Sounders & Beacons

Ensure you're keeping your workforce safe with our extensive range of sounders and beacons. Used in numerous commercial and industrial sectors including construction, automotive and aviation, we stock top brands including Werma, Patlite, Schneider Electric and Moflash, so you can find the right sounders and beacons for your business.

Types of sounders and beacons

There are many different types of sounders and beacons, here are the most common:

  • Rotating - contain a continuously lit bulb which rotates to give the effect of a flash
  • Flashing - have a bulb which flashes on and off
  • Flashing strobe - produces fast, regular flashes of light
  • Single bolt - fixed with a single bolt which protrudes from the base of the beacon
  • Three bolt - mounted with three bolts on the base for additional security
  • Magnetic - an easily removable, non-permanent solution

The bulbs used can vary depending on whether you choose a halogen beacon, Xenon beacon or LED beacon.

The different uses of sounders and beacons

Although there are a wide variety of uses, the typical examples are:

  • Fire alarms
  • Security warnings
  • Machinery breakdowns
  • Moving traffic in warehouses such as forklift trucks
  • Gas detection
  • Emergency services

Sounders and beacons can be used both indoors and out, but if using outside you should ensure you choose a weatherproof version.

What's the difference between sounders and beacons?

Sounders, also called sirens, will emit an audible alarm to alert you to a hazard, for example, if there's a fire. Beacons are a visual indicator of a hazard, typically emitting a flashing indicator light through a coloured lens. The two types can also be combined to create an audio and visual alarm and is called a sounder beacon.

What's the coverage area of a sounder beacon?

Typically, the audio range of a sounder beacon will be between 5 and 15 decibels (dB (A)) above the ambient noise level. There are many considerations when working out the coverage of a sounder beacon, for example, you'll need to take into account any noise like the sound of people or machinery.

What's the minimum distance between two sounder beacons?

Although there's no definitive answer to this question, you can calculate the distance required between two sounder beacons based on the distance the sound emitted travels.

The decibel level of the beacon will be based on the person being one metre away from it. If you double the distance, so for example, are stood 2 metres away, the decibel level drops by 6.

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