What is a false alarm?

What is a false alarm?

• A. An Alarm That Is Caused by Maintenance
• B. Those For Which No Cause Can Be Determined
• C. An Alarm With a Known Cause
• D. An Alarm That Has Not Been Verified by a Supervisor

Answer: (B)

A false alarm is an alarm signal that turns out not to be based on a real, verifiable hazard. In this context, the best match is alarms for which no cause can be determined. When an alarm has a known cause or is triggered by maintenance, there’s a identifiable reason behind the alert, so it isn’t considered false. If the mechanism or condition behind the alarm cannot be found, there’s no justified basis for treating it as a legitimate alert, which is exactly what a false alarm describes. Verification status (having a supervisor confirm it) doesn’t define false versus true in itself; it’s about whether a real condition can be established.

A false alarm is an alarm signal that turns out not to be based on a real, verifiable hazard. In this context, the best match is alarms for which no cause can be determined. When an alarm has a known cause or is triggered by maintenance, there’s a identifiable reason behind the alert, so it isn’t considered false. If the mechanism or condition behind the alarm cannot be found, there’s no justified basis for treating it as a legitimate alert, which is exactly what a false alarm describes. Verification status (having a supervisor confirm it) doesn’t define false versus true in itself; it’s about whether a real condition can be established.