Is your property smoke alarm compliant?
No one wants to receive the dreaded news that their property has had a fire go through it, even more so that lives have been lost that fire. We see news stories too many times, where a fire spokesperson has said the occupant(s) perished because; they didn’t have a working smoke alarm, the batteries had been removed, the smoke alarm was placed in the wrong position in the house or even worse, no smoke alarms were installed at all! Too many times we also find out this occurred in a rental property.
As of the 1 January 2017, the Fire and Emergency Services (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Amendment Act 2016 (QLD) imposed additional obligations on property owners with regards to the installation and maintenance of smoke alarms in domestic dwellings.
New legislation specifies the type, positioning and interconnectedness of alarms, which are critical factors for an early warning and quick escape.
From 1 January 2017:
- When replacing smoke alarms, they must be of a photoelectric type which complies with Australian Standard (AS) 3786-2014
- Existing smoke alarms, manufactured more than 10 years ago, must be replaced (Note: smoke alarms should have the date of manufacture stamped on them).
- Smoke alarms that do not operate when tested must be replaced immediately
- Existing hardwired smoke alarms, that need replacing, must be replaced with a hardwired photoelectric smoke alarm.
From 1 January 2022:
- Be photoelectric (AS3786-2014); and
- Not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
- Be less than 10 years old; and
- Be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together; and
- Be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10 year battery
Smoke alarms must be installed on each storey:
- In each bedroom; and
- In hallways which connect bedrooms and the rest of the dwelling; or
- If there is no hallway, between the bedrooms and other parts of the storey; and
- If there are no bedrooms on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.
Is your property currently smoke alarm compliant? Ask your property manager today to ensure your property is complaint!
Anita Genrich
Orbit Property
Information sourced from Residential Tenancies Authority QLD
