Smoke Alarm and Battery Function 42 Months After Installation

American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2008

Background: Although the use of smoke alarms is widely recommended, little guidance is available on the types of alarms and batteries that function best. This study examined smoke alarm and battery function 12 months after installation in rural residential households.

Journal of Community Health, 2010

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began funding a Smoke Alarm Installation and Fire Safety Education (SAIFE) program in 1998. This program involves the installation of lithium-powered “10-year” smoke alarms in homes at high risk for fires and injuries. This study aimed to (1) determine among original SAIFE homes if the lithium-powered alarms were still present and functional 8–10 years after installation and (2) understand factors related to smoke alarm presence and functionality. Data on a total of 384 homes and 601 smoke alarms in five states were collected and analyzed. Only one-third of alarms were still functional; 37% of installed alarms were missing; and 30% of alarms were present, but not functioning. Alarms were less likely to be functioning if they were installed in the kitchen and if homes had a different resident at follow-up. Of the 351 alarms that were present and had a battery at the time of the evaluation, only 21% contained lithium-powered batteries. Of these, 78% were still functioning. Programs that install lithium-powered alarms should use units that have sealed-in batteries and “hush” buttons. Additionally, education should be given on smoke alarm maintenance that includes a message that batteries in these alarms should not be replaced. Lithium-powered smoke alarms should last up to 10 years if maintained properly.

BMJ, 2002

Objectives To identify which type of smoke alarm is most likely to remain working in local authority inner city housing, and to identify an alarm tolerated in households with smokers. Design Randomised controlled trial. Setting Two local authority housing estates in inner London. Participants 2145 households. Intervention Installation of one of five types of smoke alarm (ionisation sensor with a zinc battery; ionisation sensor with a zinc battery and pause button; ionisation sensor with a lithium battery and pause button; optical sensor with a lithium battery; or optical sensor with a zinc battery). Main outcome measure Percentage of homes with any working alarm and percentage in which the alarm installed for this study was working after 15 months. Results 54.4% (1166/2145) of all households and 45.9% (465/1012) of households occupied by smokers had a working smoke alarm. Ionisation sensor, lithium battery, and there being a smoker in the household were independently associated with whether an alarm was working (adjusted odds ratios 2.24 (95% confidence interval 1.75 to 2.87), 2.20 (1.77 to 2.75), and 0.62 (0.52 to 0.74)). The most common reasons for non-function were missing battery (19%), missing alarm (17%), and battery disconnected (4%). Conclusions Nearly half of the alarms installed were not working when tested 15 months later. Type of alarm and power source are important determinants of whether a household had a working alarm.

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 1996

This study examined the use and misuse of home smoke detectors in three cities in the United States: Dayton, Ohio, Union City, New Jersey, and San Francisco, California. A sample of 300 households, 100 in each city, were reached in telephone interviews which were concluded with a request to test the smoke detector. For the sample, 86% had a smoke detector, and 73% of those smoke detectors were working. Neither the presence of children or whether the smoke detector was preinstalled or purchased and installed by the homeowner were associated with the likelihood of owning a smoke detector or its operating condition. However, ownership varied between cities; 98% of respondents owned detectors in Dayton, OH compared to 72% in San Francisco, CA. Belief that smoke detectors were in good operating condition was strongly correlated with their actual state. Whether the detector was maintained in-house and the interaction between city and whether it was purchased by the resident were also sign...

Fire Safety Science, 2011

Australia has a high rate of smoke alarm ownership, with compulsory installation requirements across all states. Although this is pleasing, it is not correct to assume that a smoke alarm will be in functional order without appropriate maintenance. Procedures to optimise smoke alarm performance include yearly replacement of the battery, and monthly testing of the alarm sounder and cleaning of the unit with a vacuum cleaner. The current study interviewed 500 people randomly selected from shopping centres in Melbourne, Australia, about the maintenance of their smoke alarm. Overall it was found that 17 % of people reported never changing the battery. Most people who reported never changing their smoke alarm battery owned hardwired alarms. Only 57 % reported cleaning their alarms, and of these, 75 % did so less often than recommended. Lower numbers still reported cleaning their smoke alarm (21 %), and only 15 % of these people reported following the correct cleaning procedure. Implications are discussed in relation to targeting community information campaigns.

Suppression, detection and signaling research and …, 2010

This presentation reports on the results of a project intended to help determine the most appropriate location(s) of smoke alarms in dwellings which was undertaken for the Australian Building Codes Board, the organization responsible for the Building Code of Australia [1]. It is notable that ...

American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 1998

American Journal of Public Health, 1999

OBJECTIVES: This study determined the proportion of homes with functioning smoke alarms in a low-income area experiencing a high rate of residential fire-related injuries. METHODS: An on-site survey of households was conducted to confirm the results of a telephone survey. RESULTS: In the telephone survey, 71% of households reported having functioning smoke alarms. In the household survey, 66% of households reported having functioning alarms; however, when the alarms were tested, the percentage dropped to 49%. CONCLUSIONS: Telephone surveys may overestimate the presence of functioning smoke alarms in some populations. Thus, the use of telephone surveys to establish baseline measures could significantly affect the evaluation of smoke-alarm giveaway programs.

2015

Kitchen Smouldering Electrical cable LPG gas flame or alternative All room doors open 12 Kitchen Flaming Electric equipment Cartridge heater or alternative All room doors open 13 Lounge Flaming Upholstered furniture LPG gas flame or alternative All room doors open 14 Lounge Smouldering Upholstered furniture Cigarette/small electric heater All room doors open 15 Lounge Flaming Papers LPG gas flame or alternative All room doors open 16 Lounge Flaming Wood chair LPG gas flame or alternative All room doors open 17 Kitchen Flaming Cooking pan LPG gas flame or alternative All room doors open iv | P a g e Runs Location Fire type Materials Ignition method Conditions Kitchen Flaming Clothing LPG gas flame or alternative All room doors open Laundry room Smouldering Electric equipment Cartridge heater

Public Health Reports, 2007

Objectives. This study was conducted to estimate (1) the proportion of U.S. homes with installed smoke alarms and fire escape plans, and (2) the frequency of testing home smoke alarms and of practicing the fire escape plans. Methods. The authors analyzed data on smoke alarms and fire escape plans from a national cross-sectional random-digit dialed telephone survey of 9,684 households. Results. Ninety-five percent of surveyed households reported at least one installed smoke alarm and 52% had a fire escape plan. The prevalence of alarms varied by educational level, income, and the presence of a child in the home. Only 15% tested their alarms once a month and only 16% of homes with an escape plan reported practicing it every six months. While smoke alarm prevalence in U.S. homes is high, only half of homes have a fire escape plan. Additional emphasis is needed on testing of installed smoke alarms and on preparedness for fire escape plans.