Smoke alarms are mandatory in new homes and substantially renovated homes in Queensland, the legislation, introduced in 2017, will make Queensland households the safest in Australia in relation to fire safety.
And from 1 January 2022, which is only a little over a year away, all domestic dwellings leased and sold will be required to have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms installed. By 2027 every home will be required to have interconnected smoke alarms.
Statistics from fire services throughout Australia consistently indicate that you are twice as likely to die in a house fire if you don’t have a smoke alarm and sadly on average in Australia 51 people a year die in house fires.
In nearly all these cases there was no smoke alarm installed. With the date for mandatory smoke alarms looming we hope that that number drops significantly, as smoke alarms do save lives.
Keep an Eye on Your Smoke Alarm
Saving your home and family only happens if you have working smoke alarms. By following some simple check of your smoke alarms, you will ensure your property and loved ones are safe from a fire.
- Every month smoke alarms should be tested to ensure the battery and alarm work
- Every six months smoke alarms should be cleaned
- Once a year you should replace your battery
- Every ten years you must replace your smoke alarm
Put the dates in your calendar and keep your home and family safe from a fire.
Let’s Stop the Fire First
There are some simple steps to make sure your home isn’t at risk. Most fires occur in the kitchen so never leave cooking food unattended. Then there are electrical malfunctions, there cause up to 40% of home fires.
Some simple solutions here are; please don’t fix your electrical appliances, that is a job for a qualified electrician and turn off heaters when not at home and before going to bed.
And finally, smoking and candles, these two things are a major cause of the fire. Never smoke in bed and always keep candles well away from curtains.
What to Do if There is a Fire in Your Home
A smoke alarm will alert you of danger but it will not put out the fire, it is vital that you act quickly and get out of the house immediately. It can take under a minute for a room to be engulfed by smoke and flames.
Some simple steps recommended by local fire authorities are:
- Crawl low under the smoke
- Assist any people in danger, but only if it is safe to do so
- Go to a safe meeting space
- Call 000 and wait for the firefighters to arrive
- Do not re-enter the building
Stay safe and invest in smoke alarms.
