circuit in a circuit connecting outstations to the master
station(s).
Check that the correct indications are given at the master station(s).”
58 • © BSI 2011
Annex C (informative) Model certificates
C.1 Design certificate
Certificate of design of the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
I/we being the competent person(s) responsible (as indicated by my/our signatures below) for the
design of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, CERTIFY that the said design for which
I/we have been responsible conforms to the best of my/our knowledge and belief with BS 5839‑9:2011,
Section 2 except for the variations, if any, stated in this certificate.
Name (in block letters):............................................................................Position:.............................................
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
For and on behalf of:..........................................................................................................................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
Variations from the recommendations of BS 5839‑9:2011, Section 2:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Extent of system covered by the certificate:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Installation and commissioning
It is strongly recommended that installation and commissioning be undertaken in accordance with
BS 5839‑9:2011, Section 3 and Section 4.
Verification
Verification that the system conforms to BS 5839‑9:2011 should be carried out, on completion, in
accordance with BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 26.
Yes No To be decided by the purchaser
Maintenance
It is strongly recommended that, after completion, the system is maintained in accordance with
BS 5839‑9:2011, Section 5.
User responsibilities
The user should appoint a responsible person to supervise all matters pertaining to the EVC system in
accordance with BS 5839‑9:2011, Section 6.
© BSI 2011 • 59
C.2 Installation certificate
Certificate of installation of the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
installation of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, CERTIFY that the said installation
for which I/we have been responsible conforms to the best of my/our knowledge and belief with
BS 5839‑9:2011, Section 3, except for the variations, if any, stated in this certificate.
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
The extent of liability of the signatory is limited to the system described below.
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Specification against which the system was installed:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Variations from the specification and/or BS 5839‑9:2011, Section 3:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Wiring has been installed and tested in accordance with BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 14. Test results have
been recorded and are provided on the appended BS 7671 electrical installation certificate:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Unless supplied by others, the as-fitted drawings have been supplied to the person responsible for
commissioning the system [see BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 23c)].
60 • © BSI 2011
C.3 Commissioning certificate
Certificate of commissioning for the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
commissioning of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, CERTIFY that the said installation
BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 22, except for the variations, if any, stated in this certificate.
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Variations from BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 22.
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
All equipment operates correctly.
Installation work is, as far as can be reasonably ascertained, of an acceptable standard.
The entire system has been inspected and tested in accordance with BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 22.
The system performs as required by the specification prepared by:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
a copy of which I/we have given.
The documentation described in BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 23 has been provided to the user.
The following work should be completed before/after (delete as applicable) the system becomes
operational:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
© BSI 2011 • 61
C.4 Acceptance certificate
Certificate of acceptance for the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
acceptance of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, ACCEPT the system on behalf of:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
All installation work appears to be satisfactory.
The system is capable of providing an audible and intelligible two-way voice communication.
The following documents have been provided to the purchaser or user:
As-fitted drawings.
Operating and maintenance instructions.
Certificate of design, installation and commissioning.
A log book.
Representatives of the user have been properly instructed in the use of the system, including,
at least, operation of master stations and outstations and fault identification.
All relevant tests, defined in the purchasing specification, have been witnessed. (Delete if
not applicable.)
The following work is required before the system can be accepted:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
62 • © BSI 2011
C.5 Verification certificate (optional)
Certificate of verification for the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
verification of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, CERTIFY that the verification work
BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 26.
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Scope and extent of the verification work:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
In my/our opinion, as far as can reasonably be ascertained from the scope of work described above,
the system conforms to, and has been commissioned in accordance with BS 5839‑9, other than in
respect of variations already identified in the certificates of design, installation or commissioning.
The following non-conformities with BS 5839‑9 have been identified (other than those recorded as
variations in the certificates of design, installation or commissioning):
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
© BSI 2011 • 63
C.6 Inspection and servicing certificate
Certificate of servicing for the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
servicing of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, CERTIFY that the said installation
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Variations from BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 21:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Relevant details of the work carried out and faults identified have been entered in the system
log book.
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
64 • © BSI 2011
C.7 Modification certificate
Certificate of modification for the EVC system at:

Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
modification of the EVC system, particulars of which are set below, CERTIFY that the said installation
Signature:...................................................................................................... Date:.............................................
Address:...............................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
................................................................................................................ Postcode:.............................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Variations from BS 5839‑9:2011, Clause 21:
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................................................
Following the modifications, the system has been tested in accordance with BS 5839‑9:2011,
Clause 21. Test results have been recorded and are provided on the appended BS 7671 electrical
installation minor works certificate.
Following the modifications, as-fitted drawings and other system records have been updated
as appropriate.
I/we the undersigned confirm that the modifications have introduced no additional variations from
BS 5839‑9:2011 other than those recorded above:
Signed:.................................................................................................................................................................
Capacity:..............................................................................................................................................................
(e.g. maintenance organization, system designer, consultant or user representative)
© BSI 2011 • 65
Bibliography
Standards publications
For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including
any amendments) applies.
BS 5839‑8, Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings – Part 8:
Code of practice for the design, installation commissioning and
maintenance of voice alarm systems
BS 7594, Code of practice for audio-frequency induction-loop
systems (AFILS)
BS 7846, Electric cables – 600/1 000 V armoured fire‑resistant cables
having thermosetting insulation and low emission of smoke and
corrosive gases when affected by fire
BS 8233, Sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings – Code
of practice
66 • © BSI 2011
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Fire detection and fire alarm

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ISBN 978 0 580 64108 4

ICS 13.220.20; 13.320

The following BSI references relate to the work on this standard:

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Use of this document

Contractual and legal considerations

BS EN 54‑4:1998+A2:2006, Fire detection and fire alarm systems –

3 Terms and definitions

3.2 competent person

3.5 evacuation lift

3.7 firefighting lobby

3.15 non-EVC mode

3.19 phased evacuation

4 Need for an emergency voice

In some buildings it might be necessary to take into consideration that

5 Exchange of information and definition

in particular, whether there is a requirement for calls to be made

6 Variations from the recommendations of

The following recommendations are applicable.

Section 2: Design considerations

3) Whether on- or off‑hook, an outstation may also have a “listen”

8 System circuitry and software

It is important that unauthorized persons are not able to operate the

9 Audio and data signal paths

supplied. However, it is important to use the correct type of interconnecting

10 Fault monitoring and indication

10.1 Fault conditions

10.2 Fault indications

described in 10.1b), if the fault is capable of adversely

10.3 Audible fault warning

10.4 Silencing of the audible fault warning

10.5 Resetting from the fault warning condition

10.6 Monitoring of software controlled equipment

10.7 System integrity

10.7.4 In a wired system, different circuits interconnecting master

However, type B outstations should be used in situations where

c) Where high background noise is unavoidably present, the

11.4 Electrical performance

11.5 Mechanical details

e) Housings on front panels of outstations provided for firefighting

The following recommendations are applicable.

noise in an emergency, the installation of an acoustic hood or

11.7 Audio frequency induction loop systems

Figure 1 Measuring field strength – plan view

Figure 2 Measuring field strength – side view

becoming repeaters. A master station will communicate with a number

3) On the fire alarm and fire detection system, isolating

d) An arrangement should be provided for cancelling conversations

m) Staff should receive operational training prior to system handover

e) When a “listen in” facility [see 12.2g)] is provided, a green visual

12.4 Electrical performance

12.5 Mechanical construction

NOTE 1 Background noise can be minimized during an

Date Text affected