The Role of Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Detectors in the Fire Safety of Residential Buildings

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this publication is to present the most important aspects of using smoke and carbon monoxide detectors intended for households or similar residential facilities as well as to indicate the advantages and disadvantages of the adopted system solutions that affect the number of detectors installed in this kind of buildings. The article aims to present the issues related to the Integrated Qualifications System (ZSK), i.e. newly developed market qualification, dedicated to installers and maintenance technicians of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Introduction: Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for early detection of existing threats such as fires or escaping carbon monoxide are an important element of fire protection, dedicated primarily to owners of residential buildings. In many countries in the EU it is obligatory to install detectors in homes, whereas at the moment in Poland the only aspect regulated legally is the obligation of the manufacturer of these products to obtain a certificate. Since 2016, the ZSK has been operating in Poland, in which in 2019 the qualifications of installers/maintenance technicians of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors were distinguished. As a result, a person with a market qualification certificate is prepared for independent installation and maintenance of fire safety monitoring devices Methodology: As part of the research process, theoretical research was used, such as: analysis of literature and legal documents, synthesis, general- ization, inference, comparison and analogy. As part of the research, documents from such countries as Poland, Great Britain (mainly England), Germany and France were analysed. The selection of individual countries was guided by the level of development of these systems in a given country and the availability of source documents Conclusions: The presented analysis of the requirements for the installation of the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors shows how different the ap- proach is regarding the use of this type of devices. Depending on experiences and the administrative structure of a given country, a variety of regulations, whether legal or normative, can be discerned in the use of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. ZSK is a well-described system of formal organization and classification of competences and offers the public services at the highest possible quality level. It is also a partial solution to the problem of installing detectors. However, it is necessary to regulate this issue from the legal level, as it was the case in other EU countries, where the installation of detectors in homes is obligatory. Such action will contribute to reducing the victims of fires or inhalation of toxic gases (carbon monoxide) Keywords: Integrated Qualifications System (ZSK), smoke alarm detector, electrical apparatus for the detection of carbon monoxide, carbon monoxide, residential buildings Type of article: review article