UPDATED SMOKE AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM REGULATIONS NOW EXPECTED TO BE LAW BY OCTOBER

Although the number of fire fatalities has reduced significantly over the recent decades, there are still approximately 37,000 house fires every year in the UK and some 200 fire-related deaths. Memories of what happened at Grenfell just 5 years ago, and all the confusion that terrible night, make for harrowing reading.

After further consultation, the Government has now decided to update the 2015 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations and these are currently being debated in Parliament with a view to bringing them in by 1st October 2022. This extension of the Regulations will now require both social and private rented sector landlords to be legally required to repair or replace smoke and carbon monoxide alarms once they have been informed they are faulty, although testing throughout the duration of a tenancy will still remain the resident's responsibility.

All landlords will also now be obliged to ensure a carbon monoxide alarm is installed in any room of their properties where there is a fixed combustion appliance, although gas cooker appliances are excluded from the new rules.

However, Regulations in both Scotland and Wales go somewhat further and I personally find it frustrating and hard to understand why we can’t have one set of rules for the entire UK!

For example, in Wales, it is mandatory for smoke alarms to be connected to the electrical supply and interlinked with all other smoke alarms. It is also recommended that smoke alarms be positioned where they can be heard by the occupier when asleep. Guidance accompanying the Act suggests that, depending on the size of the property, it may be considered appropriate to ensure the presence of more than one smoke alarm on each storey, including an additional heat alarm in the kitchen area. This is mainly because the top causes of accidental fires in the home are cooking appliances or other electrical equipment (plugs, lighting and cables, washing machines, dishwashers and tumble dryers). In addition, a professional has to be instructed to test the system and produce a fire detection and alarm system report which states when the next inspection and service should take place, dependent on the risk assessment and type of system installed.

In Scotland, however, as of February 2022, ALL Scottish homes (owned or rented) must have interlinked smoke and heat alarms installed and the legislation requires:

???????????One smoke alarm in ‘every circulation space’ on each floor or level.

???????????One smoke alarm in the room most used for general daytime living purposes

???????????One heat alarm in every kitchen space

???????????One carbon monoxide alarm in every room with a carbon-fuelled appliance – boiler, fire, stove or heater.

???????????Every smoke alarm has to be ceiling mounted and interlinked, not via wi-fi, and although CO alarms are not required to be interlinked to the system, it is recommended that they are. Battery operated alarms will no longer be compliant (unless they are sealed, long-life lithium batteries).

Most of us know how smoke will quickly travel and insidiously spread throughout a building that is on fire, making escape far more difficult (due to lack of visibility and smoke inhalation), trapping people inside the building. Before the fire hits its flash point (when the contents of the room or space suddenly and simultaneously ignite), the smoke becomes extremely thick and black. This smoke has a very high temperature and is extremely toxic, in other words, it is deadly.

People need to evacuate a building as quickly as possible to avoid the above, which is why effective and fully operating smoke alarms throughout a property are so important, and also should never be ignored when they go off.

Although the statistics on carbon monoxide (CO) related deaths are not so detailed, according to data from the ONS, in 2020 there were 116 deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in England and Wales.

Regrettably, understanding the dangers of CO is not so widespread. It is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas, produced by burning petrol, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel. Improperly ventilated appliances and engines, particularly in tightly sealed or enclosed spaces, can allow CO to accumulate to dangerous levels.

After carbon monoxide is breathed in, it enters the bloodstream and mixes with haemoglobin (the part of red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body) to form carboxyhaemoglobin. When this happens, the blood is no longer able to carry oxygen and this lack of oxygen causes the body's cells and tissue to fail and die. High concentrations of carbon monoxide can kill in less than five minutes. The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If a lot of CO is breathed in, it can quickly cause unconsciousness or death. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they even have symptoms.

Last week, the Westminster Abbey bell rang 72 times in remembrance of those who perished. Alarms save lives. Why the regulations differ in the devolved nations is beyond me, but I believe it is imperative all property owners and landlords install them in their homes. It is such a small effort and cost compared to the benefits they confer and then we can all sleep more safely at night.