BACKGROUND
    Standards Australia’s Fire Protection Committee (FP-002) oversee Australia’s Smoke Alarm Standard, AS3786.  In February 2006 the FP002 Committee were made aware of a ‘Deadly Loophole’ in the Standard regarding flawed scientific testing of ionization smoke alarms.
     Scientific test data held by the Australian Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the Australian Government’s scientific testing agency, proves ionization smoke alarms were unable to pass the existing, valid, smoke test set for photoelectric smoke alarms since 1993.

     Appendix A of the document below shows ionization smoke alarms do not detect (visible) smoke in smouldering fires until 2-3 times the maximum safe limit set for photoelectric smoke alarms.
(Note: ionization ‘smoke’ alarms detect hot, invisible particles of combustion such as those emitted while
           cooking toast or when opening the oven door while cooking a roast.)

- - - - - - - - - -  More Evidence  - - - - - - - - - -

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“Please note that the test fire specified by the standard is
a slowly developing smouldering fire which will inherently
favour detection devices that detect visible smoke over

ionization type smoke alarms that do not detect smoke.”

Note: This webpage is provided in the public interest. It is not endorsed by Standards Australia International  Ltd

    The draft document was published and distributed widely to invite public comment for the proposed revision to Australia's Smoke Alarm Standard, AS3786 - 1993.
   Following the public comment, it was proposed that Standards Australia would publish the standard.  However, because the Australian Building Codes Board refused to reference the proposed revised standard in the Building Code of Australia the project was cancelled by Standards Australia.

   The FP002 committee in charge of this standard is currently working on the adoption of the ISO Standard, '12239 Smoke Alarms' to replace AS3786  for Australia.

   For the latest information on AS3786's revision,  Email Standards Australia

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