Secure Call Point Cover C531/FL Frangible Lock surface mount

Bronte K

Tue 26th Nov 2019

1.What made you choose to buy these products from SSP? Best price we could find
2.What did you think of the product? We haven’t received them yet but they are due to be delivered today
3.What did we get right? Customer service was very fast
4.What could we improve? Delivering Goods ( the time it takes )
5. Is there anybody that you have dealt with that deserves a special mention in our team meeting? Peter Ashton and Mark hughes

How do these plastic locking covers fit in with my fire risk assessment?
The schools that have used these locking covers in the past tend to have a real issue with false fire alarms. Apart from the massive disruption to the school day, one of the biggest problems with regular false fire alarms is that the occupants of the building increasing assume that all fire alarms are in error or malicious. As such, when the alarm is sounded, speedy evacuation is made far more challenging for staff.

To combat this false fire alarm issue, schools often opt for this cover. Importantly, those that do should state in their fire risk assessment that the only people who should operate a fire alarm break glass are the responsible members of staff. The school then must go on to ensure every member of staff (teaching or otherwise) is issued with a key. These can be bought from this link.

At what point will the plastic lock break when put under pressure?
Tests show that the plastic half t-bar lock will give way when it is put under around 75-100 newtons of force. Ideally, buildings that use this cover should ensure all responsible members of staff are given a key so the cover opens easily without any delay.

Do I have to remove the break glass unit or button before installing this cover?
No. It is retro-fittable. In plain English this means it will fit over the top of your call point or push button. Simply drill four holes around the device, insert RAWL plugs provided and screw the cover into place. If there is any trunking or conduit (wires) going into the button or break glass, be sure to order the surface mounted version of this cover.

What is the difference between a flush mount and surface mounted cover?
Perhaps a little confusingly, flush or surface refers to the button or break glass unit itself. If the button is flush it is built into the wall. If it is surface mounted it is screwed on top of the wall. In essence if the button is inset within the wall it will not protrude that far, nor will it have wires going into the top of it. In this instance you will need a flush mounted cover.

What do the different colours mean?
The truth, the colour coding often ties with the colours of the buttons they are covering, particularly in the case of red and green.
Red covers should go over fire alarm call points. Green should go over break glass press to exit buttons. Yellow should go over emergency cut off or shut off buttons and blue is the generic catch all cover that can be used over anything.

Can I use this product in a sports hall?
This cover is made from 3mm thick shatter proof polycarbonate. It is incredibly tough and durable. It also has a curved shape to disperse the pressure of any significant impact across its entire surface. To give you a little reassurance, having been selling this product to sports halls and gyms for many years, we are pleased to say this has never been returned as being unsuitable for this environment.

Can I change the message on the cover?
Yes. Working with the space available we can pretty much show any message you require. However, please be aware that the lead time on doing this is around 5 days.

Can I take the message off?
Yes, easy. We can do it for you or you can do it yourself. All that is required is an Allen key to take the coloured plastic out of the top of this unit. You then would need to peel off the message and screw the plastic back into place. This process takes no more than a minute. if you like, SSP can do this at no extra cost.

Will I need to order an external cover if the button in question is outside?
If the button itself is water proof / weather resistant then in truth you may not need to. The only time you need the order an external cover is when the button or device being covered is not weather proof.

What on earth is a frangible lock?
The polycarbonate lock on the face of this cover is designed to give way if the cover is lifted with extreme force. This unit comes with a two pronged key so the cover can also be opened without breaking the frangible lock.

Can I buy more frangible lock when this one is inevitably broken in an emergency?
Yes, shown in the links below. You can also buy more keys, should extra members of staff need one.