With the onset of winter in New Zealand many of us are starting to use some form of heating in our homes in order to stay warm and cosy. In any home at any time, and more particularly when heaters are involved, there`s the potential for fire. Two very important things should be installed in your home as a safety measure - a smoke alarm and a fire extinguisher. 

Smoke Alarms
 

These small gadgets detect miniscule quantities of burning material in smoke long before a flame erupts. Even the smoke from a cigarette can trigger some sensitive alarms. If a mat in front of an open fire has a piece of glowing wood fall on it, the smoke from this will be picked up by the alarm long before the human nose can detect it, especially if that nose and its owner are asleep in bed!

A range of smoke alarms are available from the simple, single ones at a reasonable price to the more hi-tech and expensive ones that even connect into your burglar alarm. Please check out the smoke alarm range at your local Mitre 10 store.

The right positioning of the smoke alarm is probably more important than the quantity of smoke alarms in one house. One unit per bedroom, one unit in the living area, one in the garage and most certainly one in any sleepout area should suffice.

Smoke alarms should be located on the escape routes on all levels within the household unit. On levels containing the sleeping spaces, the smoke alarms should be located either:
a) In every sleeping space, or
b) Within 3.0 m of every sleeping space door.

In this case, the smoke alarms must be audible to sleeping occupants on the other side of the closed doors.

Kitchens need to be treated separately because small amounts of smoke from ovens or toasters will continually set off false alarms. Special units are available for kitchen areas; ask for advice about your particular needs at your local Mitre 10 store.

Do not mount a smoke alarm in the bathroom either because the steam will set them off unnecessarily.

Although smoke alarms are usually attached to the ceiling, they can be located on suitable walls also. Smoke rises, filling the highest area of a house first, therefore the smoke alarms need to be mounted in a high place in order to be most effective. In most cases the manufacturer recommends that the smoke alarm is installed on the ceiling as close to the centre of the room as possible.

Attachment is usually by fixing two screws into the wall or ceiling surface, guided by a cardboard template supplied with the unit. These screws are left jutting out from the surface by a few millimetres and the alarm is fitted onto the screws and twisted into place. Full instructions are supplied with all good units.

Most smoke alarms are powered by batteries; therefore it is essential that they are tested regularly. Simply push the button on the unit once a week to test the battery. If the battery is low it will usually sound a warning but do check the instruction leaflet of the particular unit that you are installing. The fire department also recommends that you change your batteries when you reset your clocks for the beginning and end of daylight saving.

 

Difference between Ionisation and Photoelectric smoke alarms
 

Ionisation smoke alarms respond first to fast flaming fires. A flaming fire devours combustibles extremely fast, spreads rapidly and generates considerable heat with little smoke. Ionisation alarms are best suited for rooms containing highly combustible material. These types of material include: 1. Cooking fat/grease 2. Flammable liquids 3. Newspaper 4. Paint 5. Cleaning solutions

Photo electric smoke alarms respond first to slow smouldering fires. A smouldering fire generates large amounts of thick, black smoke with little heat and may smoulder for hours before bursting into flames. Photo electric models are best suited for rooms containing materials which will burn slowly and create more smouldering smoke than flares. These types of material include: sofas, chairs, mattresses, carpet, counter tops. Photo electric smoke alarms are also less prone to nuisance alarms in the kitchen area than ionisation smoke alarms. Photoelectric are the preffered type by most fire departments.

Fire Blankets

Ideal for smothering fat fires or to wrap around a person whose clothing is on fire. Fires involving cooking oils are one of the most difficult types of fires to extinguish within domestic and commercial kitchens. Chubb Fire Blankets are especially designed to extinguish a cooking oil fire by safely smothering it. They are also suitable for other small, contained fires involving paper and flammable liquids, or for wrapping around a person whose clothing is on fire. Chubb Fire Blankets are made from a woven fibreglass material, are highly fire resistant, and approved to AS/NZS 3504. Chubb Fire Blankets are designed to smother flames as well as protect individuals from radiated heat.

Each Chubb Fire Blanket has a tough protective cover with printed instructions that outline their correct use. It is recommended that fire blankets should be located in a readily accessible position and be fitted so they can, in one smooth motion, be released and opened to cover the fire/flames to the greatest extent possible. Care should be taken not to position fire blankets in areas that will prevent the swift removal of the blanket.

Where practical the blankets should be placed along normal paths of travel and near exits. Chubb Fire Blankets require minimal maintenance, however they should be inspected regularly by a competent technician as part of the regular maintenance of the fire protection equipment in accordance with AS1851 and legislation.
 

Fire Extinguishers

One out of three fires starts in the kitchen. Therefore this area is the ideal place to install a domestic use fire extinguisher. Fitting the unit is very simple and once again usually involves two screws. Make sure that the fire extinguisher you choose can be easily removed from its bracket and remember to fit the unit in a position that is quick and easy to access during an emergency. (Many people opt to wall mount the fire extinguisher above the normal reach of children.) Check that the extinguisher can be used on burning oils, fats and electrical equipment, and that it can be tested easily. They should be inspected annually by a competent, trained service person. Look in the yellow pages for names. You can carry out a visual inspection once a month to check for signs of tampering or deterioration. Make sure the extinguisher is still in position and the seal remains unbroken.

If you have already used the fire extinguisher then it must be recharged, regardless of the duration or use of the previous application.

If you are unsure about which fire extinguisher to purchase, just check out the range at your local Mitre 10 store or consult your local fire department. A few minutes spent putting smoke alarms and fire extinguishers in place could save lives!
 

Fire Extinguishers and Fire Types