Glasshouse Home Safety Blog

When you are awake fire can be easily initially picked up by smell, well before you hear it or see it. While you are sleeping, however, your sense of smell sleeps too, and of course your eyesight. Therefore, if a fire occurs while you and your family are sleeping, the only senses you have left to alert you of this threat are touch and hearing.

Smoke alarms can be the difference between life and death in a fire situation. However, smoke alarms can only save lives if they are well maintained and working properly. That is why the Queensland Government’s new smoke alarm legislation is so important. The legislation indicates not only the type of smoke alarms that must be used but also where these are positioned and how they are connected.

The Queensland governments smoke alarm legislation details where and how many alarms are located in your home. The number of alarms that you are required to have in your home depends on its size, layout, number of stories and number of bedrooms.

It is imperative to your safety to have your smoke alarm regularly tested. Most electrical companies will carry out a smoke alarm test. However, often this test is done by simply pushing the button on the alarm. The reality is that this simple method of testing is ineffective in determining the effectiveness of your alarm.

There are two main types of smoke alarms and it is important for your safety and for standard compliance to know the differences. The two types of alarms are ionisation alarms and Photoelectric alarms.

Safety switches are installed in the switchboard of your building. These switches, also known as residual current devices (RCDs), protect you and your family against electrocution and fires caused by electrical faults. The safety switch should trigger when the electrical current is detected as being interrupted, meaning the current is flowing through someone or something and the flow is not its natural and balanced state.