Legislation

[Mark]

It is very clear and documented that the domestic smoke alarm has had a significant effect socially & economically, including all those ones fitted by F&RS, but isnt it about time they were made a bit more intelligent.

An Ion *alarm* against a photo *alarm* will improve the stats but your *alarm* still needs a human to respond to them....thats assuming that they can!!. My thoughts are that they are being treated like a commodity much like a Car or Burglar alarm (when was the last time you responded to one?) and such apathy is increasing.

Why not have a smoke alarm that that can respond and remove the threat of an impending fire without the need of human interaction? Or am I in fantasy land?

[dave bev]

mark, you really need to get your product out on the streets, working and actually delivering what you say it does, however im sure you appreciate that if the build up of heat continues ie electric hot plate still continues to give off heat - there may still be a potential for a fire.

you have part of the solution - not all of it!

[Mark]

Dave If I had the perfect solution I would not be here, but im not troubled by solid plate cookers, but they still cool down albeit slower. What about the washing machines, blankets, toasters, dish washers?

The rationale being that smoke alarms are fitted in most properties (80%) and Pareto, bless his heart dictates that you will be hard pushed to increase that level of ownership unless nanny dictates.

My thoughts are that if we know smoke alarms generally work, how can we get them to give a better response,(ie earlier warning via interlinked) or preferably to act without the need of human response.

[colin todd]

You need a heat detector to do that. I believe they call them sprinkler systems or come such strange and foreign term. Rumour has it that they even put fires out sometimes without the Daveys rolling up. OMG!!!! Davey, lobby parliament to have such devices banned lest they put more of the bruvvers out of work than the new RIP policies.

[dave bev]

mark, just recieved some documentation on a water mist system fitted into an appliance - colin - no probs it'll never catch on, we all know that when a sprinkler goes off it causes untold damage, all heads actuate at once, they are continually going off for no reason blah blah blah - bit like the old 'a' type branch - now that was an advance in technology!! as for the miss management plans - feb 28th in parliament could be fun - the bruvvers AND sisters will be there!

[Mark]

Sounds interesting. Is it installed into an electric blanket, cooker, toaster, dishwasher, w/machine, space heater, tv and other numerous electrical\gas appliances? Its hard enough bringing to market one item let alone 100 !! 2nd big test  in front of the bruvs n sis's at mersey in two weeks time....and with the DVD footage of the 1st test from Moreton. Would you like one to put your pint glass on Dave?

[Gel]

Here as in US, Canada, Eire, Scotland {& elsewhere} hard wired i/connected is the requirement for New Build Homes via local Bldg Regs/Codes/Standards.
{Plug in sort of alarm therefore won't meet the standard.}
Rarely is there a reqm't for a specific type eg Ion/Optical.
Heat Alarms are increasingly called up for Kitchens, as source of
most residential fires. {Scotlland still hasn't adopted}.

Battery interconnectable alarms are available, but hard to locate, again due to price premium.{Available via specialist electrical wholesalers}.

These are interconnected by 12V bell wire, so I know some Hsg Associations get fitted by their maintenance man as no mains voltage involved, and no Part P implications either.
They exist in Ion & Optical formats, latter more expensive and have much higher battery consumption.
These also don't meet need of the Bldg Regs & are used in retrofit only;
typically short term whilst AC hard wired programme is planned/funded.

Comments have been submitted in 2004 on the Part B consultation, as currently Regs only apply to New Build/Loft Conversions etc.

As UK has say 22m dwellings, and new house build is say 160k pa, you can see it'll take an age to make any real inroads into existing stock.

In some US Cities they get round this by making new Building Codes
retrospective
ie applies all existing dwellings say from 1/4/05.

Or
some make Reg appy to existing stock whenever tenancy or ownership
changes.
{With Part P/Home Owner Packs, that may become viable here}.

Getting existing stock within The Regs is the challenge for us all.

Its a bit quiet here lately?

The Building Regulations 1992, Approved Document B
"UK Building Regulations require all new homes to be fitted with a smoke alarm on each floor and that they should be interconnected so that detection of smoke by any one unit operates the alarm in all of them"

If its statistically proven that interconnected smoke alarms save lives and injury, are there initiatives to expand this into existing properties?

Happy New Year

Mark

[dave bev]

mark, whatever are you suggesting?

that i drink a lot or that i spill a lot!

or that mr todd owes me a pint?

x

[Mark]

Sounds like everyone owes you a pint!!

Could it be that you drink a lot THEN spill a lot.