EN-60849

EMERGENCY PURPOSES
Voice Alarm SYSTEMS.
NORM DESCRIPTION

APLICATION

Object
PA systems used to alarm in emergency
situations.

Main performances.
A sound system for emergency purposes shall
permit the broadcasting of intelligible
information of measures to be taken for the
protection of lives within one or more specified
areas.

EN60849

DEFINITIONS

Terms
Alarm
a signal, or condition, warning of an emergency
e.g.: evacuation advice

Warning
important notice concerning any change of status
which demands attention or activity
e.g. hint that an emergency may happen

Critical Signal Path

all components and interconnections between every
emergency broadcast initiation point and the input
terminals on, or within, each loudspeaker enclosure.

FDS
EN60849

~
~

Alarm
generation

Amplifiers

Lines

Loudspeaker

Requirements on
equipments
Concerning the manufacturer

EN60849

FUNCTIONS AVAILABILITY

Continuous Availability [4.1b]

The PA system shall be available all times

Availability within 10 seconds after

supplying power to the system [4.1c]
primary or secondary power

Maximum 3 Seconds from initiation until

first emergency broadcast [4.1d]
including reaction time of the detection system

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ALARMING PRIORITY

Highest Priority for Alarming [4.1a]

disabling all other (general) PA functions
CD
PA central

FDS

FDS: Fire Detection System

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EMERGENCY PRIORITIES [4.3]

Manual Alarming/Warning/Restoration

>
Automatic Alarming (evacuation)

>
Automatic Warning
>
no emergency: operational messages
(e.g. for system check)

EN60849

MANUAL INTERVENTION

If the voice alarm system is capable of

operation in fully automatic mode, a
manual intervention shall always be
possible: [4.3.2]
starting and stopping of prerecorded alarm messages
[4.3.2a]
selection of appropriate prerecorded alarm messages
[4.3.2b]
when using specific emergency messages, indication of
which message and their relation to zones must be
displayed [5.2.d]
paging by using the emergency microphone (if any) [4.3.2d]
selection of zones for prerecorded message or paging [4.3.2c ]
EN60849

Automatic Status Indication

A clear indication shall automatically
be given at the designated control
locations of: [5.2]
(the designated control location can be the firemans microphone)

system availability [5.2 a]

power supply availability [5.2 b]
any fault condition [5.2 c]
systems with several zones: current message
broadcast into which zones:
Alert, Evacuation, paging

EN60849

Failure Indication (1)

Indication of Failures

[5.3]

Failures must be indicated automatically at an

designated place (e.g. main system)
The failure shall be indicated within 100 seconds
after occurance.
The failure shall be indicated acoustically and
visually.
A receipt button and a reset button must be
available.

EN60849

Failure Indication (2)

Indication

[5.3]

Visual and acoustic indication

tone of 0.5 seconds duration, min. once within 5 seconds
permanent or flashing visual indicator

Manual reception by personal

tone disappears
visual indicator remains / changes to permanent on

Reset of failure indication after failure recovery

visual indicator extinguishes automatically - or visual indicator extinguishes after manual reset
visual indicator shall extinguish after failure recovery !

Acoustic tone must start again when other failure

detected
EN60849

Surveillance (1)
An automatic Surveillance must
indicate each detected failure
The surveillance system tests
Components of the critical signal path
(sources, amplifiers, cables etc.)
the power supply
primary supply [5.3a]
secondary supply [5.3b]
battery charger [5.3c]

failure of protection circuits which may prevent the

an emergency broadcast
e.g. fuse, circuit breaker, isolator [5.3d]

control circuits (processor etc.)

EN60849

Surveillance (2)
Failure of elements of the critical signal path
failure of microphone [5.3e]
(voice coil, pre-amplifier, wiring)

failure of the critical signal path through amplifiers [5.3f]

missing of amplifiers or critical modules [5.3g]
failure of standby amplifier [5.3h]
failure of tone generator or message memory [5.3i]
failure of speaker circuits [5.3j]
(short circuit, break)

failure of connection between decentralised systems [5.3 o]

failure of connection between PA system and emergency detection
system
usually this surveillance is done by the emergency detection system
[5.5]

EN60849

Monitoring of the Microphone

Microphone monitoring methods

Electrical monitoring :
Disadvantage: conversion from sound to voltage can
not be monitored, e.g. when the diaphragm is
damaged

Acoustic monitoring
a sound generator sends an acoustic signal to the
capsule
the acoustic and electric function of the capsule is
monitored very safe method !
EN60849

Monitoring Speaker Circuits (1)

Methods of Speaker Circuit
Surveillance
(remind that the critical signal path ends at the speakers
connector)

1. Monitoring with DC current

advantage: star wiring possible.

disadvantage:
speakers must be modified or special
speakers must be used; not suitable for
existing speaker circuits
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Monitoring Speaker Circuits (2)

2. Impedance Monitoring (used often)

Signal
Test signal
(low frequency)

Impedance
measuring

Advantage: connection of different 100 volts speakers possible;

star wiring possible; expansion of old systems
possible
Disadvantage:
Restriction when many speakers are
connected on a line: a line break causing a few
speakers to be cut off can not be detected because
practically only high impedance deviation can be
detected correctly (the speakers impedance can
become 30% higher when
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Monitoring Speaker Circuits (3)

3. Loop Back

Signal

Test signal
(high frequency)

Pilot tone detector

Advantage: connection of different 100 volts speakers

possible; very safe method
Disadvantage: star wiring not possible or difficult (line
must be installed from speaker to speaker);
expansion of old systems complicated when
star wiring was used, line back necessary
EN60849

Monitoring Speaker Circuits (4)

4. Back Signal on Same Line
Signal

end of
line unit
f1f2

Test signal f1
(high frequency)

Pilot tone detector f1, f2

Advantage: connection of different 100 volts speakers

possible, no line back necessary; very safe
method
Disadvantage:
star wiring not possible (line must be
installed from speaker to speaker);
expansion of old systems complicated when
star wiring was used;
practical problem: installation site of the end
of line unit often not in documents (can not
ENbe found)
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Evacuation Message
Memory
Safety Against External Influence
Pre-recorded messages and eventually
attention-drawing signals
must be stored in a non-volatile memory (solid
state memory, no mechanical devices) [4.2i]
availability must be monitored continuously
external sources shall not be able to corrupt or
derange the store or its contents

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Requirements
On The
Installation
Concerning the Installer

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Interface With Emergency

Detection System [5.5]
Continuous Monitoring
The communication link between the emergency
detection system and the sound system is
normally monitored by the emergency detection
system

Notifications to the Emergency

Detection System
The sound system must transfer minimum one
fault information (any failure) to the emergency
detection system
EN60849

Security Functions
Redundant Facilities
Keeping the Power

[4.1m]

an emergency power supply must be installed always

Keeping the Broadcast

[4.1g]

Failure of a single amplifier or loudspeaker circuit

shall not result in total loss of coverage in the
loudspeaker area served.
architecture of the speaker circuit
configuration power amplifiers

Exception: regional directives for small buildings

EN60849

Emergency Power Supply

Batterys Capacity

[5.6]

Loss of AC mains at evacuation:

double evacuation time
minimum 30 minutes for emergency mode

Loss of AC mains without evacuation:

minimum 24 hours (normal operation)
When a building is not used for a longer period (e.g.
weekend), then the system must be capable to operate
the emergency mode for minimum 30 minutes after reoccupation of the building
(e.g. 72 hours standby plus 30 minutes emergency
mode).
Refer to British Standard BS5839: part 8, for battery
capacity calculation.
EN60849

Keeping of Broadcast (1)

Electric Solution: A/B-Wiring
Two-Line System
In case of failure of one line, the other line still serves
the remaining speakers

A
B
A/B-wiring with 2 amplifiers

A/B-wiring with standby amplifier

standby switch

line cut switch

standby amplifier
EN60849

Keeping of Broadcast (2)

Acoustic Solution:
Connection of speakers
by turns on the lines A
and B in each direction
In case of a lines failure,
the speaker area keeps
served adequate (small
gaps of coverage only)

A
Example: corridor
B
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Example: wide area

A
B

Divided Emergency
Speaker Zones
Emergency Speaker Zones

[4.1k]

Division into areas depending on evacuation

method
responsible: authorities

Criterias for Division

[4.1l]

1) neighbour zones shall not disturb

2) maximum one loudspeaker zone per
emergency detection zone
responsible: authorities, planer

.
EN60849

Sound Pressure Level -1 Attention-Drawing

Signals [Annex C]
Sound pressure level
minimum: 65 dBA,
in rest areas: 75 dBA
120 dBA
Max.
6 - 20 dBA above
background noise
z.B. 100 dBA
Alarm signal level
6 - 20 dBA
maximum: 120 dBA
z.B. 90 dBA
Noise level
the sound pressure
75 dBA
Quiet level
levels
of all relevant areas
65 dBA
Min. level
must
be confirmed and being
documented [7.2 a]
EN60849

Sound Pressure Level -2Messages

The standard does not write specific
value for the sound pressure level of
the reports. Instead it prescribes a
specific value of the intelligibility .

EN60849

Intelligibility
Intelligibility of Messages
The Intelligibility of messages must be equal or higher than
0.7 CIS (common intelligibility scale; STI: 0,5) [5.1]
This value must be obtained in each area [5.1]
In a difficult acoustic environment, it is preferable to carry
out an acoustical simulation

Measuring and Documentation of

Intelligibility
Confirmation of intelligibility must be documented [7.2 a]
Application of acknowledged with restrictions [Anhang A]
Correlation curves to CIS in [Annex B]
A specialised company may measure the
intelligibility
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Alarm Signals -1 Attention-Drawing Signal

minimum one suitable attention-drawing signal before
message (refer to EN 457) [4.1 e]
Distinguishable attention-drawing signals at different
emergency cases [4.1 h]

Attention-Drawing Signals and

Messages [4.1 h]
attention-drawing signal before message, 4-10 seconds
duration of attention-drawing signal and messages until
change or end of evacuation
max. 30 seconds between different messages
pauses > 10 seconds: attention-drawing signal
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Alarm Signals -2-

Pre-recorded messages
All messages must be clear, short and preplanned.

Lenguage
Buyer should specify the used language(s).

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Documentation -1 Operation Manual

[7.1]

must be quickly available

(preferable at each operation place)

Contents:
practical operation of the system
action to be taken in case of system
failure

Performance
graphically if possible
in preferred language
bound document (copy)
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Documentation -2 System Documentation

[7.2a]

To be kept by User or Maintenance Company

Contents:
locations of each part of the devices
measuring results of the system

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Impedance of each speaker circuit

set values (when adjustable, e.g. volume)
sound pressure level(s)
intelligibility

Documentation -3-

Maintenance Instructions

[7.3.2]

To be kept by User or Maintenance Company

Contents:

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Maintenance procedures (order of works)

Maintenance intervals
Parts for maintenance, spare parts, special tools
Suppliers
eventually test certificates

Requirements
on the Operation
Concerns the user

EN60849

Documentation -4-

Log Book

[7.2b]

Responsible person must take care on

it

Contents:
details of all emergency cases
details of tests and routine checks
details of occurred failures and the
repair

EN60849

Security of Operation
Maintenance

[7.3.1]

should be done twice a year (maintenance and

test)
to be carried out by competent person

Responsible person

[4.2]

nominated by owner
is responsible for maintenance
must be trained
manages the log book

EN60849