In order to gain BS EN 54 certification products have to be tested by an accredited test house – manufacturers cannot simply claim that their products comply.

All manufacturers of voice alarm systems need third-party certification to this standard.

According to CEN/CENLEC internal regulations, all European countries are bound to implement this standard. Specifiers, consultants, installers and end users must ensure that the voice alarm equipment supplied has complete BS EN 54 third-party certification.

The overall requirements of a voice alarm system, especially audibility and intelligibility, are not covered in part 16. Such system requirements may be specified in part 24, in national legislation or contractual documents.

Power supply equipment (external to the VACIE*) should comply with the requirements of BS EN 54-4 and requires separate third-party certification.

However, where power supply equipment is an integral part of a voice alarm system, this is tested along with BS EN 54-16.

Manufacturers need to have relevant factory production control procedures, i.e. ISO9001:2008 (quality management system).

The standard does not specify requirements for components as separate parts, they are tested as a whole system.

Following certification, any major product change or new product developed will need further BS EN 54 testing. Manufacturers are continually audited, and VACIE manufacturers are entitled to show the BS EN 54-16 CE standards mark.

*VACIE is an abbreviation for Voice Alarm Control & Indicating Equipment (a component of a Voice Alarm system that generates and transmits voice alarm signals to loudspeaker circuits when it receives alarm signals from fire detection and alarm system and/or manual controls).