Smoke Alarm Legislation for Queensland

From 1 July 2007, owners of all houses and units in Queensland must install at least one 9 volt battery

powered smoke alarm.

Since 1 July 1997 in Queensland, it has been mandatory under the BCA to have hard-wired (240 volt)

smoke alarms installed in residential homes built or significantly renovated (more than 50%) after this

date. These alarms must meet all requirements of Australian Standard (AS) 3786, and the BCA

specifies location requirements for smoke alarms.

The minimum required is a 9 volt, battery powered smoke alarm, in which the battery requires

replacement annually.

There are a number of ways in which smoke alarms can be powered, these include:

legal requirement from 1 July 2007);

2. Long-life 9 volt lithium batteries that can be renewable or non-removable that last the life of

the alarm, up to 10 years. These avoid the need for the householder to replace the battery

annually. In some models the battery cannot be removed due the unit being sealed; and

3. Mains power supply, with some models featuring a rechargeable battery back-up. Often

called hard-wired (240 volt) smoke alarms, these offer the highest level of reliability, but must

be installed by a licensed electrician.

Some smoke alarm models can be connected in groups so that if one alarm goes off it will also set

off others. This will require the work of an electrician.

There are two types of smoke alarms - ionisation and photoelectric. Ionisation smoke alarms mainly

detect the presence of extremely small particles of smoke, whilst photoelectric mainly detect visible

smoke. The type most commonly installed in homes has been the ionisation smoke alarm. The two

Your protection against fire increases with the quality and type of smoke alarm that is installed.

Research indicates that photoelectric smoke alarms are generally more effective than ionisation

types across a wider range of fires experienced in homes. For this reason, QFRS recommends that

photoelectric smoke alarms be installed, especially if you are installing only one alarm. If you already

have smoke alarms installed, QFRS recommends that you supplement the existing alarms with

photoelectric types, especially between sleeping areas and exits from your home (e.g. hallways);

and at the end of the service life of existing smoke alarms, replace them with photoelectric types.

It is expected that stocks of photoelectric alarms will become more readily available at retailers as

demand increases.