Alarm Limitations - Bellman & Symfon BE1281 Manuel De L'utilisateur

Planning your escape route for when the alarms sound
1 Check room doors for heat or smoke. Do not open a hot
door. Use an alternate escape route. Close doors behind
you as you leave.
2 If smoke is heavy, crawl out, staying close to floor. Take short
breaths, if possible, through a wet cloth or hold your breath.
More people die from smoke inhalation than from flames.
3 Get out as fast as you can. Do not stop for packing. Have a
prearranged meeting place outside for all family members.
Check everybody is there.
4 Call the fire brigade from a neighbor's house or mobile
phone. Remember to give your name and address.
5 NEVER re-enter a burning house.
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Alarm limitations

Limitations of smoke alarms
Smoke alarms have significantly helped to reduce the number of fire fatalities in coun-
tries where they are widely installed. However independent authorities have stated that
they may be ineffective in some circumstances. There are a number of reasons for this:
 Smoke alarms will not work if the batteries are depleted or if they are not connected.
Test regularly and replace the entire smoke alarm when it fails to operate.
 Smoke alarms will not detect fire if sufficient smoke does not reach the smoke alarm.
Smoke may be prevented from reaching the smoke alarm if the fire is too far away, for
example, if the fire is on another floor, behind a closed door, in a chimney, in a wall
cavity, or if the prevailing air draughts carry the smoke or heat away. Installing smoke
alarms on both sides of closed doors and installing more than one smoke alarm as
recommended in this leaflet very significantly improve the probability of early detection.
 The smoke alarms may not be heard.
 A smoke alarm may not wake a person who has taken drugs or alcohol.
 The smoke alarms may not detect every type of fire to give sufficient early warning.
They are particularly ineffective with: fires caused by smoking in bed, escaping gas,
violent explosions, poor storage of flammable rags and/or liquids, (for example petrol,
paint, spirits etc.), overloaded electrical circuits, arson, children playing with matches.
 Smoke alarms don't last indefinitely. We recommend replacement after 10 years as
a precaution.
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