If you have not yet purchased your automatic smoke alarm detector (DAAF), it is not entirely too late to comply. Since January 1, 2016, in accordance with the application of the Macron law, the installation in the housing of the smoke detector box is mandatory. Until now only the purchase, and not the installation, was compulsory.
If the installation must be carried out, no checks are planned to verify that this device is in place. This lack of follow-up is castigated by the burns association of France, which is concerned that seven million homes have not yet adopted the DAAF. The president of the collective was alarmed at the microphone of RTL. “We could have put a penalty for any unequipped accommodation in order to encourage everyone as it can be done for chimneys that are not swept,” says Paul Villain, president of the Association of burns in France “.
Once installed, the smoke detector is expected to be maintained by the occupant of the accommodation, who must also ensure that it works properly.
A useful tool
The smoke detector is a tool that can save lives. Some homes equipped with combustion heaters present a real risk of carbon monoxide poisoning for their occupants. Nearly 30% of boilers are not properly maintained in France. carbon monoxide would cause on average a hundred deaths per year according to the Ministry of Health.
It is important to recognize the symptoms of poisoning to better guard against this risk. Headaches, fatigue, nausea appear more or less quickly and can affect several people. Severe poisoning can lead to coma and death, sometimes within minutes.
Act quickly in case of carbon monoxide poisoning
It is therefore vital to act very quickly and to have the right reflex: “in the event of suspected poisoning, immediately ventilate the premises, stop combustion devices if possible, evacuate the premises and call the emergency services by dialing 15 , 18 or 112 (and 114 for the hearing impaired)”, recalls the ministry of health.
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