Coomera 
New Smoke Alarm Regulations… Is your home ready?
Smoke Alarms are set to become even safer as the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services board roll out new Household smoke alarm regulations. The new regulations are being rolled out in three stages providing a sufficient amount of time for Owners to adhere to the new regulations. The new regulations are set to make dwellings the safest in Australia.
The new legislation specifies that all Queensland dwellings will be required to have interconnected photoelectric smoke alarms in all bedrooms, in hallways that connect bedrooms with the rest of the dwelling and on every level.
What is a photoelectric smoke alarm?
When you sleep, your sense of smell also sleeps. If a fire starts, toxic fumes can overcome you.
Photoelectric smoke alarms see smoke and will alert you early, so you can escape.
With interconnected alarms, you will be alerted no matter where you are, or where the fire starts.
Introduced on the 1st January 2017
- When replacing smoke alarms to comply with Australian Standards (AS) 3786-2014 the alarms must be of the Photoelectric type.
- Smoke alarms must be replaced if they were manufactured more than 10- years ago.
- Existing smoke alarms that do not work and/or need replacing must adhere to regulation and have hardwired Photoelectric alarms.
- All new dwellings built after the first of January must abide by these regulations.
Smoke Alarm Regulations as of the 1st of January 2022 in all dwellings leased or sold.
- Be Photoelectric and not also contain ionisation sensor.
- Be less than 10 years old (From manufactured date)
- Be interconnected with every smoke alarm in the dwelling.
- Be on every level of the house, in all bedrooms and hallways in which connect to all other areas in the house.
- Must be either hardwired or powered by a non-removable 10-year battery.
As of the 1st of January 2027, the above must be implemented in all dwellings.
To give your family the best chance of surviving a house fire, QFES recommends updating your smoke alarms to match the new legislation as soon as you can. In the meantime, make sure all your alarms are working and properly maintained.
To find out more:
https://www.rta.qld.gov.au/Renting/During-a-tenancy/Maintenance-and-repairs/Smoke-alarms
https://www.qld.gov.au/about/newsroom/smoke-alarm-legislation
https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/community-safety/smokealarms/Pages/default.aspx
