If your facility is faced with a fire emergency, it’s important to protect the safety of employees. You must notify employees of the emergency situation for their safe evacuation from the affected area. The employee alarm system regulations pertain to the maintenance, testing, and inspection of the local fire alarm signaling systems used to alert employees, regardless of the other functions of the system.

Discharge or supervisory alarms required on various fixed extinguishing systems or to supervisory alarms on fire suppression, alarm, or detection systems are not covered under 1910.165 unless they are intended to be employee alarm systems.

Employee alarm systems are designed to provide a warning for necessary emergency action as called for in the emergency action plan, or for reaction time for safe escape of employees from the workplace or the immediate work area, or both if necessary.