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9.5

Part 9.5 Smoke alarms and evacuation lighting

Part 9.5 Smoke alarms and evacuation lighting

NSW 9.5.1 Smoke and heat alarm requirements2019: NSW 3.7.5.2 and NSW 1.1.4

Delete clause 9.5.1 and insert NSW 9.5.1 as follows:

(1) Smoke alarms must—

  1. be located in—
    1. Class 1a buildings excluding any non-associated Class 10a private garages, subject to (2), in accordance with 9.5.2 and 9.5.4; and
    2. Class 1b buildings in accordance with 9.5.3 and 9.5.4; and
  2. comply with AS 3786, except that in a Class 10a private garage where the use of the area is likely to result in smoke alarms causing spurious signals, any other alarm deemed suitable in accordance with AS 1670.1 may be installed provided that smoke alarms complying AS 3786 are installed elsewhere in the Class 1 building; and
  3. be powered from the consumer mains source where a consumer mains source is supplied to the building; and
  4. be interconnected where there is more than one alarm.

(2) Heat alarms must—

  1. be installed in a Class 10a private garage that is located beneath a garage top dwelling and not associated with that dwelling; and
  2. be located on or near the ceiling; and
  3. comply with AS 1603.3; and
  4. be powered from the consumer mains source supplying the garage top dwelling where a consumer mains source is supplied to the building; and
  5. be interconnected to the garage top dwelling smoke alarms required by 9.5.2.

(3) Where heat alarms required by (2) are installed, durable notices must be permanently fixed to the garage top dwelling and non-associated Class 10a private garage in prominent locations, indicating that—

  1. a heat alarm is installed in the non-associated Class 10a private garage; and
  2. the heat alarm is interconnected to the garage top dwelling smoke alarms.

Explanatory information

A smoke alarm can give spurious alarms if the atmosphere contains particles which obscure vision, such as could occur in a Class 10a private garage part of a building. NSW 9.5.1(1)(b) therefore allows the use of a more suitable alarm, such as a heat alarm, in these locations.

NSW 9.5.1(1)(d) requires alarms to be interconnected where there is more than one alarm. This only applies within a single dwelling. Therefore alarms in a Class 1a dwelling need not be interconnected with alarms in another dwelling.

Where a Class 10a private garage is located beneath a garage top dwelling and is not associated with that dwelling, NSW 9.5.1(2)(a) requires a heat alarm to be provided in the non-associated Class 10a private garage. NSW 9.5.1(2)(b) to (e) contains requirements for installing heat alarms. NSW 9.5.1(3) contains requirements for the provision of durable notices.