In the Middle Ages, the tocsin was sounded to warn inhabitants of imminent danger and encourage them to take refuge within the walls of fortified castles. Today, however, it’s no longer enough to warn people with a single sound signal , especially in the event of fire.
Indeed, many elements can disrupt people’s listening and jeopardize their safety. A visual fire alarm is therefore essential to guarantee its effectiveness.
Here’s everything you need to know about the EN54-23 standard for fire detection and alarm systems.
What is EN54-23?
European standard EN54-23 specifies all requirements, test methods and performance criteria for visual fire alarms.
It concerns all non-self-contained visual fire alarm diffusers (VFDs) put on the market since January 1, 2014, with the exception of maintenance products.
It also defines DVAF coverage volumes, within which illuminance is greater than or equal to 0.4 lux. Standard NF EN 54-23 therefore specifies the performance criteria and test methods for DVAFs.
What are the DVAF categories according to NF EN 54-23?
According to EN54, fire alarm devices are classified into 3 categories according to their type of application:
- Ceiling-mounted DVAFs (C for Ceiling)
- Wall-mounted DVAFs (W for Wall)
- Open-category DVAFs (O for Open /O for ouvert)
According to EN 54-23, each category has its own requirements in terms of
light diffusion, i.e. the frequency of DVAFs must be between 0.5 Hz and 2 Hz to respect the sensitivity of certain audiences, such as epileptics.
Finally, the color of the flash on an optical alarm device must be red or white, whatever its category.
Why is EN54-23 essential to fire safety?
The introduction of the EN54-23 standard is mainly due to the phenomenon of acoustic smog.
Hearing impairment ranges from minor to severe, affecting some 278 million people worldwide. This form of disability makes it more difficult to perceive and interpret an audible alarm signal.
This is why, in addition to audible signals, visual warning devices are becoming increasingly popular. There are also combined optical/audible systems.
In fact, the use of a visual alarm in addition to the audible signal is required in environments with very high noise levels (industrial sector, ERP, etc.).
Last but not least, EN54-23 applies not only to fire alarm systems, but also to internal system alarms and hazard warning systems.
Would you like to find out more about fire alarm systems? ADF Systèmes makes it a point of honor to help you choose the products and solutions best suited to your industrial safety and risk management needs. Let’s talk about it!
