Cl/SfB (68.52) Uniclass L7625 December 2018 Your first line of defence for housing safety in an uncertain world carbon monoxide alarms a specifiers guide to regulations & standards
Introduction Kidde is committed to helping housing providers, specifiers and installers make the best use of its products, to ensure that homes are safe over the longer term. About this Guide We believe that, in an uncertain world, carbon monoxide () alarms that provide an audible warning at exposure levels well below those critical to healthy adults are the first line of defence against carbon monoxide poisoning in homes. They can provide essential early warning for occupants at low costs and should be the first consideration in all types of housing new or old. This document provides guidance on the use of alarms incorporating both detectors and sounders: although other guidance focuses on detection, effective audibility of alarm sounders is of course equally important. It summarises and reviews recommendations for the provision of alarms found in BS EN 50292:2013 (which applies to all types of housing whether new or existing), as well as current national Building Regulations guidance and other regulatory requirements. In particular, key issues and conflicts between the various guidance documents are highlighted as s to help you question current recommendations and make your own judgements. Understanding Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is odourless and colourless. It bonds with haemoglobin in the blood to gradually replace essential oxygen and prevent its uptake into the blood. It results in headaches, nausea, unconsciousness and finally death. poisoning causes an estimated 50 deaths and 200 serious injuries annually in Britain. While exposure to high concentrations leads to collapse, long-term exposure to lower concentrations can result in symptoms similar to flu or food poisoning. Lower level exposure over a longer period can prove just as fatal as higher level, short-term doses. PAGE 2
Understanding can be produced by any fuel burning appliances, resulting from the incomplete combustion of carbon based fuels including bottled or mains gas, coal, oil and wood. Sources of Carbon Monoxide Typical appliances include boilers, water heaters and wood burning stoves, as well as fireplaces and cookers. With fixed appliances, problems often occur with blockages and back-drafts in flues or loose, blocked or inappropriate vent pipes. In some cases, these have been caused by unrelated building work or interference with flues in communal roof spaces. Recent instances of poisoning highlight issues with cookers some old but others brand new which are generally excluded from Building Regulations requirements. Problems have also been caused by occupants themselves, such as using oversized pans or adapting with burners using foil on gas hobs. Unfixed appliances introduced by occupiers are also a danger, including LPG or paraffin heaters and clothes dryers, charcoal or gas grills, barbecues or hibachis operated in enclosed spaces. Cars running in garages even with the door open are a threat, particularly when they are integral or attached to the house. The same is true of other internal combustion engines such as generators and pumps. The Spread of Carbon Monoxide is about the same density as air and can move around buildings unpredictably with air flows. Shared flues can cause unexpected problems and there have been instances of from flues discharging onto common areas affecting neighbouring properties, whether alongside or above the source. In multi-occupancy (HMO) and multi-storey blocks of flats, carbon monoxide produced in one area may be transported to and leak into another part of the building. Today, the growing trend for sealing up new buildings for energy conservation, reducing air movement and fresh air intake, can exacerbate situations where is generated increasing the risk. The main difficulty with is that the dangers are often far from obvious and it comes from a surprisingly wide variety of sources. poisoning can occur in any type or age of property, including brand new, owner-occupied housing without combustion heating. PAGE 3
Essential Alarms The Need for Alarms We simply cannot predict all the possible sources of within a home or from neighbouring properties, the actions of occupants and the impact of changes over time. But installation of alarms that provide an audible warning at exposure levels well below those critical to healthy adults not only saves lives but also helps satisfy specifiers and housing providers responsibilities. Alarm Selection Bearing in mind the unknown dangers involved here, it is also essential that alarms work effectively throughout their design lives. The Health and Safety Executive recommends that: Before purchasing a alarm, always ensure it complies with British Standard EN 50291 and carries a British or European approval mark, such as a Kitemark. With non-compliant products on the market an established manufacturer with a reputation for quality, supported by third party accreditation, is key. Alarm Power Sources All the national Building Regulations and the standard agree that alarms can be powered by either: fi xed wire mains (not plug-in alarms) fi tted with a sensor failure warning device: mains alarms with battery back-up power are available. or a battery designed to operate for the working life of the alarm with an end-of-life warning. Sealed-in battery alarms, where both battery and alarm are guaranteed for 10-years, are available. PAGE 4
BS EN 50292:2013 Complete Protection As we have already seen, cannot be contained within a single property and can spread unnoticed to others adjacent which may not even have a combustion appliance. It can also be generated by sources in the property other than combustion appliances. There is therefore a compelling case to fit a alarm in every home. BS EN 50292:2013, Electrical apparatus for the detection of carbon monoxide in domestic premises, caravans and boats Guide on the selection, installation, use and maintenance offers more general, less prescriptive guidance than the equivalent Code of Practice for smoke and heat alarms. Scope of the Standard It applies to any combustion appliance and all fuel types, unlike Building Regulations. The Standard does not discuss types and features of alarms, other than to differentiate between those with executive functions (known as Type A) and those without which simply provide an audible warning (Type B). Although the Standard discusses other sources of, recommendations for alarms are determined solely by the presence of combustion appliances within the property being considered. Structured Guidelines Offering vague alternatives to ideal recommendations, based on much lower standards, is not helpful. We believe that a more structured set of prescriptive minimum recommendations (perhaps in tabular form, similar to BS 5839-6:2013 applying to smoke and heat alarms) should be applied to ensure that occupants can hear and be awoken by alarms. Alarm Location Guidance from the source must reach an alarm to trigger it and an alarm sounder must alert/awaken occupants. BS EN 50292:2013 recommends that: Ideally, a alarm should be installed in every room containing a fuel burning appliance (or outside boiler rooms) and in other areas to give warning such as well-used remote rooms and all bedrooms. If this is not viable, alarms should be considered in any room containing a flue-less or open-flued appliance and where the occupants spend most time. Alarms should also be installed in rooms through which an extended and/or concealed flue passes PAGE 5
BS EN 50292:2013 and Audibility Closed doors can seriously impair the ability of a alarm to be heard in other parts of the building. Alerting Occupants to Danger As the smoke alarm Code of Practice BS 5839-6:2013 acknowledges, a closed internal door can substantially reduce sound levels by 20dB or more. In this scenario, a alarm close to the boiler in the kitchen may well not be heard in the Living Room or Bedroom particularly by sleeping or hearing-impaired occupants. Although dealing with very different dangers, alarms and smoke/heat alarms share several characteristics and merit consideration together (as discussed later). They face the same issue of audibility and must awaken and alert occupants. BS 5839-6:2013 endeavours to address this with interconnected smoke/heat alarms recommended in various rooms: when one triggers, the rest effectively act as sounders.? Bedroom Bathroom? Living Room Kitchen Living and Bedrooms Rather than the BS EN 50292:2013 suggestion of alarms where the occupants spend most time, a system of interconnected alarms or other devices acting as sounders should be applied. This can be provided efficiently with systems combining smoke/heat and alarms, as discussed later. PAGE 6
BS EN 50292:2013 and Alarm Positioning Recent research shows that is normally emitted warm and so will tend to flow upwards, determining best locations as upper wall level or ceilings. Where in the Room to Install alarms in the same room as a fuel-burning appliance should be located as shown in the diagram. If there is a partition in a room, the unit should be located on the same side of the partition as the potential source. alarms in rooms with sloped ceilings should be located at the high side of the room. In bedsits, the alarm should be as far as possible from the cooker and close to the bed. According to the standard, alarms in bedrooms or rooms remote from fuel-burning appliances should be located relatively close to the breathing zone of the occupants. Positioning of all alarms should allow viewing of all the light indicators. Where not to Install alarms should not be fitted: in an enclosed space (for example in a cupboard or behind a curtain) where it can be obstructed (for example by furniture) directly above a sink next to a door or window next to an air vent or extractor fan in an area where the temperature may drop below 10 deg C or exceed 40 deg C where dirt and dust may block the sensor in a damp or humid location in the immediate vicinity of a cooking appliance. PAGE 7
Building Regulations Regulations are now in place throughout the UK and Ireland requiring alarms to be fitted with installation or replacement of certain combustion appliances. Building Regulations around the UK and Ireland They are not necessarily related to new building work and can apply to existing buildings where the only work is fitting a combustion appliance. Approved guidance documents complement the Regulations providing specific solutions as a minimum recommendation for compliance. Guidelines vary in terms of their approach to different combustion fuels and location of alarms. England & Wales Regulation J3 states simply that: Where a fi xed combustion appliance is provided, appropriate provision shall be made to detect and give warning of the release of carbon monoxide. But Section 2.34 2.36 of Approved Document J just requires installation of a alarm in the same room as a new or replacement fi xed solid fuel appliance (with a rated output up to 50kW).? Bedroom Living Room Bathroom? Kitchen Part J We consider that this recommendation does not meet the requirements of Regulation J3. It may not detect from other appliances or sources (for example gas/oil boilers or cookers) and might also not give warning to sleeping occupants. It is time for this outdated approach to be reviewed, alongside requirements for private rented housing, discussed later. Building Regulations & Cooking Appliances The various Building Regulation guidance documents for Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are generally more onerous than in England and Wales. However, unlike AD J and BS EN 50292:2013, they specifi cally exclude appliances solely for cooking from alarm recommendations. Cooking Appliances There have been several instances of deaths and injuries from generated by cookers including new units. alarms should be considered with fixed combustion appliances for any purpose, including cooking. PAGE 8
Building Regulations Northern Ireland In Northern Ireland, Technical Booklet L simply recommends a alarm in the same room as a new or replacement combustion appliance. If the appliance is in a boiler room or other unused space, the alarm should be just outside. Scotland Meanwhile, in Scotland the Domestic Technical Handbook requires alarms in rooms of dwellings where any new or replacement combustion appliance is installed. But in addition, an alarm is required in any bedroom or principal habitable room where a flue system passes through the room. There are similar provisions in Scotland for all non-domestic residential buildings where a new or replacement fixed combustion appliance is installed. Republic of Ireland Technical Guidance Document J requires alarms to be fitted in rooms where open-flued or flue-less combustion appliances are fitted. Also, an alarm will be required in any habitable room where a flue system passes within or over the room from any combustion heating appliance. But, in addition, a alarm is required in every bedroom or in the corridor within 5m of the bedroom door. Protecting Bedrooms The ROI requirement for alarms in or near bedrooms is a major step towards the systematic approach to audibility and detection already applied to smoke alarms. It is time for the same approach to be adopted for alarms in Regulations elsewhere and also in the standard. Bedroom Bathroom Living Room Kitchen PAGE 9
New Challenges Smart Solutions All Housing This welcome, enlightened approach heralds the way for systematic combinations optimising smoke, heat and alarms, ensuring that fire or is detected quickly, while occupiers are awoken and alerted to the specific risk wherever they are in the property. Rented Housing in England Existing rented properties in England are subject to the 2015 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (England) Regulations. But they call just for a carbon monoxide alarm in any room used as living accommodation which contains a solid fuel combustion appliance. Checks to ensure the alarm is working at the start of each tenancy are also called for, alongside those for smoke alarms. A Fresh Approach Rented Housing Measures are in hand to extend this Regulation to cover all types of fuel. If successful, the same approach should be taken with Approved Document J as well. Following the Grenfell Tower fire, the Scottish Government brought forward its consultation on fire and smoke alarms in housing, which Kidde responded to. The results and outline proposals, supported by consultation responses, were published in March 2018 and are currently being formalised. We welcome and recommend this fresh approach with straightforward, universal requirements for all types and tenures of housing. Although the stated intent is for alarms in all homes, this is expected to mean all dwellings with fixed combustion heating appliances. The consultation document explained that: it makes practical sense to combine installation programmes for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms together, anticipating combined installations and a systematic approach to carbon monoxide and fire safety in all homes. Smart Interconnection Some alarms can interlink with, and act as a sounder for, the same manufacturer s smoke and heat alarms, forming comprehensive systems. Here, all the interconnected alarms act as sounders to alert of either fire or. No further operation of the system, such as remote switches, is needed by occupants to understand the situation. Bedroom i O Living Room O O i Bathroom H Kitchen O i CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM OPTICAL SMOKE ALARM or IONISATION SMOKE ALARM HEAT H ALARM NEVER INSTALL Crucially, the alarms must have different, distinct alarm sounder patterns for fire or carbon monoxide, as required by BS 5839-6 and some are supported by different display messages on digital models. These systems automatically alert occupants of the specific hazard that confronts them. They can respond quickly, making the right choice from the very different safe responses to either fire or the presence of carbon monoxide. This is a particularly useful solution to the issue of alarm audibility in bedrooms. PAGE 10
We simply cannot predict all the possible sources of carbon monoxide within a home or from neighbouring properties, perhaps resulting from the actions of occupants or the impact of changes over time. Moving Forward It is becoming increasingly clear that, just like smoke and heat alarms to warn of fire, alarms should be fitted in all homes. And this should be to the same standard, irrespective of geographical location, tenure, type of appliance or combustion fuel. Alarms should be deployed as comprehensive systems, both to detect and ensure that occupants are awoken and alerted to and also fire wherever they are in the property. With this in mind, even the best current guidelines should be treated as an absolute minimum base to work up from, not to be eroded by minor cost savings. After all, as a straightforward low cost early warning, wider installation of alarms, applied efficiently in conjunction with smoke and heat alarms, is an essential first step to make all housing safer. About Kidde Kidde Safety Europe is one of the world s leading manufacturers of smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms recently marking a century of working in fire detection and suppression, equipping fire brigades, aviation, the military and industry. The Kidde Company was founded in 1917 and has grown from a small, family-run business to today s multi-national company. As a member of the United Technologies Corporation (UTC), Kidde sits alongside iconic brands such as Chubb fire and security systems, Carrier heating and air conditioning, Collins Aerospace, Otis elevators and escalators, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and UTC Power fuel cells. The company offers an extensive choice of smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarm ranges, accessories and other safety products for all types of housing. Continuing Professional Development To request an accredited CPD presentation on carbon monoxide alarms or smoke and heat alarms in housing, email: cpd@kiddesafety.co.uk. An additional Specifiers Guide to smoke and heat alarms is also available at kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk. PAGE 11
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