Fire alarm system installation at Al Ihsan regional hospital

Overview

The Fire Alarm System installation project at RSUD Al Ihsan Bandung was carried out to improve fire protection and support the safety of patients, medical staff, visitors and hospital assets. The scope of work covered installation of the fire alarm panel, the cable network and fire detection devices (smoke detector, heat detector, manual call point, horn), cable termination, system configuration, function testing (testing & commissioning) and preparation of the final project documentation.

Challenges

• The work took place in a hospital that stayed in operation, so installation had to cause as little disruption to services as possible.

• Coordination with several parties (hospital management, contractors and the consultant) was needed so the work schedule did not clash with operational activity.

• Cable routing had to fit the existing building and the utilities already installed.

• System testing had to be done in stages to avoid alarms that could disturb hospital activity.

Solutions

• Set the work schedule by area and time agreed with the hospital, including work during hours with lower activity.

• Coordinated regularly with all parties concerned before starting work in each area.

• Made the most of existing cable routes and installed neatly to standard and to the working drawings.

• Ran testing & commissioning in stages for each zone, verifying the detectors, manual call points, alarms and control panel before operating the whole system.

Lessons learned

• Good planning and coordination are essential to the success of a project in a facility that stays in operation, such as a hospital.

• Staged testing finds potential problems early, which makes commissioning more effective.

• Complete installation documentation and device labeling make future maintenance and troubleshooting easier.

• Compliance with installation standards and safety procedures is the main factor in delivering a fire alarm system that is reliable, safe and ready to operate.