29 Mar 2016
The leap forward in trouble-free, interactive fire detection panel
development can only be truly appreciated by measuring the advance against the pioneering
work of the past, with an accelerated evolution of smart technology observable
over the latest generation of innovations designed to meet the increasing challenges
of intelligent fire detection systems integration.
Far-sighted manufacturers are constantly working on more stable, more
reliable fire detectors to ensure the fastest possible detection of an incident
while striving to rule out unwanted false alarms.
At the same time fire panel
manufacturers work to monitor and report on these new detection devices and
include software to further ensure false alarms are kept to a minimum but also
making sure operators are alerted as soon as there is a fire or an event that
could affect the performance of the system.
Yet,
as increasingly complex systems are developed for intelligent building
management, it is often forgotten that it’s the on-site operators who will have
to cope with multiple systems whose screen displays can be highly complex, with
the potential for confusion.
To
the uninitiated, during an alarm situation – with bells ringing and lights
flashing – buttons and texts can be baffling.
Even if the installer has trained the local operators there is a chance
of instructions being forgotten and thus the burden of responsibility for the
operator, from having to act unprepared, can be overwhelming . . . an outcome
designers in the pioneering days of interactive panel development strove dedicatedly
to overcome.
Dispelling anxiety
Even
today, this same sense of bafflement can bewilder an operator responding to a
panel ‘alert’. For example, suppose you have
a trouble-free established system that’s has never activated to a live fire
alert. Then, years after installation, a fault notification is received. Typically this state is reported by the buzzing
of the panel displaying a message and initiating
a flashing LED. The inexperienced
operator, unfamiliar with this live fault condition, becomes painfully anxious
that they might act incorrectly and, in consequence, falsely evacuate the
building. Without a menu-driven interface of absolute clarity this predicament
is all too likely.
To
illustrate this point, a senior fire
risk specialist recalls: ‘I have personal
experience of this state of anxiety when some years ago I was phoned by an
operator. When asked to describe what the fire panel was displaying, the caller
froze in a panic and could not articulate; and then, when asked to press a
particular button, pressed the wrong one and turned on all the sounders.’
Advances Towards an Intuitive
Interactive Interface.
Decades past, the best an operator
could expect from a fire panel would be some sort of indication that there was
a fire somewhere in a very large area (conventional systems) while at the same
time no indication might just mean
the wires or pneumatic line had fallen out.
Some readers may have seen lovingly polished wood cabinets with brass
flags to indicate the location of a fire.
When remembering that these precursors were state of the art solutions some
60 or 70 years ago it is altogether humbling to consider how panels will
develop further in future times.
In the progress of notable technological
enhancements Fault Monitoring was a major step forward, allowing panels to
indicate an event if something was wrong. Originally, this was literally just
an indication that something was wrong with no guidance as to what.
It might then take an experienced specialist a lengthy time to troubleshoot
the system and locate the fault or false indication. A natural progression then for panel
designers was to call upon them to build in more accurate monitoring and
indication of faults. The introduction of addressable detectors did allow some
more accurate pin pointing of faults while reducing search times in the event of
a fire as staff was notified of the location.
A major restriction in progressing along this route of clearer
indication was the lack of LCD technology and manufacturers relying on banks of
traditional light bulbs, which typically themselves had a very short working
life.
The development of LEDs
and simple LCDs greatly improved panel indication, but at a price many building
owners were not prepared to pay. Also,
due to LCD limitations messages were often very brief and in a quasi code that
needed trained engineers to interpret. This
complexity demanded simplification to reflect the realities of operator
decision-making and take account of the contingencies of true workplace
conditions.
Real-world safety-critical decision-making.
For,
in reality, as you’re aware, it is quite often a security guard or receptionist
in a commercial building who is in the frontline when there’s a fire alert.
Therefore, manufacturers and specifiers need to think carefully about such
inexperienced operators when designing systems.
In response to these
concerns, fire detection systems have advanced a long way to meet the
challenges of such frontline real-world eventualities, while manufacturers have
continued to work towards developing ever more stable, more reliable fire detectors
that will guarantee the fastest possible detection of an incident whilst
eliminating unwanted false alarms.
In parallel with these
developments, today’s fire panel manufacturers deploy the very latest
technologies to ensure that their products are able to monitor and report these
new detection devices. Software is updated and enhanced to ensure that false
alarms are kept to a minimum and that those operating fire detection systems
are alerted as soon as there is a fire or an event that could affect its
performance.
Clarity for ease of operator response.
Specifically,
in answer to these challenges to achieve clarity for operator response, the Taktis
panel is a solution that uses a touchscreen display to intelligently combat the
issue of poorly trained operators by creating a front end that gives them
confidence and guides them intuitively through any task they need to perform.
Take,
for example, a fault appearing on a fire detection system, as described
earlier. With this innovative system the operator would still be alerted to the
fault by the panel buzzing and an LED but in this case the display would be clearly
colour coded to show that the message is a fault
and not an alarm. Zone and point
descriptions of up to 80 characters would then ensure the operator knows exactly the type of problem it is and
its location. In addition, only relevant actions for them to take would
be displayed on the touchscreen.
Situation-relevant easy-to-read
responses.
This
ease of recognition is achieved by using virtual
buttons on the touchscreen that can be displayed under different
circumstances rather than having traditional physical buttons which are always present whether relevant for the
situation or not. Readability of displays is also important as often they are
situated in areas where there could be an intensity of light, and at other
times in dark corners, so high resolution, colour, resistive touch screen LCD
displays with automatic backlight adjustment according to ambient lighting
conditions are used to ensure readability is always maintained, regardless of
environmental conditions.
In fact, across all levels of responsibility in a risk management chain of command,
Taktis is conspicuously easy to operate at any designated entry-level, with
simple accessibility to permit login-restricted users to make correct decisions
based on clarity of system data, not on
assumptions.
Beyond
these advantages, there can be no doubt that the flexibility and accessibility
of this revolutionary remote overview platform offers tangible benefits in
terms of efficient use of resources for risk management. From these benefits there
are appreciable cost savings and improved service for end users of building
management systems by minimising
on-site attendance and reducing any potential system downtime.
Part of the fire
standards requires some functions to be restricted with access only by
engineers rather than unskilled operators. But an intelligent system such as
Taktis allows operators and engineers to have their most commonly performed
tasks presented to them onscreen when they log on to the system rather than requiring
them to drill down deep within a complex menu structure. This greatly increases ease of use and time
saving, which increases the efficiency of site personnel and reduces the risk
of mistakes.
Smarter system diagnostics.
Another
area of concern for risk management is the integrity of maintenance routines. Unless
you employ someone to shadow Service Engineers how do you know they are really
performing their assigned tasks? It’s possible you know of situations where a
rogue maintenance company never actually tests any detectors in a system but just
states they are visually ‘All OK’. This sort of negligence raises massive issues
of accountability.
With increasing demands for power in fire
detection and alarm systems, Taktis has the impressive capability to address
such supervisory procedures, including the management of fire
and security servicing inspection routines, false fire alarm interrogation and
diagnosis, or the scheduling of system maintenance call-outs. At the same time,
this capability benefits users with the support of a full audit trail for
traceability and regulatory compliance. In addition, sophisticated network analysis tools
provide the ability to identify connection problems instantly. Similarly, the
Taktis interface can ensure all mandatory periodical tests are completed and
provide all the data required for compliance with audits.
As these new cutting-edge
approaches indicate, this predictive monitoring and servicing of fire alarm
systems allows potential problems to be resolved before they arise.
A boost to better risk management practice.
The boost to intelligent life safety
system management that Taktis brings to the industry represents a game-changing
moment in user methodology. For example, in the context of the
requirement for extensive 9999
event logs, Taktis has an immense history log capacity –
with one second resolution – that
also allows easy filtering of events via the touchscreen.
For
real peace of mind and full compliance with any health and safety audit,
storage of this data offsite on a secure file server means that even if there
is a major catastrophe data related to the site can still be accessed and
analysed for compliance and incident investigation.
Kentec
hosts a management system that can data-harvest information from the internet-enabled
panels at regular intervals or continually as events occur. What’s more, site configuration files,
manuals and drawings can all be stored in the same place. This gives secure storage while also allowing
more detailed analysis and report generation. It is then a simple click process
to run a report to see which detectors really have been tested on the system
and when.
Very
simply this process demonstrates, incontrovertibly, site compliance. Using a service pack in the management system
may also allow maintenance companies to plan service visits. Once the decision has been made, regarding
what should be tested on a visit, the Taktis panel is informed so that when the
service engineer arrives a simple touch of the screen can set all the necessary
isolates, etc. and the system knows which detectors should be tested, turning
on their LEDs to help the engineer locate them.
Undoubtedly, this approach is a true cost-saving, time-efficient boon to
busy maintenance engineers.
Reassurance . . . a comprehensive
overview of systems.
Following
the service work an automatically generated report can be sent to the site
owner. This can increase efficiency of
staff while also ensuring fire systems are kept in perfect order. Because all
data-sets are recorded it also means that companies can review all their sites on one single screen for
anything out of the norm.
So,
by careful selection of thoughtful technology, specifiers can ensure that staff
on site feel reassured by the fire alarm panel and not frightened by it. It’s also reassurance that frequent users
find Taktis easy to interact with and, in so doing, they ensure correct actions
and more effective use of their time. So
the moral is: This very important selection of the right fire panel can ensure
all mandatory periodical tests are performed and all the data required for statutory
compliance is provided.
Read more here...
Kentec Cafe
Website
Email Us
T: 01322 222121
Unit 25 - 27 Fawkes Avenue
Questor
DA1 1JQ
Dartford, Kent
United Kingdom
Meet Kentec Cafe at stand FI.2040 & FI.2050 on the 16-18 May 2023 at the ExCeL London when the co-located IFSEC, FIREX, Facilities Show and Safety & Health Expo events take place!
A highly intelligent Syncro AS control panel from Kentec, a life safety control systems manufacturer, integrated with COSMO PSIM+ software is helping to protect visitors, staff and actors at the historic São Luiz Teatro Municipal in Lisbon, Portugal.
A highly sophisticated Taktis panel from Kentec, a life safety control systems manufacturer, and installed by DPJ Fire and Security Ltd, is helping protect visitors, staff and actors at Maidstone Studios in Kent, one of the UK’s largest independent broadcasting facilities.
Maidstone Studios provides state of the art studios, production offices, dressing rooms, green rooms, wardrobe and make-up space. It is home to some of the nation’s favourite shows including Take Me Out and Later… Live with Jools Holland.
Kentec Electronics Ltd., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of life safety systems, has had its Syncro ASM fire control panels chosen for the refurbishment of fire systems on the Fast Ferry Service that operates between the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Kentec Electronics Ltd., is one of the World’s leading
manufacturers of life safety systems, and a leading innovator of
extinguishing control module technology. Since 1985 the company has been
at the forefront of developments in comprehensive systems for
extinguishant control.
Kentec’s market-leading Sigma and Syncro ranges of
extinguishing control panels are specified across the world in
environments where system continuity is critical, and fire prevention
management of the highest reliability is essential, including data
centres, airports and financial centres. Kentec’s Sigma XT is simple,
powerful and highly configurable and compatible with intrinsically safe
barriers, which makes it ideal for use in hazardous areas.
Kentec Electronics Ltd., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of life safety systems, has had its highly acclaimed Taktis® fire detection and alarm technology chosen to help protect an iconic new £4.7 million flexible use community hub development for Scotland’s Dumfries Baptist Church.
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