BOSEC extends certification to VAS
In order to extend the range of guarantees offered by the BOSEC quality mark, the BOSEC Brand Management Committee (CGMB) has launched a new 'Services' certification: that of VAS system installers.
As a reminder, BOSEC Services certification aims to guarantee the quality of fire protection installations specifically dedicated to this purpose. Although voluntary, the BOSEC brand is unanimously recognized in its field as the Belgian quality reference by the insurance, industry, user and intervention services sectors. This new facet therefore completes the existing offer for the certification of installers: fire detection, smoke and heat evacuation, fire penetration tightening, gas extinguishing and water extinguishing.
How to obtain BOSEC certification for VAS system installation?
As part of this new certification, a certain flexibility is offered to installers applying for BOSEC certification. The minimum number of VAS installations to be carried out annually and which are subject to third-party control is defined as follows:
- at least one installation complying with the standards of the NBN S 21-111 series will be proposed during the company's first application for certification;
- in the first 3 years after this first application for certification, an installation other than that included in the first application must be proposed and comply with BOSEC;
- thereafter, the company will propose each year at least 2 new installations complying with BOSEC
This specification, as well as the other conditions surrounding the obtaining of the label, can be found in the brand new annex to the BOSEC Brand Regulations for 'Services' certification rules: Annex 5.2.4 - Specifications for the field of voice alarm systems (VAS).
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact the ANPI Certification Division: certification@ anpi.be
VAS Systems: Installation Standards in Force
- NBN S 21-111-1 : Fire detection and alarm systems - Voice alarm systems - Part 1: Selection criteria
- NBN S 21-111-2 : Fire detection and alarm systems - Voice alarm systems - Part 2: Design, installation and commissioning rules
- NBN S 21-111-3 : Fire detection and alarm systems - Voice alarm systems - Part 3: Management, qualifications and competences
These are the installation standards (the "component" standards are in the EN 54 series).
Note: In the future, the NBN S 21-111 series of standards will be renumbered within the NBN S 21-112 series, which will be joined by other standards, such as sirens.
VAS in a nutshell...
Why install a voice alarm system?
Studies have shown that people react faster when evacuation instructions come from a voice message than from a traditional siren. Technically, it is a sound distribution system (compliant with the EN 54 series) through which emergency messages or alarms are transmitted in the event of a fire or other emergency, either automatically under the control of a fire detection and alarm system, or manually, or both. Evacuation drills have shown that an evacuation strategy using "live" instructions can be necessary in many cases.
Such a system:
tends to avoid panic movements;
assists in the organization of safety services (particularly by a possible pre-alert system);
saves time when evacuating large groups of people or buildings with a large floor area (such as stadiums, communication infrastructures, shopping centers, high-rise buildings in case of phased evacuation, large stores, etc.);
allows evacuation instructions to be modulated and sectorized (complex structures with several compartments, for example);
allows the broadcasting of "coded" messages to specific members of staff (alert, alarm, terrorist attack, amok, etc.);
can also be used as a classic public address system (comfort messages, music broadcasting), with the advantage of quality / reliability / durability / performance guaranteed by the compliance of the components with the EN 54 series of standards.
ANPI and VAS
Among the activities for which ANPI is recognized by BELAC (scope 003-INSP) is the initial control of voice alarm systems. This means that ANPI can carry out the initial inspection of your VAS installations under BELAC accreditation; every three years, a periodic inspection will confirm that the installation remains compliant.
For more information or an offer for these missions, please do not hesitate to contact our Sales department: sales@anpi.be
