Smoke Detectors in Melbourne: Are There Legal Responsibilities?
07 March 2019
Smoke detectors warn everyone in a residence that there
is a fire and that action is necessary quickly to prevent the situation from
worsening. If you own a house or other residential structure in Melbourne, you
may wonder if you have a legal responsibility to install these detectors
throughout it. We are here to explain your legal responsibilities in detail
according to the regulations set forth by the Victorian Building Authority or VBA,
so keep reading.
Smoke Alarms Are Mandatory in All
Residential Buildings
The VBA mandates that all residential structures contain smoke alarms near or
on the ceiling for each storey as well as in positions to wake sleeping
occupants. We would also recommend one be placed near the kitchen since this is
a prime room for fires. The National Construction Code or NCC defines
residential structures as follows:
• Class 1a includes row, detached
and terrace houses as well as villa units
• Class 1b contains certain boarding
houses, hostels and guest houses
• Class 2 includes buildings that
contain blocks of flats, apartments or other sole-occupancy units
• Class 3 residential buildings contain such structures as residential sections of motels or hotels, backpacker
accommodations, dorm areas of schools and units for the disabled, aged or even
children, as in orphanages
• Class 4 covers those dwellings that are in commercial buildings, such as
an apartment or house attached to a shop
You Should Only Buy Smoke Alarms That Conform to the Right Standards
Another regulation that you need to adhere to is that all smoke alarms that you
install should comply with Australian Standard AS 3786-1993, according to the
Building Regulations 2018. Do not dismay over this, though, as these models of
smoke alarms are readily available in hardware stores, home improvement stores
and other types of stores. Also, professionals must install the ‘hard wired’
versions to the main power source and the residential structure should have a
battery back-up system if the structure was built after August 1, 1997.
However, you can install the battery-operated versions yourself.
Landlords Are Responsible for the Installation and Maintenance of Smoke Alarms
If you rent your house, apartment or other type of residential units, it is
your responsibility, as the landlord, to not only install the smoke alarms in
the correct fashion but also to ensure that they are in prime working condition
all throughout the year. For this reason, the ‘hard-wired’ models might be the
best for your purposes.
To receive professional installation of regulation smoke alarms to fulfil your
legal responsibilities in the proper fashion, turn to Light-On Electrical. We
specialise in electrical, refrigeration and air conditioning services for
domestic, industrial and commercial clients.
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