15
Fire Safety
WARNING:
Please read carefully and thoroughly.
• Australian Standard AS 1670.6 states the purpose of
installing smoke alarms is to provide early warning of a
potentially life threatening condition and provide the
maximum possible exit time.
• Smoke alarms have sensing limitations. Ionisation
sensing alarms may detect invisible fire particles
(associated with fast flaming fires) sooner than
photoelectric alarms. Photoelectric sensing alarms may
detect visible fire particles (associated with slow
smoldering fires) sooner than ionisation alarms. Home
fires develop in different ways and are often
unpredictable.
For maximum protection, both
ionisation and photoelectric alarms should be
installed.
• A battery powered alarm must have a battery of the
specified type, in good condition and installed properly.
• AC powered alarms (without battery backup) will not
operate if the AC power has been cut off, such as by
an electrical fire or an open fuse.
• Smoke alarms must be tested regularly to make sure
the batteries and the alarm circuits are in good
operating condition.
• Smoke alarms cannot provide an alarm if smoke does
not reach the alarm. Therefore, smoke alarms may not
sense fires starting in chimneys, walls, on roofs, on the
other side of a closed door or on a different floor.
• If the alarm is located outside the bedroom or on a
different floor, it may not wake up a sound sleeper.
• The use of alcohol or drugs may also impair oneʼs
ability to hear the smoke alarm. For maximum
protection, a smoke alarm should be installed in each
sleeping area on every level of a home.
• Although smoke alarms can help save lives by
providing an early warning of a fire, they are not a
substitute for an insurance policy. Home owners,
landlords and tenants should have adequate insurance
to protect their lives and property.
0475-7214-06_QPI9010(130417):_ 2015.5.22 2:12 PM Page 16
