Fire safety experts are warning that millions of households across the UK could be at serious risk due to poorly maintained or missing smoke alarms. New research from Electrical Safety First shows that around four million adults admit to never testing their smoke alarms, despite recommendations that alarms should be checked monthly. Worryingly only 22% of people test their alarms once a month, while almost one in ten do so just once a year or less.

Analysis of Government fire data highlights that nearly 20% of accidental electrical dwelling fires occurred in homes without a smoke alarm, significantly increasing the risk of injury or death. Recent incidents underline the life-saving role of working alarms, giving families vital time to escape fires caused by electrical faults.

Guiseppe Capanna product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First said “Fires don’t discriminate. Many people affected by fire often tell us they simply didn’t think something like this could happen to them, which is why it’s so important households take just a few seconds to test their smoke alarms. It’s also vital to consider if are enough smoke alarms in the home. It’s important to make sure alarms are positioned in areas within the home where a fire could start. There should be at least one smoke alarm on every floor of the property. The more alarms, the earlier the warning will be depending on where in the home a fire starts.”

Lucky escape 
Recent reports demonstrate just how vital a smoke alarm can be, with one family in Derbyshire having a lucky escape after being alerted to a fire in the middle of the night in late November last year. Reported to have been caused by an e-bike battery, the fire triggered the working smoke alarms, and the family members were forced to escape from a first-floor window.

Cities least likely to test their smoke alarms

• Sheffield around 14%
• Liverpool around 11%
• London stands at 9%
• Bristol and Cardiff around 8%

Key tips
Experts are urging households to ensure smoke alarms are fitted on every level of the home
That smoke alarms regularly
Ensure alarms are maintained correctly by a qualified professional
Never ignore the beep, if an alarm beeps this should never be ignored and this is a sign that the battery is low or that there is a fault with the system.
It is important to stress that simple preventative actions can make the difference between life and death in a fire.

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