As of the 1st of January 2017, all homes in Queensland will be required to update their smoke alarms to photoelectric smoke alarms, thanks to new legislation passed in Parliament in early September this year.
All homes currently being built or undergoing major renovations in Queensland will need to comply with the legislation upon completion after the 1st of January 2017. All houses leased or sold will have up to five years to comply while owner-occupied properties will have a maximum of 10 years. Any smoke alarm that fails after the 1st of January 2017 must be replaced by a photoelectric alarm.
The legislation comes as a recommendation after a tragic house fire in Slacks Creek, Brisbane in 2011. The fire claimed the lives of 11 people, and is an event that will hopefully be prevented from happening again with the enforcement of photoelectric alarms.
Photoelectric smoke detector technology is recommended within homes, as opposed to ionisation smoke alarms, as they ‘see’ the smoke before it bursts into flames. As photoelectric alarms can sense smouldering fires significantly earlier than ionisation alarms, residents are given more time to be alerted and escape while the air is still breathable and the smoke is at a low level.
Another advantage of a photoelectric alarm system is that they can be interconnectable with up to twenty units within the one residency. They also contain no radioactive material and reduce ‘false alarms’ that ionisation smoke alarms may pick up, such as cooking or burning food.
For more information on photoelectric smoke alarms, please contact Fire Safe ANZ.