Smoke Alarms

[sarahj]

Hi all,

Today we lit 10 matches and burned some magnesium before the campus manager came and asked us what we were doing that had set off the pre alarm on the smoke detectors. We have had a lot of trouble lately with setting them off by producing the smallest amount of smoke. The campus manager said that our alarms are set to the least sensitive setting based on legal requirements but I am skeptical about this. Does any one else have smoke alarm dramas?

[Labbie]

They are not in DEC schools for that reason.

[macca]

We were told during a renovations in 2006 smoke detectors were not required as there is no one here at night, no threat to human life.

[Xenon]

Yeah, I've set the alarms off here burning Mg in the Prep Room; leaving a door or window open with ceiling fans running avoids unnecessary drama.

[noona]

Do the students sleep in the Science labs?? Is that why you need fire alarms in the labs
SORRY could not help myself

[smiley]

The school has smoke alarms in other classrooms - always useful for if a piece of electrical equipment is quietly overheating whilst unobserved - but NOT in the Science labs for obvious reasons. We have set them off when kids used sparklers in a General Classroom, rather than a lab. Made me laugh AND woke up the rest of the school! But seriously, its fairly stupid to have them in a lab. Just like no-one should position one above the toaster in the kitchen!

[Phoenix]

Lab refurbishment 2 years ago Smoke alarms and heat detectors installed in every lab conveniently located directly above each bunsen burner gas outlet
Its been sooooo much fun

Kel

[mazcheck]

Our new lab has smoke alarms fitted. Burning sugar is the only experiment that has set them off. General bunsen burner experiments have been okay.

[m]

I work in a dec school and we have alarms in all our labs old and new and yes sometimes we set them off and sometimes they go off by themselves. I've been here 12 yrs and you just get used to it, when they go off I ring the office to let them know whats going on and live just goes on.