Manual call point height requirements
The correct mounting height for manual call points under BS 5839-1, accessibility requirements, positioning on escape routes, and common installation errors — by a fire engineer with 30 years of experience.
Manual call points are the primary means by which a person discovering a fire raises the alarm. Their position — height, location, and visibility — directly affects how quickly the alarm can be activated. BS 5839-1 is specific about mounting height and positioning, and these requirements must be met on every installation. A call point that is too high, too low, or poorly located may fail to be operated in the few seconds that matter.
Correct Height for Manual Call Points
BS 5839-1 requires the actuating element of a manual call point — the break-glass element or push button — to be mounted at a height of between 1.2m and 1.4m above finished floor level. This range is specified to ensure the call point is within comfortable reach of a standing adult and accessible to wheelchair users.
The 1.4m maximum is important — a call point mounted higher than this may be out of comfortable reach in a moment of stress, particularly for shorter adults or people carrying items. The 1.2m minimum ensures the call point is not so low as to be easily missed or accidentally operated.
In practice, most installers aim for approximately 1.4m to the centre of the actuating element — the top of the permitted range — though any height within the 1.2m to 1.4m band is compliant.
| Measurement | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum height to actuating element | 1.2 m above finished floor level |
| Maximum height to actuating element | 1.4 m above finished floor level |
| Maximum travel distance to nearest MCP | 45 m along the escape route |
| Minimum number per storey | At least one per storey — positioned on the escape route |
Positioning on escape routes
Where Call Points Must Be Located
Height is only one aspect of correct call point positioning. BS 5839-1 requires that call points are positioned on escape routes — specifically at storey exits, final exits, and other positions along corridors and escape routes such that no person need travel more than 45 metres to reach one.
The logic is straightforward: a person discovering a fire should be able to activate the alarm on their way out of the building, not by detour. Positioning call points at every storey exit and beside final exit doors ensures that anyone evacuating passes a call point before leaving the building.
Storey exits
Every door opening onto a protected stairwell or escape stair should have a call point mounted immediately adjacent to it — so that anyone using the stair to evacuate can activate the alarm as they pass.
Final exits
A call point should be positioned at or immediately beside every final exit door — the last door before reaching the open air. This catches any occupant who has not already activated the alarm during evacuation.
Corridor positions
Where the travel distance between storey exits or final exits exceeds 45 metres, intermediate call points are required in the corridors to maintain the maximum 45m travel distance rule.
High-risk areas
In areas identified as high-risk by the fire risk assessment — kitchens, plant rooms, and similar — a call point should be positioned to allow rapid alarm activation by anyone discovering a fire in that area.
Accessibility
Call Points and Wheelchair Users
The 1.2m to 1.4m height range was chosen in part to ensure call points are accessible to wheelchair users, for whom a device mounted above 1.4m may be out of comfortable reach. In buildings where wheelchair users are present, BS 5839-1 recommends confirming that the call points are within reach — and in some cases, positioning at the lower end of the permitted range is preferable.
The Equality Act 2010 requires reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and ensuring fire alarm call points are accessible to all occupants is part of that obligation. Where a building has been specifically adapted for disabled access, the positioning of call points should be reviewed in that context.
Visibility and identification
Ensuring Call Points Can Be Found
A call point that cannot be seen is nearly as ineffective as one that cannot be reached. BS 5839-1 requires that call points are conspicuous — they should not be obscured by door swings, shelving, notice boards, or any other obstruction. The standard red colour of call points and the international symbol assist identification, but physical obstruction can render even a correctly coloured and labelled device invisible to a person in a stressful situation.
Where call points are in dark or poorly lit areas, photoluminescent identification panels or illuminated call point covers can significantly improve visibility during a fire event when normal lighting may be affected.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The height is measured from the finished floor level immediately below the call point. On a sloped surface or ramp, the measurement is taken from the floor level at the point where a person would stand to operate the device. Where a call point is at a transition between floor levels, the designer should consider whether the height is accessible from both approach directions and adjust the mounting height if needed.
Yes — BS 5839-1 does not restrict call points to wall mounting. Pillars, posts, and purpose-made freestanding stands are all acceptable mounting options where wall mounting is not practicable. The height requirement of 1.2m to 1.4m applies regardless of the mounting method. Freestanding call points are common in large open-plan areas, exhibition spaces, and industrial premises where walls may be distant from the areas that need coverage.
BS 5839-1 recommends that at least one manual call point is tested each week on a rotating basis, so that every call point is tested at regular intervals. Weekly testing is typically carried out by a nominated member of staff using a test key or magnet, which activates the call point without breaking the glass. All tests should be recorded in the fire alarm log book. A full functional test of all call points is carried out by the maintenance contractor at each six-monthly service visit.