Fire alarm · BS 5839-1
How far apart can manual call points be, and how high do they go?
The 45 m walking distance, the 30 m design figure, the 1.4 m fitting height and what changed in BS 5839-1:2025 for manual call points.
How far can anyone be from a call point?
No one should have to travel more than 45 m along the route they would actually walk to reach a manual call point.
At design stage, when the layout of the rooms and furniture is not known, use 30 m in a straight line instead. It keeps the design safe whatever the final layout turns out to be.
What changed in 2025: the reduced distances in the 2017 edition (25 m and 16 m for some situations) were removed in BS 5839-1:2025 (clause 19.5). If an older design or checklist still uses them, it is out of date.
The free call point distance checker compares a walking distance or a straight-line distance with these limits.
How high do call points go?
The centre of the break glass goes at 1.4 m above the floor, with a tolerance of 200 mm above and 300 mm below. That means anywhere from 1.1 m to 1.6 m is acceptable (clause 19.8).
Transparent hinged covers are recommended.
Putting them in the right places
The distances above are limits, not a layout. Where the call points actually go, and whether a system needs them at all, comes from the system category and the fire risk assessment. On a system category, /M is added to P1, P2 or L5 to show that manual call points are included.
Whatever is decided, put it on the certificate. The designer signs a design certificate, and whoever services the system later can check it against the same plan.
Common questions
What is the maximum distance to a manual call point?
No more than 45 m along the walking route. At design stage, use 30 m in a straight line.
How high should a manual call point be fitted?
1.4 m to the centre of the break glass, with a tolerance of 200 mm above and 300 mm below, so 1.1 m to 1.6 m.
Did BS 5839-1:2025 change the call point distances?
Yes. The reduced distances of 25 m and 16 m in the 2017 edition were removed.
Should call point covers be fitted?
Transparent hinged covers are recommended.
This guide is general information for UK fire & security companies, not legal or engineering advice. Always work to the current edition of the relevant standard and your own competent-person judgement.
See this on a real certificateKerova builds the register, readings and verdict into the certificate itself.
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