Johnsons Workwear installs Cygnus SmartNet-Pro fire alarm system in Bristol


Iain Hoey
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Fire risk assessment prompts alarm system upgrade
Johnsons Workwear, an industrial garment laundry business in central Bristol, upgraded its fire detection and alarm system following a fire risk assessment that deemed its 30-year-old system inadequate.
According to Cygnus, the assessment recommended a category L1 fire alarm installation across the company’s three buildings.
Cannon Fire & Security, the appointed installer, selected the Cygnus SmartNet-Pro system, a 100% wireless, EN 54-certified fire detection and alarm solution.
Wireless system addresses installation challenges
The installation presented challenges due to the age and structure of the buildings, which contained extensive metal frameworks.
Many wireless fire alarm systems would require hard-wired expanders in such environments.
Additionally, concerns over asbestos risks meant drilling and cabling needed to be minimised.
Cygnus stated that SmartNet-Pro’s fully wireless design eliminated the need for drilling, allowing installation with minimal disruption.
This enabled Johnsons Workwear to continue operations throughout the process, reducing both time and costs.
Installation completed in two weeks
Dominic Gundry-White, Managing Director of Cannon Fire & Security, said: “We arranged a pre-site meeting with Johnsons Workwear to plan a hard-wired installation.
“After discussions with Cygnus, we opted for SmartNet-Pro, which eliminated the need for hard-wired cabling or boosters.
“Switching to SmartNet-Pro reduced our installation time from eight weeks to two, with no disruption to the client.”
The system was installed across two industrial laundry buildings and a separate boiler house, using a single SmartNet-Pro control panel.
The setup includes 170 Cygnus SmartNet-Pro devices, such as detectors, sounders, call points, and input/output units.
Positive feedback from Johnsons Workwear
Simon Child, Quality Controller at Johnsons Workwear, said: “Installing SmartNet-Pro meant that the business was able to continue operating smoothly with no disruptions.
“The wireless characteristics also meant that the speed of installation was a lot quicker than that of a wired solution.
“We have also found that every weekly test of the system we have carried out since installation has run smoothly and successfully.”
Johnsons Workwear installs Cygnus SmartNet-Pro fire alarm system in Bristol: Summary
Johnsons Workwear upgraded its fire alarm system following a fire risk assessment that deemed its existing 30-year-old system inadequate.
Cannon Fire & Security installed the Cygnus SmartNet-Pro system, a 100% wireless EN 54-certified solution.
The installation was completed in two weeks, significantly reducing disruption compared to the originally planned eight-week hard-wired installation.
The system was installed across three buildings using a single control panel, incorporating 170 devices including detectors, sounders, and call points.
Johnsons Workwear and Cannon Fire & Security have reported successful weekly testing since installation.
The company stated that the wireless system allowed for faster implementation and seamless integration without affecting business operations.