For those of you that missed it, October 9th to 15th has been National Fire Prevention Week. Don’t worry, it’s not too late to do your part! The theme of Fire Prevention Week this year is Don’t Wait, Check the Date of your smoke alarms. 

Smoke alarms wear out over time and need to be replaced within the time frame indicated by the manufacturer – usually 10 years. The date of manufacture is indicated on the back of the smoke alarm and the expiry date is taken from that date. While smoke alarms typically last 10 years, some have different expiry time frames. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for the expiry time frame of your smoke alarms.

McMaster has a robust maintenance program for all fire and life safety systems on campus. You should too! Test all of your smoke alarms monthly by pushing the test button on the alarm, and replace batteries at least once a year or when the alarm’s low battery signal begins to chirp. Fire Prevention Week is a also great opportunity to remember that smoke alarms are required on every storey of your home and outside all sleeping areas. 

If you have any questions regarding home or work fire safety, contact Chris Hurley in EOHSS at hurleyc@mcmaster.ca