Innovative Fire Detection Testing in Elevators

In today’s fast-paced and safety-conscious business environment, maintaining reliable fire detection systems is not just a legal requirement — it’s an essential part of protecting people, property, and business continuity.

At HF, we know that every component of a fire alarm system must function flawlessly, including smoke detectors installed in challenging and hard-to-access locations, such as lift shafts.

To meet this challenge, we offer the Scorpion® Smoke Testing System, an innovative and intelligent smoke testing solution that enables functional testing of smoke detectors located in areas traditionally considered difficult or unsafe to reach. This cutting-edge system supports full UK fire safety compliance, ensuring every detector in a building, even those installed in elevator shafts, high atria, void spaces, or warehouses, can be tested quickly, safely and efficiently.

Solving the Challenge of Elevator Fire Detection

Elevator shafts are critical but complex environments for fire detection. In commercial, industrial, and residential buildings, lift shafts often extend across multiple floors and are enclosed spaces that require specific safety considerations. Traditionally, performing maintenance or functional testing on smoke detectors within these shafts has been both time-consuming and costly.

Accessing a detector inside a lift shaft typically involves:

• Temporarily shutting down the lift.
• Coordinating with a lift maintenance contractor or engineer.
• Using specialist access equipment, such as ladders, harnesses, or scissor lifts.
• Scheduling work outside of normal business hours to minimise disruption.

These steps not only increase operational costs but can also pose safety risks and cause unnecessary downtime. In some cases, businesses have had to delay or modify testing schedules due to these logistical challenges, potentially impacting compliance with fire safety standards such as BS 5839.

We can offer a smarter, safer, and more efficient solution. One that completely eliminates the need for physical access to the detector during routine testing.

Scorpion is a unique, permanently installed remote smoke detector testing system designed specifically to functionally test smoke detectors in hard-to-access locations.

A Scorpion head unit (a compact smoke generator) is installed next to a point detector or connected to a sampling point on an aspirating smoke detection (ASD) system. When testing is required, the head unit releases a controlled amount of smoke directly toward the detector, triggering a functional test just as if it were exposed to real smoke in an emergency.

This system can be activated remotely from a Scorpion Control Panel or Access Point, located at a convenient, safe, and accessible position (typically at ground level in a nearby plant room or motor room). Our Fire & Security engineers can then initiate the test with a simple control interface, significantly reducing time, effort, and disruption.

How It Works

The Scorpion® system has been designed with efficiency, accuracy, and safety in mind. Its micro smoke generator is engineered to produce consistent smoke density for over 240 tests per head unit, ensuring reliability over many years of use.

Key operational features include:

• Targeted smoke generation: Delivers smoke precisely where it’s needed — at the detector or sampling hole.
• Transport timer: Monitors smoke travel time within an ASD system, helping assess system integrity.
• Smoke clearing function: Clears residual smoke after testing to prevent false alarms.
• Scalable configuration: Up to eight Scorpion heads can connect to a single wall-mounted control panel, or multiple heads can be managed across various Access Points.
• Battery or mains operation: The system can be powered by either a Power Pack or Battery Baton, with quick recharge capability.

This flexibility makes the system suitable for both retrofit installations on existing fire alarm systems and new system designs, aligning perfectly with our ability to integrate advanced fire safety technologies into diverse building environments.

Applications and Benefits Across Industries

While this system can be installed alongside any smoke detector, its true value is most evident in applications where detectors are difficult to reach. At HF, we’ve identified several key environments where our clients can benefit most from this system:

Lift Shafts

• Keeps lifts operational during testing.
• Eliminates the need for lift engineers or access platforms.
• Reduces maintenance time and associated costs.
• Ensures full compliance with fire safety standards.

Warehouses and Industrial Facilities

• Avoids the use of access equipment like cherry pickers or scaffolding.
• Minimises disruption to operations and production.
• Reduces health and safety risks related to working at height.

High Atria and Public Buildings

• Maintains aesthetics and safety by removing the need for intrusive testing equipment.
• Prevents disruption to visitors or staff during testing.

Secure or Restricted Areas

• Ideal for server rooms, archives, and sensitive areas where security clearance or downtime can be problematic.

Voids and Confined Spaces

• Eliminates the need for engineers to physically enter confined spaces.
• Reduces potential damage to ceilings, floors, or structural elements.

Whether installed in shopping centres, hospitals, hotels, universities, airports, or power stations, the smoke detector system enables continuous fire safety assurance — without disruption or compromise.

Time, Cost, and Safety Advantages

By integrating Scorpion® into our maintenance services, our Fire & Security team can help clients achieve substantial time and cost savings.

Time Efficiency:
Testing previously inaccessible detectors can now be performed as part of routine maintenance, without needing additional site visits or after-hours scheduling.

Cost Reduction:
Eliminating the need for specialist access equipment, additional personnel, or third-party contractors dramatically reduces operational costs over the lifetime of the system.

Safety Improvement:
By allowing remote testing from ground level, Scorpion® eliminates risks associated with working at height, confined spaces, or within restricted zones, aligning perfectly with our commitment to workplace safety and best practice.

Compliance and Peace of Mind

Compliance with international and UK fire safety standards (including BS 5839-1:2017) requires that every smoke detector, regardless of its location, be functionally tested at regular maintenance intervals. However, without a solution like Scorpion®, many facilities have historically struggled to meet this requirement for hard-to-reach detectors.

With Scorpion®, full compliance is now achievable. The system provides proof that every detector in a building can be tested and verified as operational, ensuring total coverage and peace of mind for building owners, facility managers, and insurers alike.

Setting the Standard for Quality and Innovation

At HF, our mission has always been to deliver reliable, safe, and compliant fire and security systems that businesses across the UK can depend on.

Our engineers are trained, accredited, and experienced in designing, installing, and maintaining fire detection, alarm, and life safety systems for a wide range of environments, from complex commercial facilities to large-scale public buildings.

By adopting advanced technologies, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to innovation, integrity, and quality. These core values guide everything we do, ensuring that our clients receive the most effective solutions tailored to their unique operational needs.

A Smarter Future for Fire Safety

The introduction of Scorpion® smoke testing technology represents another step forward in our ongoing mission to enhance building safety through innovation. By integrating this system into our maintenance and service offering, we’re not only simplifying compliance but also helping our clients operate more safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

From elevator fire detection to advanced fire alarm maintenance solutions, we remain a trusted partner to businesses nationwide — safeguarding lives, protecting assets, and upholding the highest standards of fire safety engineering.

For more information on our fire detection and maintenance solutions, contact our team to discuss your fire safety needs.