Specification 20 Smoke detection and alarm systems

This Specification describes the installation and operation of automatic smoke detection and alarm systems.

A required automatic smoke detection and alarm system must be provided in accordance with the following:

1. Class 2 buildings and Class 4 parts of a building—
   1. a smoke alarm system complying with S20C3; or
   2. a smoke detection system complying with S20C4; or
   3. a combination of a smoke alarm system and a smoke detection system complying with S20C5.
2. Class 3 buildings—
   1. with a Class 3 part located more than 2 storeys above ground level — a smoke detection system complying with S20C4; or
   2. which accommodate more than 20 residents and are the residential part of a school, accommodation for the aged, children or people with a disability — a smoke detection system complying with S20C4; or
   3. all other Class 3 buildings—
      1. a smoke alarm system complying with S20C3; or
      2. a smoke detection system complying with S20C4; or
      3. a combination of a smoke alarm system and a smoke detection system complying with S20C5.
3. Class 5, 6, 7, 8, 9b and 9c buildings — a smoke detection system complying with S20C4
4. Class 9a health-care buildings—
   1. where more than 6 bed patients are accommodated — a smoke detection system complying with S20C4; or
   2. where 6 or less bed patients are accommodated—
      1. a smoke alarm system complying with S20C3; or
      2. a smoke detection system complying with S20C4.

(1) In all Class 2 to 9 buildings provided with a smoke alarm system, the following applies:

1. A smoke alarm system must—
   1. consist of smoke alarms complying with AS 3786; and
   2. be powered from the consumer mains source.
2. In kitchens and other areas where the use of the area is likely to result in smoke alarms causing spurious signals, subject to (c)—
   1. any other alarm deemed suitable in accordance with AS 1670.1 may be installed provided that smoke alarms are installed elsewhere in the sole-occupancy unit in accordance with (2)(a) and (2)(b); or
   2. an alarm acknowledgement facility may be installed.
3. Where a kitchen or other area referred to in (b) is in a building protected with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17 (other than a FPAA101D system), alarms need not be installed in the kitchen or other area likely to result in spurious signals.

(2) In a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building provided with a smoke alarm system, the following applies:

1. Alarms must be installed within each sole-occupancy unit, and located on or near the ceiling in any storey—
   1. containing bedrooms—
      1. between each part of the sole-occupancy unit containing bedrooms and the remainder of the sole-occupancy unit; and
      2. where bedrooms are served by a hallway, in that hallway; and
   2. not containing any bedrooms, in egress paths.
2. Where there is more than one alarm installed within a sole-occupancy unit, alarms must be interconnected within that sole-occupancy unit.
3. Subject to (d), alarms must be—
   1. installed in public corridors and other internal public spaces, located in accordance with the requirements for smoke detectors in AS 1670.1; and
   2. connected to activate a building occupant warning system in accordance with S20C7.
4. In a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building protected with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17 (other than a FPAA101D system), alarms are not required in public corridors and other internal public spaces.

(3) In a Class 9a building provided with a smoke alarm system, smoke alarms must be—

1. installed in every room, public corridor and other internal public space; and
2. located in accordance with the requirements for smoke detectors in AS 1670.1; and
3. interconnected to provide a common alarm; and
4. have manual call points installed in evacuation routes so that no point on a floor is more than 30 m from a manual call point.

(1) In all Class 2 to 9 buildings provided with a smoke detection system, the following applies:

1. A smoke detection system must—
   1. subject to (2), (3) and (4), comply with AS 1670.1; and
   2. activate a building occupant warning system in accordance with S20C7.
2. In kitchens and other areas where the use of the area is likely to result in smoke detectors causing spurious signals, subject to (c)—
   1. any other detector deemed suitable in accordance with AS 1670.1 may be installed provided that smoke detectors are installed elsewhere in the sole-occupancy unit in accordance with the requirements for alarms in S20C3(2)(a) and (2)(b); or
   2. an alarm acknowledgement facility may be installed.
3. Where a kitchen or other area referred to in (b) is in a building protected with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17 (other than a FPAA101D or FPAA101H system), detectors need not be installed in the kitchen or other areas likely to result in spurious signals.

(2) In a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building provided with a smoke detection system, the following applies:

1. Smoke detectors must be installed—
   1. within each sole-occupancy unit, in accordance with the requirements for alarms in S20C3(2)(a) and (2)(b); and
   2. subject to (b), in public corridors and other internal public spaces.
2. In a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building protected with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17 (other than a FPAA101D or FPAA101H system), smoke detectors are not required in public corridors and other internal public spaces.

(3) In a Class 9a health-care building provided with a smoke detection system, the following applies:

1. Except as provided in (b)—
   1. photoelectric type smoke detectors must be installed in patient care areas and in paths of travel to exits from patient care areas; and
   2. in areas other than patient care areas and paths of travel to exits from patient care areas, where the use of the area is likely to result in smoke detectors causing spurious signals, any other detector deemed suitable in accordance with AS 1670.1 may be installed in lieu of smoke detectors.
2. The requirements of (a) do not apply where an area is protected with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17, smoke detectors need not be installed where the use of the area is likely to result in spurious signals.
3. Manual call points must be installed in evacuation routes so that no point on a floor is more than 30 m from a manual call point.

(4) In a Class 9c building provided with a smoke detection system, the following applies:

1. remote automatic indication of each zone must be given in each smoke compartment by means of—
   1. mimic panels with an illuminated display; or
   2. annunciator panels with alpha numeric display; and
2. if the building accommodates more than 20 residents, manual call points must be installed in paths of travel so that no point on a floor is more than 30 m from a manual call point.

(1) A Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building provided with a combination of a smoke alarm system and smoke detection system in accordance with S20C2 must—

1. be provided with a smoke alarm system complying with S20C3 within sole-occupancy units; and
2. subject to (2), be provided with a smoke detection system complying with S20C4 in areas not within sole-occupancy units.

(2) In a Class 2 or 3 building or Class 4 part of a building protected with a sprinkler system complying with Specification 17 (other than a FPAA101D or FPAA101H system), smoke detectors are not required in public corridors and other internal public spaces.

(1) Smoke detectors required to activate air pressurisation systems for fire-isolated exits and zone pressurisation systems must—

1. be installed in accordance with AS 1670.1; and
2. have additional smoke detectors installed adjacent to each bank of lift landing doors set back horizontally from the door openings by a distance of not more than 3 m.

(2) Smoke detectors required to activate—

1. automatic shutdown of air-handling systems in accordance with E2D16, E2D17 or E2D19; or
2. a smoke exhaust system in accordance with Specification 21,

must comply with the requirements of (3).

(3) Smoke detectors referred to in (2) must—

1. be spaced—
   1. not more than 20 m apart and not more than 10 m from any wall, bulkhead or smoke curtain; and
   2. in enclosed malls and walkways in a Class 6 building not more than 15 m apart and not more than 7.5 m from any wall, bulkhead or curtain; and
2. have a sensitivity—
   1. in accordance with AS 1670.1 in areas other than a multi-storey walkway and mall in a Class 6 building; and
   2. not exceeding 0.5% smoke obscuration per metre with compensation for external airborne contamination as necessary, in a multi-storey walkway and mall in a Class 6 building.

(4) Smoke detectors provided to activate a smoke control system must—

1. either—
   1. form part of a building fire or smoke detection system complying with AS 1670.1; or
   2. be a separate dedicated system incorporating control and indicating equipment complying with AS 1670.1; and
2. activate a building occupant warning system complying with S20C7, except that smoke detectors provided solely to initiate automatic shutdown of air-handling systems in accordance with (2)(a) need not activate a building occupant warning system.

Subject to E4D9, a building occupant warning system provided as part of a smoke hazard management system must comply with clause 3.22 of AS 1670.1 to sound through all occupied areas except—

1. in a Class 2 and 3 building or Class 4 part of a building provided with a smoke alarm system in accordance with S20C3(2)(c)—
   1. the sound pressure level need not be measured within a sole-occupancy unit if a level of not less than 85 dB(A) is provided at the door providing access to the sole-occupancy unit; and
   2. the inbuilt sounders of the smoke alarms may be used to wholly or partially meet the requirements; and
2. in a Class 2 and 3 building or Class 4 part of a building provided with a smoke detection system in accordance with S20C4(2), the sound pressure level from a building occupant warning system need not be measured within a sole-occupancy unit if a level of not less than 100 dB(A) is provided at the door providing access to the sole-occupancy unit; and
3. in a Class 3 building used as a residential care building, the system—
   1. must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
   2. in areas used by residents, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of residents; and
4. in a Class 9a health-care building, in a patient care area, the system—
   1. must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
   2. in a ward area, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of the patients; and
5. in a Class 9c building, the system—
   1. must be arranged to provide a warning for occupants; and
   2. must notify staff caring for the residents of the building; and
   3. in areas used by residents, may have its alarm adjusted in volume and content to minimise trauma consistent with the type and condition of residents.

The following installations must be connected to a fire alarm monitoring system connected to a fire station or fire station dispatch centre in accordance with AS 1670.3:

1. A smoke detection system in a Class 3 building provided in accordance with S20C2(b)(i) or S20C2(b)(ii).
2. A smoke detection system in a Class 9a health-care building, if the building accommodates more than 20 patients.
3. A smoke detection system in a Class 9c building.
4. Smoke detection in accordance with S20C6 provided to activate—
   1. a smoke exhaust system in accordance with Specification 21; or
   2. smoke-and-heat vents in accordance with Specification 22.
5. An automatic fire detection and alarm system required by E2D10 for large isolated buildings subject to C3D4.