These new QLD smoke alarm lawshave been implemented due to several fires which have tragically resulted in multiple fatalities in each instance.
Coronial inquest findings noted that had each property been fitted with functioning interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in prescribed locations, the occupants may have stood a better chance of survival.
Early smoke / fire detection improves escape time from a burning building. During a fire emergency, it was not only the heat and flames themselves which presented a life-threatening hazard, many victims were first overcome by an accumulation of smoke and toxic fumes.
Russell Island House Fire – Brisbane 2023
In the early morning of 6th August 2023, Emergency Services were called to a house fire on Russell Island, just off Brisbane’s southeast coast. The cause of the house fire remains undetermined, however it resulted in the loss of six lives – five young boys and their father who returned to the inferno in an attempt to rescue his children. The fire also destroyed two neighbouring homes and left several people needing treatment for burns and smoke inhalation.
The landlord and home owner was subsequently charged and fined for failing to install legally required and compliant interconnected smoke alarms in the Queensland rental property.
Slacks Creek House Fire – Brisbane 2011
Just before midnight on 23rd August 2011, an accidental fire ripped through a house in Slacks Creek, South Brisbane.
The fire was to cause the greatest loss of life in a domestic house fire in Australian history, with a total of 11 people (including many children) perishing due to smoke inhalation.
A finding from the 2014 Coronial Inquest stated that; ‘Once this particular fire started, it is likely that some or all of the deaths would have been prevented if the sleeping occupants had been quickly awoken and had realised that they needed to leave the house as quickly as possible … smoke alarms were either not present in the dwelling or were not maintained’.
Many recommendations from the Coronial Inquest were incorporated into the QLD Building Fire Safety (Domestic Smoke Alarms) Legislation Amendment Regulation 2016.
On 23rd June 2000 at 1am a disgruntled resident deliberately lit a fire inside the Palace Backpackers Hostel in Childers, southeast Queensland.
The fire spread rapidly throughout the old timber building and the hostel did not have working smoke detectors or alarms. The result? 15 young people sadly lost their lives. The arsonist was captured by police and sentenced to life in prison. The devastating effect of this event is still evident on the local township to this day.
Want to know more? Watch our ZEN quick start video or call us on 0478 596 402 today.
Before buying an interconnected fire alarm you should do your due diligence to ensure it is compliant to Australian Standard 3786:2014. The full name of the standard which encompasses smoke alarms in Australia is ‘Australian Standard 3786:2014 Smoke alarms using scattered light, transmitted light or ionization’ (incorporating amendment 1 and 2). The first of this two part series will review Australian Standard 3786:2014 to assist your purchasing decision.
Australian Standard 3786:2014
Standards are documents that set out specifications, procedures and guidelines to ensure products are safe, consistent, and reliable. Australian Standard 3786:2014 is referenced by QLD’s Building Fire Safety Regulations 2008 – when a standard is referenced by state or national legislation, compliance with it becomes mandatory. It is interesting to note that although there is a newer Australian Standard 3786:2023 – it is not yet referenced by legislation – therefore Australian Standard 3786:2014 must still be complied with in the eyes of the law.
Australian Standard 3786:2014 is divided into several key components – the two of interest that will be reviewed in this article are ‘tests’ and ‘general requirements’.
Section 4.17 of the Australian Standard states that; ‘The smoke alarm shall be so designed that a sphere of diameter larger than 1.3 ±0.05 mm cannot pass into the sensor chamber(s)’. This requirement is intended to restrict the access of foreign bodies such as insects into the sensitive parts of the smoke alarm (to prevent nuisance alarms). It is known that this requirement is not sufficient to prevent the access of all insects; however, it is considered that extreme restrictions on the size of the access holes may introduce the danger of clogging by dust, etc.
Smoke Alarm Photoelectric Chamber – Insect Screen
How does this requirement translate into the design and manufacture of your photoelectric smoke alarm? The image below shows the compliant internal component from a ZEN wireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm. The polymer mesh screen surrounding the sensitive photoelectric chamber within the alarm contains thousands of tiny holes, each perfectly engineered, no larger than 1.3mm in diameter. The tiny holes prevent most insects from accessing the internal chamber whilst still allowing air (and smoke) to pass through.
Mesh screen surrounding the photoelectric smoke alarm internal sensor chamber
As per Australian Standard 3786:2014 – holes must be no larger than 1.3mm diameter
In addition to this internal mesh screen around the perimeter of the photoelectric chamber, the wireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm also has an outer grill which forms part of the housing of the alarm. The external grill also prevents larger foreign bodies from entering the alarm itself. Foreign bodies (i.e., insects) are a common cause of false / nuisance alarms because they can enter the sensitive internal components and disrupt the photoelectric light beam.
We hope you have enjoyed this review of Australian Standard 3786:2014 and how it translates to the design of your interconnected fire alarm. Whilst many smoke alarm retailers might profess to be aware of the standard, very few can claim to have read it from cover to cover or have a genuine understanding of what it really means.
Want to know more? Watch our ZEN quick start video or call us on 0478 596 402 today
Nothing is more frustrating than interconnected smoke alarms going off for no reason (especially at 2am in the morning!). But why is your smoke alarm beeping when there is no smoke? There can be several causes of nuisance alarms. The good news is that you don’t have to go on living this way – our ZENwireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms provide reliable protection for you and your family!
The basic operating principal of an interconnected photoelectric smoke alarm is that it activates when the light beam inside the smoke alarm chamber is broken or disrupted – typically by tiny smoke particles. However these foreign particles can come from sources other than real smoke too – below are some of the most common examples and how to resolve them.
High Humidity Affecting Your Smoke Alarms
High humidity may occur naturally as the air carries dense moisture particles that your smoke alarm confuses for smoke particles. Although brands can differ, interconnected smoke alarms should be designed to work up to 93% relative humidity – anything over this range and the air could become dense enough to scatter the light beam of a photelectric sensor. Extreme tropical weather conditions in far north Queensland and the Northern Territory can sometimes produce high humidity above 85% which may begin to affect an alarm.
High humidity may also be created artificially due to steam vapour from a bathroom shower, or a clothes dryer operating in a laundry room for example. If your smoke alarm is positioned outside a bathroom entrance or in a laundry consider moving it further away or relocating it completely so that escaping shower steam and dense air vapour doesn’t trigger nuisance alarms and start the smoke alarm beeping unnecessarily.
Insects Inside Your Smoke Alarm
Section 4.17 of Australian Standard 3786:2014 requires all smoke alarms to have protection against foreign bodies, so that a sphere of diameter larger than 1.3mm cannot pass into the sensor chamber – this protection is provided by way of an internal mesh screen. Despite this requirement it is still possible that very tiny insects (smaller than 1.3mm) could enter the smoke alarm and by doing so interfere with the photoelectric sensor. One tip to reduce this likelihood is to wipe the ceiling perimeter around your smoke alarm with surface insect spray (being very careful not to allow the insect spray itself to touch the alarm as this may affect the internal sensors).
Dust Inside Your Photoelectric Smoke Alarm
A build-up of dust in the air may also affect your interconnected smoke alarms. If dust particles enter the internal chamber they will interfere with the photoelectric light beam and trigger nuisance alarms. We recommend cleaning your interconnected smoke alarms regularly by gently vacuuming around them with a soft brush attachment from your vacuum cleaner. Cleaning your interconnected smoke alarms in this way may remove any cobwebs which could also prevent pests from entering the alarm. Be cognisant of any activities in the home which may create excess dust – for example renovations, or shaking out old dusty blankets or doonas in a room which has a photoelectric smoke alarm installed.
Cooking Smoke Affecting Your Smoke Alarm Sensors
It is true that whilst many house fires start in the kitchen, installing an alarm in the kitchen may also elicit many nuisance alarms and start the smoke alarm beeping unnecessarily. It doesn’t matter what brand of smoke detector you have, if you install it too close to the kitchen stovetop or oven it will activate when smoke particles are emitted from the cooking food (after all, the smoke alarm is just doing what it is designed to do). When cooking, be sure to use the oven exhaust fan or rangehood to draw smoky air particles away from the vicinity of your smoke alarm. If the problem persists, consider repositioning the alarm further away from the cooking appliance.
Conclusion
Beeping smoke alarms without an obvious apparent reason can be both frustrating and stressful. Worse, repeated false alarms may induce a ‘boy who cried wolf’ syndrome and reduce home occupants reaction to a real life fire event.
Fortunately, our ZEN wireless interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms undergo strict quality control measures and are manufactured at an ISO 9001 quality accredited facility, in adherence to Australian Standard 3786:2014, and are independently tested and verified which help reduce the likelihood of nuisance smoke alarms. Using the tips outlined above and below, your interconnected smoke alarms will provide many years of stress free and reliable fire protection.
For more information about why your smoke alarm is going off no reason, please refer to the handy smoke alarms diagnostic checklist below!
Want to know more? Watch our ZEN quick start video or call us on 0478 596 402 today.
Australians are renowned for their love of the great outdoors – from senior Grey Nomads to the younger #vanlife movement, Aussies are camping and caravanning in greater numbers than ever before. No doubt you’ve thoroughly researched your road trip, loaded up all the necessities, and packed the recreational gear, but have you checked how safe your caravan or campervan actually is?
Fire safety is crucial in a campervan as most usually have only one escape route in the event of a fire. As modern vans and motorhomes are made of lightweight and highly combustible materials you may have only a few seconds to escape a burning caravan. Fires can accelerate rapidly, therefore receiving a warning from a photoelectric smoke detector may mean the difference between life and death.
How Many Smoke Alarms Do I Need? Where Do I Put Them?
It is recommended that you have at least one working photoelectric smoke alarminside the van where the bed is, and one also in the annex if you sleep there – the image below provides a handy visual guide. As per Australian Standard 3786:2014, the smoke alarm(s) should also have an integrated ‘hush’ button which allows it to be temporarily silenced, should the alarm be activated accidentally due to cooking smoke etc.
where to install smoke alarms in your campervan
Am I Required By Law To Install A Smoke Alarm
In My Campervan, Caravan Or Mobile Home?
You should be aware that there is different smoke alarm legislation in every Australian state. In NSW, Victoria and the Northern Territory, regardless of where your campervan is registered, it must be fitted with a smoke alarm by law. If you are visiting South Australia and you are on-site for 60 days or longer then a smoke alarm is required by law. In July 2024 it became law in QLD that all QLD registered campervans and motorhomes must have at least one Australians Standard compliant photoelectric smoke alarm installed on the ceiling. In all other states fire authorities strongly recommended you install a smoke alarm, however it is not mandated by legislation. Some states also offer penalties for non-compliance. i.e. in QLD this is an offence with a maximum penalty up to $774. In NSW this may include on the spot fines of $200, and up to $550 if the matter goes to court. Note the definition of ‘campervan’ is quite broad and also includes the following; caravans, on-site vans, park vans, annexes (with rigid sides), mobile homes, and any other type of transportable structure where people sleep.
Avoid getting fined! Get your Australian Certified Photoelectric Smoke Alarms – SALE ON NOW!
Recent news has further highlighted the lack of mandated alarms in Australian caravans, and fatalities due to caravan fires unfortunately occur annually. Don’t allow yourself to become a statistic – the short video below contains some great caravan fire safety advice from NSW Fire and Rescue.
Photoelectric smoke alarms and caravan fire safety advice
Caravan Fire Safety Tips!
Keep Your Cylinders Outside The Caravan
Ensure that your cylinders in the caravan are safely maintained. Ensure that your gas cylinders are always placed outside the van and switched to the off position when not in use.
To avoid gas leaks and subsequent fire hazards, ensure that your empty cylinders are stored in an open space and locked with a strap or something similarly sturdy. Be sure to check all gas fittings and hose connections prior to each road trip as they may work free due to extended vibration when travelling.
Using Appliances
Ensure that you check the health of all your caravan appliances, particularly high-load equipment by having them certified periodically by an electrician. Do not overload power leads, and protect them from exposure to natural elements such as rain ingress.
Avoid Parking In Grassy Areas
When parking your caravan, avoid camp sites that have tall grass as these can easily catch fire. The same applies to parking spots with spinifex growth as the same is a fire hazard. Search instead for a cleared area.
Safe Cooking
Cooking while moving is prohibited as it is one of the major causes of fire. In addition, never leave the stove unattended when cooking inside the van. Setting up BBQ too close to the campervan itself might scatter embers or increase radiant heat levels, which could cause the awning fabric to catch fire. It is good practice to always maintain a minimum 5m distance from the caravan when cooking outside to prevent caravan fires and potential carbon monoxide poisoning.
Have Fire Extinguishers Handy
Second only to a smoke alarm, the next most important item to prevent fire from spreading is a dry chemical powder (DCP) fire extinguisher. Make sure your extinguisher is effective at all times by ensuring it remains fully charged and is within its use by shelf life. Fire extinguishers should be available at an accessible location, typically adjacent to the exit route of the van.
Fire Blankets
To contain a small campervan fire (i.e. on the stove top), a fire blanket may suffice. ZEN fire blankets are ideal as they are made of fire resistant material that can withstand temperatures up to 500 degrees celcius. Place the fire blanket next to your exit door. As most fire blankets have no date of expiry, they are considered durable by full-time caravanners. Do not wait until a fire occurs before opening the fire blanket for the first time – practice beforehand so you are familiar with it, and learn the correct technique to place it over a small fire without burning yourself in the process.
Install a photoelectric smoke alarm in your campervan – protect loved ones
Complete this fire safety checklist before embarking on your next road trip adventure
Does your campervan / caravan have a working photoelectric smoke alarm, fire extinguisher and a fire blanket located near the exit?
Do you have an escape plan pre-prepared in case of fire? Ensure escape routes remain unobstructed.
Check that LPG cylinders are secured correctly to the van and that all fittings and hoses are in good working order with no leaks.
Have all electrical appliances been test and tagged by a qualified electrician?
Ensure you turn off any pilot lights before towing or when the towing vehicle’s engine is running.
Download the free EmergencyPlus app to your mobile phone. The app is available from Google Play (android) or the App Store (Apple). The app uses GPS functionality built into smart phones to help a Triple Zero (000) caller provide critical location details required to mobilise emergency services.
Want to know more? Watch our ZEN quick start video or call us on 0478 596 402 today.
