Monday, January 25, 2010

New law to have Smoke Alarm in ALL homes 火警煙霧警報器

BC Fire Code require that every private home and hotel or motel room (including built before 1979) must have smoke alarms installed by May 1, 2010. For more information about this new Law you can visit the BC Government Website's Housing and Construction Standards or visit Safe at Home for the pamphlet explaing the new law.

For every household, it is better upgrade the existing smoke alarms to interconnected smoke alarm equipped with carbon monoxide alarm. Test the smoke alarms monthly by press the test buttons. The alarm will tell you for a new replacement when it is expired.

US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates there was a yearly average of 386,300 residential fires resulting in nearly 2,400 deaths between 2006 and 2008. Two-thirds of fire deaths occur in homes where there are no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. That is why it is important to replace batteries at least once every year and to test your alarms every month to make sure they work.

US CPSC estimates there was an annual average of 183 unintentional non-fire CO poisoning deaths associated with consumer products between 2006 and 2008. CO is called the "invisible killer," because it is a colorless, odorless and poisonous gas. Because of this, people may not know they are being poisoned. Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of fuel in various products, including furnaces, portable generators, fireplaces, cars and charcoal grills. That is why it is important to have working CO alarms in the home, on each level and outside each sleeping area.

世界新聞網-北美華人社區新聞 - 日前造成兩名女童喪命的素里民宅火警證實為一宗意外,但調查人員指屋內三個煙霧警報器(Smoke Detectors / Smoke Alarm)有兩個失效,否則悲劇或可避免。

周二清晨6時30日發生在素里市125街9400號路段的火警,造成五歲莎嘉(Sajel Saroya)與三歲的普莉亞(Priya Saroya)兩姊妹葬身火窟。警方調查後證實事件為意外,並無人為縱火跡象。

但調查人員指當時屋內的三個煙霧警報器中有兩個並未發生作用,否則住戶應有更多救人及逃生時間,這場悲劇或可避免。

素里消防局副局長卡維里亞(Jon Caviglia)表示,地下室與一樓的兩個煙霧警報器失效,但樓上的警報器則運作正常。他說鑑識人員相信起火點在一樓客廳。

The Most Overlooked Fire Hazard In Your Home 

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2010/12/05 Sing Tao - 65%煙霧器失靈害死人 火警時應響卻不鳴 宜定期檢查
2012/01/31 Whitehorse.com - Carbon Monoxide killed five people in Whitehourse
2012/03/04 Sing Tao - 一氧化碳奪5命 肇因煙囪堵塞
2012/03/07 CPSC - Change Batteries in Smoke and CO Alarms
2013/12/24 CTV News - Two deaths and multiple emergency calls for carbon monoxide poisoning
2013/12/25 World Journal - 多市逾百宗一氧化碳中毒
2014/04/04 The Guardian - Nest halts sales of Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm on safety fears
2014/04/04 Toronto Sun - Google's Nest halts home alarm system sales over possible defect 
2015/07/04 Sing Tao - 防火警鐘一年3誤鳴 溫業主將罰款200
2018/03/23 Sing Tao - 无法检测烟雾!kidde全国回收4万警报器
2018/12/19 Ming Pao -  慎防一氧化碳中毒 家中應設置警報器
2019/03/20 Ming Pao - 列市府促屋主裝CO警報器 改動暖氣爐導致一氧化碳積聚 母偕年幼子女險死
2019/05/18 Ming Pao - 三文灣露營客一氧化碳中毒 一死一傷

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