buddysfire

New Legislation Around Smoke Alarms

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 03:14:33 GMT

New Legislation Around Smoke Alarms

New smoke alarm legislation is on the horizon – and the laws relating to owner-occupied dwellings is a bit different from leased dwellings.

Owner-occupied dwellings (from Jan 2017)

All existing private homes, townhouses and units will require photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms. These must be either, a hardwired (e.g. 240v) or non-removable 10-year battery powered type alarm. These will be required: on each storey, in all bedrooms, in the hallways connecting bedrooms to any other part of the home, at least one on a storey if it does not have bedrooms in the most likely exit path.

Leased or sold dwellings (from Jan 2022)

All homes or units being sold or leased, or existing leases being renewed, will require hardwired photoelectric, interconnected smoke alarms. Non-removable 10-year battery smoke alarms can be installed in place.

Smoke alarms in the dwelling must:

be photoelectric (AS3786-2014); and
not also contain an ionisation sensor; and
be hardwired to the mains power supply, if currently hardwired. Otherwise, smoke alarms can be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery or a combination of both.
be interconnected with every other smoke alarm in the dwelling so all activate together.

The legislation requires smoke alarms to be installed in the following locations: on each storey, in each bedroom, in the hallway that connects bedrooms and other parts of the storey and if there are no bedroom on a storey, at least one smoke alarm must be installed in the most likely path of travel to exit the dwelling.

Fire Extinguishers in Commercial Vehicles

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 03:14:32 GMT

Fire Extinguishers in Commercial Vehicles

What size fire extinguisher should you have in your commercial vehicle?

This is a commonly asked question, and the answer is very easy to find, when you know where to look.

Australian Standard 2444-2001 – Section 5

Selection and Distribution of Portable Fire Extinguishers in vehicles and small craft.

5.4 Selection Factors

Paragraph two states the following:

“For commercial vehicles, considerations shall be given to the type of vehicle, the cargo being carried and the requirements of the regulatory authority. Every fire extinguisher for use in a commercial vehicle shall be of a type fitted with a hose to assist in gaining access to awkward locations.”

Table 5.1 of the Australian Standards says that passenger-carrying vehicles should have an extinguisher fitted that has a minimum rating and classification of 2A:20B (fitted with hose)

Make sure you consider the risk you are covering when selecting a fire extinguisher for your vehicle so that you comply with the Standard and also have the right equipment to do the job.

How to Read a Fire Extinguisher Tag

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 03:14:31 GMT

How to Read a Fire Extinguisher Tag

To check if the fire equipment is due to be serviced in your workplace, the best place to start is by checking the date tag.

The date tag is located on the extinguisher.

Australian Standard 1851 – 2012 states the following:

1.16.4 Tags & Labels

1.16.4.1 General

“Service Records in the form of tags or labels shall contain the following information:

a) A Title – AS 1851 Service Record

b) Recording of the following:

i. The service performed on the fire hydrant valve, lay flat hose, hose reel, fire extinguisher, fire blanket, which shall be etched, embossed, stamped or indelibly marked on the tag or label in the space corresponding to the year and month in which the service was performed, with a figure representing the activity as follows:

. = three-monthly (identifiable by a dot on a label or a hole in a tag)

1 = six-monthly

2 = yearly

3 = three-yearly, where applicable

4 = five-yearly

5 = recharge after use, where applicable”

Looking at the date tag below you can clearly see that the extinguisher year is marked 2015 and the extinguisher has been last serviced in August 2015. The next routine service will need to be performed six months later, making the service due in February 2016.

Sometimes it may be a little unclear to identify the marking but by turning the tag over it may make it clearer to see the figure (., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) which identifies the level of service performed. On the example below you can see that the Level 1 service was completed in February 2015 and the Level 2 service was completed in August 2015. At Buddy’s Fire, we change the colour of the anti-tamper every six months so that a quick visual check can be made to ensure that all equipment has been serviced within the same six-month period.

You can also refer to your service maintenance records that are supplied by your service provider to identify when the fire equipment will next require servicing within your workplace. If you are unsure or have any questions, call your service provider.