From March 8, 2015, the French will have to install a smoke alarm detector in their home. It alerts the occupant of the start of a fire by emitting an audible signal.
All French people must have an autonomous smoke detector before March 8, 2015. This is provided for in a law of March 9, 2010 which makes it compulsory to install this device in all homes. The DAAFC (which costs around 20 euros) is a device allowing the occupant to be alerted to the start of a fire in the home by emitting an audible signal. But do not panic for smokers, “the equipment can react to the smoke of a large cigar but everything is designed, in principle, to avoid untimely triggering,” said the French Federation of Fire Trades (FFMI ) daily the Figaro.
If the legislator has taken such a provision, it is because domestic fires have consequences of dramatic fires in France. According to the site pompiers.fr, each year, nearly 15,000 people are injured during a domestic fire. And, more than 800 people die as a result of a fire in a home. It is an intervention every 7 minutes for the firefighters. The site Planetoscope indicates that a domestic fire occurs every 2 minutes and one in 4 is triggered by an electrical accident. This represents 263,000 household fires each year, 70% of which occur at night.
Unfortunately, according to the FFMI, there will still be around 2 million social housing units that will still not be equipped as of March 8, 2015.
Which dwellings are affected?
All housing, whether newly built or existing, whether located in a collective building or in a single house. The installation of the detector is the responsibility of the occupant of the dwelling, whether tenant or owner. However, exceptions remain, in the case of official accommodation or furnished rentals, installation and maintenance are the responsibility of the owner of the accommodation.
Which model to choose?
When you buy your detector, check that it complies with standard NF en 14604 (this must be written on the detector).
As such, the obligations of the standard are numerous. The detector must have, indelibly marked, the name and address of the manufacturer, the reference standard, the date of manufacture or lot number, the recommended replacement date and instructions for the user. . In addition, a specific signal must indicate the weak batteries. The detector must have a test button to check that it is working properly. And the logo must be visible on the detector packaging. “Finally, prefer detectors that have the mark, which provide you with better quality monitoring”, advises the FFMI
Where to mount your smoke detector?
For the French Federation of Fire Trades, the positioning of the detector depends on the configuration of the accommodation. However, certain general rules must be observed. For the particular case of the studio, in order to avoid the untimely triggering of the smoke detector, place it away from the kitchen area and the bathroom.
Its location must therefore be in or near the bedrooms, and in the hallway leading to the bedrooms (away from sources of steam or smoke, such as the bathroom, kitchen or garage)
Regarding its position, it must be in the upper part (on the ceiling or, failing that, in the upper part of the vertical wall), and at a distance from the other walls if your accommodation has several levels. As such, it is recommended to fix one detector per level.
What do we risk if we do not equip ourselves ?
Not much to tell the truth, even if to encourage individuals to equip themselves, insurers should reduce the insurance premium.
Except that in the event of a fire and even if the detector has not been fixed, the loss will still be compensated.
Indeed, Le Figaro recalls that for the moment, the texts do not provide for any particular control, nor any sanction if the device is not installed.
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