EH1 Electrical Services Edinburgh's Electrician

Getting an electrician to fit working smoke alarms, save lives.

From 1st October 2010 Guidance documents for compliance with Scottish Building Standards are changing for dwellings affecting what smoke alarms you fit and where.

The revised Guidance (Building Standard 2.11) applies to New Build and Materially Altered dwellings, e.g. loft conversions and extensions.

The Key Changes are:

1. Guidance has changed to give the earliest possible warning of fire.
2. You must fit at least:

• 1 smoke alarm in the Living Room (Principal Habitable Room)
• 1 smoke alarm in the hallway
• 1 smoke alarm in the landing
• 1 heat alarm in the kitchen.

3. Multi-Sensor Alarms recommended for Hallways and Stairwells.

4. Radio Linked wireless interconnection isnow referenced as an option.

EH1 Electrical in Edinburgh keep fully up-to-date on all regulations and standards and can ensure that any of your properties are fully safe and compliant with all legislation.

Fire Products Trained Installer
Fire detection products from the aico range are very popular with local authorities and housing associations.
Staff from EH1 Electrical in Edinburgh have undergone specialist training from the manufacturer to earn their “aico Fire Products Trained Installer” accreditation.

Please contact us 0131-225-3338 if you would like our support with any Fire system.

SMOKE KILLS:

Toxic smoke and fumes kill. In a house fire, it is the flames that do the structural damage, but smoke is the primary danger to people. The majority of deaths in fires come from smoke poisoning.

Modern homes contain many materials, such as wood, wool, nylon and plastics, which when burning, produce heavy smoke and toxic fumes such as carbon monoxide and cyanide gas. These materials can smoulder for extended periods of time, producing substantial smoke and fumes before they burst into visible flames.

If you are asleep when a fire starts, you could suffer from smoke inhalation before you wake up. In fact, the combination of toxic smoke and gases and reduced levels of oxygen in the air can make waking up extremely difficult and in some circumstances, tragically impossible. So, it is essential to install and maintain working smoke alarms that will detect the smoke and sound an alarm.

Recent research indicates that house fires today burn faster and kill quicker than house fires 30 years ago. Research in the 1970s showed a safe escape time of 17 minutes. In 2005, this has decreased to an escape time of 3 minutes, or less in some circumstances. This drastic drop in escape time is primarily due to the contents of our modern homes, such as furnishings, that burn faster and more intently. This reduced escape time highlights the need for home fire escape planning and performing periodic practice drills.

SMOKE ALARM FACTS:

Over 90% of residential fires are preventable.
An injury is reported in 1 out of every 17 preventable home fires, and not all injuries are reported.
1 out of every 100 preventable residential fires is a fatal fire.
Research from 1995 to 2004 regarding preventable, fatal residential fires indicates:

• 35% of fires – a smoke alarm was present and operated.
• 25% of fires – a smoke alarm was present and did not operate.
• 21% of fires – no smoke alarm was present.
• 19% of fires – smoke alarm operation was undetermined.

This research pertains to 609 fatal fires that occurred from 1995 to 2004. In about 50 per cent of fatal home fires, there was no smoke alarm warning. In the majority of these fatal home fires, it was determined a dead battery or no battery installed was the reason for the smoke alarm failing to activate.

Statistics also indicate the holiday season between November and the end of January to be the highest point of the year for fires and related fatalities. From November 1, 2004 to January 31, 2005, alone there were 35 fire fatalities. This highlights the need to exercise extra caution during the holiday season when we may be most distracted.

Linked alarms

If you are concerned that you will not hear your smoke alarm because you live in a large house, or one with more than one floor, you may want to consider asking a qualified electrician to install linked alarms. Interconnected alarms can be installed so that when one detects a fire, they will all sound. This will make sure that you are woken up before the fire has spread closer to you

Smoke Alarms for the Deaf

One in seven people may not be woken up by a conventional smoke alarm system due to a hearing disability. Our smoke alarms for the deaf and hard of hearing feature high-intensity strobe lights and vibration pads to wake the deaf person during the night if there is a fire alarm.

We offer portable deaf alarm systems as well as wired alarm systems for the deaf and hard of hearing.

If you are deaf, a little hard of hearing or simply a heavy sleeper, you should consider Strobe light and vibrating-pad alarms. These smoke alarms can be fitted with a vibrating pad and flashing strobe light.

You should put the pad under your mattress or pillow to wake you up at night if there is a fire. When smoke is detected, the alarm will sound and set off the light and pad. This will wake you up instantly. Battery-operated systems cost from £100.

For further info:

The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) produces a fact sheet on smoke-alarm systems for the deaf and hard of hearing. Contact the RNID information line on 0808 808 0123 or textphone 0808 808 9000 or visit http://www.rnid.org.uk/shop/products/smoke_alarms/ where there are a list of devices.

Linked alarms

If you are concerned that you will not hear your smoke alarm because you live in a large house, or one with more than one floor, you may want to consider asking a qualified electrician to install linked alarms. Interconnected alarms can be installed so that when one detects a fire, they will all sound. This will make sure that you are woken up before the fire has spread closer to you