Western Australians disabling smoke alarms
05/06/2009
SGIO research* has revealed Western Australians are more likely to disable their smoke alarms than people in other Australian states.
More than one in three (36 per cent) WA residents surveyed admitted to intentionally disabling their smoke alarms, compared to one in four nationally (25 per cent).
SGIO State Manager Colin Tierney said that although 85 per cent of people said they had a smoke alarm installed, they had to be placed in the right location to be effective.
“We’re most likely to disable smoke alarms due to the alarm going off while cooking (52 per cent) or the low battery warning sounding (24 per cent),” said Mr Tierney.
“By installing smoke alarms close to bedrooms and away from the kitchen, maintaining them regularly, hopefully many of the problems we have with them can be stopped.”
The survey also found that 25-34 years olds we far more likely to intentionally disable their smoke alarm (40 per cent) than other age demographics (23 per cent on average).
Mr Tierney encouraged all WA households to regularly check to see if their smoke alarm was working.
“Checking every month is ideal, however nearly one in ten of us (9 per cent) never check and 45 per cent only check once a year on average,” he said.
“Unfortunately less than one in five of us (17 per cent) check our smoke alarms weekly or monthly, which means many battery operated alarms may not be working at all.”
SGIO receives around 70 claims for home fires every month. To help prevent and be ready for a home fire, SGIO recommends that all households:
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have an evacuation plan and make sure everyone knows and practices it regularly;
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keep a fire extinguisher and fire blanket at hand;
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don’t key-lock deadlocks on doors when at home in case you need to leave in a hurry;
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call triple zero immediately if fire breaks out and can’t be safely and quickly controlled;
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install a smoke alarm(s) and check that they are working once a month. If you have battery-operated alarms, change the batteries at least once a year.
For more information on how to make your home safer visit www.sgio.com.au/homesafety