What is BS EN 50134-5 about?
BS EN 50134-5 is the fifth part of a multi-series of European standards on ‘Alarm systems - Social alarm systems.’ BS EN 50134-5 specifies the minimum requirements for the performance, reliability, and security characteristics of interconnections, alarm transmission systems, and communications within a social alarm system.
Who is BS EN 50134-5 for?
BS EN 50134-5 on social alarm systems is relevant to:
- Manufacturers of alarm systems
- Communications provider
- Alarm receiving centre
- Alarm transmission service network (ATSN)
- Operators and testers of alarm systems
Why should you use BS EN 50134-5?
A social alarm system provides 24h facilities for alarm triggering, identification, signal transmission, alarm reception, logging and 2-way speech communication, to provide reassurance and assistance for people considered to be at risk.
BS EN 50134-5 covers and provides reference to standards with regards to requirements for reliable wireless interconnections via RF, necessary availability, monitoring of wired and wireless trigger devices, security and transmission.
BS EN 50134-5 enables you design interconnections to provide a reliable means of communication between triggering devices, the local unit(s) and the controller.
BS EN 50134-5 also ensures that the alarm transmission system support, the following communications:
- Two-way audio
- Alarm and fault signals
- Status messages
Overall, as the buyer of BS EN 50134-5, you will be able to adopt best industry performance parameters for social alarm systems that, with uninterrupted voice communication and other streaming data can provide assistance to people who are at risk. Moreover, you will also be able to avoid the risk of malicious substitution of radio signals that generate false alarm or fault signals, in turn compromising on system integrity.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 50134-5:2021 supersedes EN 50134‑5:2004 and incorporates the following technical changes:
- The minimum performance parameters for the interconnection including availability, monitoring, security, transmission time are now determined by updated reference to EN 50136‑1:20121
- Requirements for microphone and speaker performance to deliver two-way speech have been removed and are now determined with EN 50134‑3:2012
- Requirements for the alarm transmission system have been updated to take account of the general migration of voice traffic to packet-based IP infrastructures by telecommunications providers
- Performance parameters are now prescribed for both sessional connected, switched paths or packed switched networks
- Requirements have been added where digital to analogue or analogue to digital signal conversion is utilized
