ai_Droid Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Very sad story on the radio today from the mother who's house burned down the other week. One thing I picked up on was how she was alerted to the fire by her dog. I'd have thought public housing would have mains smoke detectors installed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feelslikeitshould Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 You would like to think so. In the UK all new housing has to have mains fitted smoke detectors, the detectors are linked so that a fire in one part of the house sets off all the other alarms where applicable and this has been the case since 2000 when the new Part B regs were adopted. I'm not 100% sure but the amended Part B regs weren't adopted here until 2005ish(?) The regs specify that a minimum of one mains alarm with no back-up supply is fitted but to know that, you have to know what BS5839: Part 6 grade E type LD3 standard is. The building regs aren't retrospective, otherwise a lot of us would have a pretty big problem and a lot of expense trying to comply with the new set of regulations. There will be a section of Part B, the fire regulations, that tell you what you have to do to comply if you renovate, replace the heating system or add an extention etc. But as far as I know the bit about mains alarms only applies to new builds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I have a smoke alarm that tells me when my toast is ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katman Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 I have a smoke alarm that tells me when my toast is ready. Mine goes off everytime I cook sausages under the grill. It's a good way to make sure the batteries are still working. When I bought mine, I got one with a lithium battery designed to last 10 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 The building regs aren't retrospective, otherwise a lot of us would have a pretty big problem and a lot of expense trying to comply with the new set of regulations. There will be a section of Part B, the fire regulations, that tell you what you have to do to comply if you renovate, replace the heating system or add an extention etc. But as far as I know the bit about mains alarms only applies to new builds. Either way, you'd think it'd be the corpies/commissioners policy to fit smoke alarms irrispective of regs. Flat owners as landlords are forced to, why not them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 I thought that was only applicable though (to retrofit smoke/fire alarms I mean) if you have multiple dwellings in one building such as a block of flats or converted house? If you rent out a complete house as a single dwelling does it apply? Yeah, 's why I said flat owners as landlords I just thought it's daft, the corpy/commissioners should want to protect not only their tennants but their housing stock. You clearly can't rely on low income folks to fit smoke alarms, so they should surely be mains installed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDave Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Flat owners as landlords are forced to, why not them? I thought that was only applicable though (to retrofit smoke/fire alarms I mean) if you have multiple dwellings in one building such as a block of flats or converted house? If you rent out a complete house as a single dwelling does it apply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 The Facts http://www.iomfire.com/fire_safe/response.html Querys on this area to the Fire Safety Department Email: carl.kinvig@fire.dha.gov.im or iomfire@gov.im Tel: 01624 647303 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 The Factshttp://www.iomfire.com/fire_safe/response.html Querys on this area to the Fire Safety Department Email: carl.kinvig@fire.dha.gov.im or iomfire@gov.im Tel: 01624 647303 But, she wasn't over 60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 (Local Authority premises should already have a smoke detector fitted). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ai_Droid Posted January 16, 2008 Author Share Posted January 16, 2008 (Local Authority premises should already have a smoke detector fitted). Ahh, nice one! Wonder why hers didn't work then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Stand alone battery operated alarms are fine -IF and it's a big one, they're left where they've been fitted. However, people often take them down and or remove the battery for one reason or another - such as the alarm going off when cooking and forget to put them back up - again they should be routinely checked by testing and the battery obviously has to be replaced when needed. It's not Rocket Science as most will annoyingly beep when the battery is on the way out. Not a few batteries get removed and used for other purposes. Stupid especially when you consider the possible consequences. Simple job to replace the battery and only takes a few seconds to test an alarm. I don't know the circumstances of this particular incident but assuming there was an alarm, it was where it should have been and it was fitted with a battery; then it should have worked. The regs for new builds are fine, it's a proportion of existing properties that have a weakness. Having said all that, all an alarm does is drastically raise the chances of your survival, not prevent anything starting obviously so comonsense plays a part. It amazes me that people will not bother with such a basic and really inexpensive means of saving life even if they can't get a freeby. Still as has been often said before, it is difficult to legislate for stupidity. edit to add: Worth Reposting e mail addy for enquiries is carl.kinvig@fire.dha.gov.im or iomfire@gov.im Tel: 01624 647303 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Will there been smoke alarms fitted in public houses when the smoking ban comes in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollag Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Douglas Corporation certainly comply with smoke detector regs, even installing domestic sprinklers where appropriate. the thing to remember with domestics is their dual function, detector and alarm, they must be positioned to sense an event quickly but also be audible to sleepers. For larger properties it may be that extra alarms are linked and fitted closer to the bedrooms. The vital detector is the system is the heat detector in the kitchen, the source of the majority of fires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skig Posted January 16, 2008 Share Posted January 16, 2008 Flat owners as landlords are forced to, why not them? I thought that was only applicable though (to retrofit smoke/fire alarms I mean) if you have multiple dwellings in one building such as a block of flats or converted house? If you rent out a complete house as a single dwelling does it apply? Unless its changed in the last 18 months there is (or was) nothing to make a landlord install a smoke alarm in a dwelling that was being let as a complete self contained unit, ie a house or bungalow. I only know this because my son rented a furnished bungalow back in 2006 and I was suprised to find no smoke alarm. The letting agent said there was no legislation to have one fitted. A quick visit to B&Q and a simple battery operated one was bought for a few quid. If I was renting out property I would ensure that one was fitted, not only for the tenents sake, but to prevent what could be a total property right off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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