Smoke alarms to be compulsory from May 1
Smoke alarms will become compulsory for all residential properties on May 1.
The NSW Fire Brigade says smoke alarms have been proven to save lives by waking people and alerting them to a fire and then giving them time to escape before being overcome by toxic smoke and fumes.
The brigade says people rarely die from being burnt in a house fire because they are usually asphyxiated by the gases given off from a fire long before the fire reaches them.
The smoke alarm legislation makes it compulsory for all residential properties where people sleep to be fitted with at least one working smoke alarm on each level of the dwelling.
Property owners have six months to comply with the legislation, after which fines of up to $550 can be imposed for non-complying buildings.
Battery-operated smoke alarms can be purchased from hardware stores, large variety stores, electrical stores etc and are designed to be installed on or near the ceiling in hallways containing bedrooms, or between the bedrooms and the rest of the house if there is no hallway.
The NSW Fire Brigade says smoke alarms should comply with Australian Standards AS3786.
Buildings which have shared accommodation such as boarding houses, hostels, backpacker and bed-and-breakfasts are required to be fitted with hard-wired (240 volt) detectors which are interlinked. These detectors are required to be fitted by a licenced electrician.
“The smoke alarm will wake you from sleep in the event of a fire and as such should be installed as close to the bedrooms as possible. Smoke alarms should not be installed too close to kitchen areas, as cooking fumes will activate them. Specially designed smoke alarms are available for kitchens,” the NSW Fire Brigade said.
The NSWFB recommends that the 9-volt battery in smoke alarms be replaced on an annual basis at the conclusion of daylight saving, thus ensuring that the detector has a fresh battery for the winter period.
A short chirp from the smoke alarm every few minutes indicates that the smoke alarm battery is running low and requires replacement.
The NSWFB says battery-operated smoke detectors have a small amount of radioactive material which emits less radiation than a luminous wristwatch, and so can safely be disposed of in household waste.
For further information visit the NSW Fire Brigades website www.nswfb.gov.au and follow the links to Community/At Home/Smoke Alarms.
