Providing smoke alarms free of charge to deprived households does not reduce fire related injuries and may be a waste of resources, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers supplied and installed smoke alarms to 20 000 households in deprived areas in inner London. After 15 months operation, an inspection found that almost half of the alarms were not working. Many had been disabled deliberately – a common problem in properties housing smokers – while others had simply not had batteries checked or replaced.

The study monitored the homes in which the new smoke alarms were installed while also recording incidents of fire at another 20 000 homes which were used as a control. The results showed that during a two year period there were no significant differences in the number of fire related casualties or in the number of fires attended by the fire brigade.

The British Medical Journal called the study a landmark in the application of clinical trial techniques to a public safety issue. The negative results, it says, have led the Journal to urge that the authorities need to maintain fire detectors after installation and, in the longer term, to build sprinkler systems in new housing.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor