5/3/2016

VoicAlarm(VA)andVoiceEvacuation,EN54andBS5839

VoiceAlarm(VA)EVAC
Bells,Buzzers,Horns........VoiceAlarmandVoiceEvacuationsystemshavetheirSAY!
VoiceAlarm(VA)andVoiceEVAC(VEVAC)
systemstypicallycoresidewithotheralarm
(mostlyfirealarms)andemergencybased
systemstoprovidespokenalarm,evacuation
informationandinstructions.Commonly
integratedwithcomplex/highendfire
systems,VoiceAlarmsystemsarespecially
designedPublicAddress(PA)installations
thatcanbeseeninmanysituations,
especiallypublicassemblyareas(stations,
airports,shoppingcentresetc..)Typicalvoice
evacuationmessagesprovideclear
instructionalinformationaboutthealarm,
emergencyandevacuationprocedures.
Thisdiagramshowsatypicalexampleofanevacuationperiodfollowingthestartofafire.ItshowshowaVoice
Alarmapplicationcompareswithaconventional'bells&sounder'basedfirealarmtoshortentheoverallevacuation
time.

VoiceAlarm,EVAC,DesignandStandards
Carefulconsiderationtothesystemdesign,buildingdesignanddefinedescaperoutesareextremelyimportantto
anyconventionalalarmorevacuationbasedsystem.AVA/EVACbasedsystemalsocarriestheseconsiderations,
buthasadditionaldesignaspectsandconsiderations.Thefollowingaresummaryoutlinesofspecificstandardsand
regulationsgoverningthedesignandimplementationofVoiceAlarm/EVACproductsandsystems:

BS58398:2013(Design,Installation,CommissioningandMaintenanceofautomaticVoice
AlarmSystems)
BS5839isaBritishStandardscodeofpracticeforFiredetectionandalarmsystemsforbuildings.BS5839part8,
coversthe'codeofpracticeforemergencyvoicecommunicationsystems'.Itisimportanttorecognisespecific
designconsiderationsforVA/EVACsystems,part8ofthisrespectiveBritishStandardcoversthesedetails.
BS58398:2013,supersedesBS58398:2008.

BSEN60849(Soundsystemsforemergencypurposes)
WhilstBS58398providessomespecificrequirementsofvoiceandemergencysystems,thedetailswithregardsto
audio'specification'aredefinedonlybrieflyandwithincodesorpractice,anddoesnotdirectlycoveraspectsof
audioperformance.BS7443(nowBSEN60849)wasdevelopedandintroducedtocoveraudiospecificationsand
performancessuchas:audibilityandintelligibility.
Itisobviouslyveryimportantthatany'Voice'basedalarmandEVACsystemiswelldesignedsothattheaudioand
spokenmessagesareclearandintelligible.ThisstandardworkstogetherwithBS58398,andprovidesabasisfor
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5/3/2016

VoicAlarm(VA)andVoiceEvacuation,EN54andBS5839

considerationthebuildingacousticswhendesigningaVoiceAlarm(VA)EVACsystem.

BSEN54:2011(Firedetectionandfirealarmsystems)
BSEN54isasuiteofEuropeanguidelineswhichaimstoharmonisefiredetectionandfirealarmsystemsdesign,
installationandservicingwithintheEU.Firstpublishedin1996,confusedmarketsandcompetitivecountrycodesof
practice(CoP),hasseenEN54takequitesometimetoestablishitselfamongsttheindividualEUcountrystandards.
April2011,sawagreementandEUdirectivetoseeEN54replacemostcountrystandardsandCoP's.However,there
hasbeenindividualcountryresistance.MostEUcountries(24outof27)haveadoptedtheEN54directive.TheUK
hasnotwiththeprogessionofBS5839toupdatein2013,itisunlearastothelongtermplansforBSEN54,some
expecttheUKtoalignwithEuropeandadoptsometimeBSEN54inthenearfuture.
ThefollowingarespecificsectionsofBSEN54whichrelatetoVoiceAlarm(VA)/EVACSystems:
BSEN544(PowerSupplyEquipment)
BSEN5416(VoiceAlarmControlandIndicatingEquipmentVACIE)
BSEN5424(VoiceAlarmdevices/Loudspeakers)

BSEN544(PowerSupplyEquipment)
Specifiesrequirements,methodsoftestandperformancecriteriaforpowersupplyequipmentoffiredetectionand
firealarmsystemsinstalledinbuildings(firealarmandvoicealarmproductsandequipment).Examplerequirements
wouldincludepowersuppliestoallassociatedcontrol,indicating,routing,processingproductsandequipment
(routingmatrix,mixers,amplifiers,announcementstoragedevices,etc...)

BSEN5416(VoiceAlarmControlandIndicatingEquipmentVACIE)
OriginallybasedonEN2(firealarmproductsandequipment),EN16coversalloftheassociated'electronics'
productsandcomponentsofaVoiceAlarm(VA)/EVACsystem,(amplifiers,mixers,processingetc...).Thegeneral
requirementsofEN5416areto:provideindicationanddisplayrequirementsofthesystemsstate(quiescent,voice
alarmand/orfaultwarning)includingpowersupplies.

BSEN5424(VoiceAlarmLoudspeakers)
LoudspeakersusedinVoiceAlarm(VA)applicationsplayacentralroleindeliveringinstructionalevacuation
information.Itiscrucialtherefore,forVAloudspeakerstoachieveaminimumacousticalperformance,aswellas
constructionalandenvironmentalrequirements,tobesuitableforuseinVA/EVACapplications(thermalfuse,
ceramicconnectionblocksandendofline/EOLmonitoringofspeakers).

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