Voice Evacuation System testing

Voice Evacuation Systems (VES) play evacuation and/or alert messages in the event of emergencies.

They consist of three macro components, which must be certified according to EN-54 norms:

• a master panel
• loudspeakers
• wire conductors

Generally speaking, responsibility for installing a noise evacuation system following an ad-hoc risk assessment lies with the owner of the facility or the employer. However, certain fire prevention and/or workplace safety regulations require that a noise evacuation system be installed in the following specific cases:

• business premises with a surface area of more than 400m2 (Italian Ministerial Decree 27/07/2010)
• offices attended by more than 100 people (Italian Ministerial Decree 22/02/2006)
• public entertainment premises (Italian Ministerial Decree 19/8/96)
• hotels with more than 25 beds (Italian Ministerial Decree 9/4/94)
• schools attended by more than 500 people (Italian Ministerial Decree 26/8/92)
• hospitals and healthcare facilities (Italian Ministerial Decree 18/9/02)
• sports facilities attended by more than 100 spectators (Italian Ministerial Decree 18/3/96)
• buildings of historical and/or artistic interest like museums, art galleries, libraries, etc. (Italian Ministerial Decree 20/5/92 No. 569 for museums and Italian Ministerial Decree DPR 30/6/95 No.418 for libraries)
• underground stations (Italian Ministerial Decree 11/1/88)

It should also be noted that recent reports have shown that voice messages greatly reduce building evacuation times in the event of an emergency.