Reducing unwanted alarm activation is your responsibility. Below is a checklist which may assist with the reduction of unwanted alarms:

• Always liaise with your fire alarm specialist.
• Ensure the fire alarm system is regularly maintained and tested to the appropriate Australian Standard.
• Seek advice from your fire alarm agent before commencing work on building alterations or major works.
• Frequently check that manual call points have intact glass covers.
• To avoid malicious calls, fit an approved type of cover or relocate manual call.
• Design a management plan to reduce unwanted alarm activations.
• Inform guests or visitors to your building of ways to prevent unwanted alarm activations.
• Maintain a detailed log of all unwanted alarms which may reveal causal factors (eg. occupant or system behavioural patterns, faulty components).
• During building or maintenance (e.g. painting or dusting) work consider:
  • covering smoke detectors
  • positioning smoke detectors as far as possible away from hazards (e.g. kitchens, bathrooms and toasters whilst remaining compliant for location with the requirements of the Building Code of Australia. Note: any relocation of the detectors must be approved by a private certifier)
  • making maintenance workers or contractors aware of fire alarm cabling and that they should not cut it.
• Ask the following questions when engaging building or maintenance work:
  • Will activities involve penetrating or demolishing of a wall or ceiling?
  • Does the work produce dust or fumes in or near an alarm-protected area?
  • Will welding, gas cutting, use of heat guns, sanding or grinding be carried out?
  • Where are smoke detectors fitted? 
• Do not run equipment inside that emits dust or fumes (e.g. grinding machinery or exhaust fumes).