(0)Fire Safety
The most common causes of house fires are:
- Unattended cooking
- Electrical faults
- Faulty appliances
- Faulty wiring
- Home heating (including fixed and portable heaters)
- Open fires and wood heaters
- Smoking
- Candles and oil burners
Most home fires can be avoided. Here are a few simple actions you can take to protect your home and family:
- Regularly check risk areas and conduct a home fire safety audit
- Make sure you have a working smoke alarm
- Keep a fire blanket and extinguisher in the kitchen
- Teach children to be cautious around fire
- Prepare and practise a home fire escape plan
- Know how to get out of your house quickly in case of a fire
Smoke alarm
From 1 May 2006, legislation requires the installation of smoke alarms in buildings where people sleep. Property owners are responsible for ensuring smoke alarms are installed.
Smoke alarms suitable for homes are either hard-wired to mains power or battery-operated. All smoke alarms need to be checked regularly. If you have battery-powered alarms, we recommend checking the batteries at least twice a year (e.g., at the start and end of daylight saving time) to ensure they are working.
It is also recommended that a suitable number of alarms be installed and that the alarms can be heard throughout a large house.
Fires can destroy your most cherished personal items, damage your home, and cause serious injury or death.
NSW Smoke Alarms - It's the law
Information on smoke alarms can also be found on the NSW Fire Brigades website
Smoke alrarms safety campaign
The NSW Government Department of Planning has developed guidelines setting out the type of smoke alarms to be installed in each type of building. Detailed information regarding the smoke alarm requirements and the legislation can be found on their website