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Looking for a fire protection company in Gauteng that can assist with more than just fire extinguishers? Altrafire provides commercial and industrial fire protection services across Gauteng, including fire detection and alarm systems, firefighting equipment,...

Your fire alarm has another fault. The technician can repair it — but this is the third or fourth repair in the last year. At some point, every facilities manager responsible for an ageing fire detection system asks the same question: “Should we repair this system...

Your fire alarm panel is beeping and displaying “EARTH FAULT”, “GROUND FAULT” or a similar message. What does it mean — and is the fire alarm still working? An earth fault normally means that part of the fire alarm’s electrical wiring or equipment has...

Does your fire alarm keep going off when there is no fire? Repeated false alarms are more than just annoying. They interrupt work, disrupt tenants, cause unnecessary evacuations, frustrate security staff and can eventually create something even more dangerous:...

Your fire alarm panel is beeping and displaying “SUPPLY FAULT”, “MAINS FAULT”, “BATTERY FAULT”, “CHARGER FAULT” or a similar message. Is the fire alarm still working — and how urgent is the problem? A supply fault means that the fire alarm control panel has...

Your fire alarm panel is beeping and displaying “OPEN CIRCUIT”, “LOOP OPEN”, “ZONE FAULT” or a similar message. What does it actually mean — and is your building still protected? An open circuit normally means that the fire alarm control panel can no longer see a...

What is the best fire suppression system for a generator room? There is no single answer that is correct for every generator installation. A diesel generator room can contain several different fire hazards at the same time, including fuel, lubricating oil, hot...

What type of fire detection should be installed in a high-bay warehouse in South Africa? There is no single detector type that is automatically correct for every warehouse. In particular, ordinary point smoke detectors and heat detectors may not be the best choice...

Choosing a commercial fire detection system in South Africa is not simply a matter of deciding how many smoke detectors, call points and sirens to install. The correct system depends on the building, its occupancy, fire risk, required level of protection and the...

How Far Apart Must Smoke Detectors Be in South Africa? How far apart should smoke detectors be installed in a commercial building in South Africa? Under SANS 10139:2021, smoke detector spacing is not simply based on placing detectors a fixed distance apart. The...

Warehouses and distribution centres carry higher fire risk than most commercial buildings because of dense storage, high racking, forklift charging bays and large open floor areas. SANS 10400-T classifies them as storage occupancies — J1 (high-risk), J2...

A Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for fire equipment is issued by a SANS 1475-certified company using SAQCC Fire-registered technicians after your extinguishers, hose reels or hydrants are serviced. It’s separate from your building’s fire compliance...

A Section 16(2) appointee is a person the CEO formally assigns, in writing, to manage occupational health and safety duties — including fire safety — in a specific area of the business, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993. The appointee carries...

Is your commercial fire alarm system actually compliant with SANS 10139:2021 — or is it simply switched on and showing “System Normal”? A compliant fire detection and alarm system involves much more than having smoke detectors, manual call points and a fire alarm...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 An AOV (automatic opening vent) clears smoke and heat from stairwells and other high-risk areas so people can evacuate safely, required under SANS 10400-T. South Africa has no AOV-specific SANS testing standard — Part...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 The OHS Act doesn’t set a fixed number of fire wardens — it requires employers to provide “adequate” trained personnel for fire fighting and evacuation under the General Safety Regulations. In...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 Fire hose reels and hydrants in South Africa are governed by SANS 543 (the reel itself), SANS 1128 (hydrant components and couplings), and SANS 10105-2 / SANS 1475-2 for use, control and servicing. The hose must be at...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 A fire door in South Africa must comply with SANS 1253 as a complete, factory-tested assembly — door, frame, hinges, lock and closer together, not the door leaf alone. SANS 10400-T sets six fire-resistance classes...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 A SANS 23601 escape plan must show the exact “you are here” location, use the standard’s mandated colours (safety green arrows, light-green escape routes, a blue location marker), include an overview...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 In South Africa, fire insurance claims are most often rejected or reduced because of lapsed equipment servicing, missing Certificates of Compliance, or a building that doesn’t meet SANS 10400-T — not because of...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 A gas suppression system is a SANS 14520-compliant fire-extinguishing system that floods a server room or data centre with a clean agent or inert gas instead of water or powder, so it protects servers and electronics...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 Fire compliance costs in South Africa vary widely by building size and systems installed. An annual extinguisher service runs roughly R120–R250 per unit. A fire compliance audit for a small-to-medium business...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 All portable fire extinguishers must be serviced annually and overhauled every five years (CO₂ every ten years) under SANS 1475-1. Fire hose reels and above-ground hydrants must be serviced annually under SANS 1475-2....

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 A fire compliance certificate is documented proof that a building’s fire protection — equipment, detection, escape routes and signage — meets SANS 10400-T, the OHS Act and local fire by-laws. It is issued after...

By Jaco Coetzer — Altrafire | Updated June 2026 SANS 10139 classifies fire detection and alarm systems into three groups: Category M (manual systems with call points only), Categories L1–L5 (automatic detection designed to protect life) and Categories P1–P2...

Fire compliance is not optional for South African businesses — it’s a legal duty that touches your building, your equipment, your staff and your insurance. Getting it wrong risks lives, attracts municipal penalties, and can void cover when you need it most....

FIRE COMPLIANCE GUIDE · ALTRAFIRE The Complete Guide to Fire Compliance for South African Building Owners Most South African building owners assume they are fire compliant. Most are not — at least not fully. This guide covers every fire protection system governed...

SANS 14520 – Gas Fire suppression SANS 14520 specifies the requirements and give recommendations for the design, installation, testing, maintenance, and safety of gaseous firefighting systems in buildings. Weekly Visually check the hazards and integrity of the...

SANS 10139 – Fire detection systems SANS 10139 provides guidelines for the design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance of fire detection and alarm systems. It also includes information about the roles and responsibilities of various parties involved in the...