The Scottish government is leading the way when it comes to fire safety, with wide ranging proposals calling for consistent, high levels of smoke, heat and CO alarm provision to be applied to all types of housing. In essence the minimum safety standards currently in place for private rented properties (and under Building Regulations) will be extended to all other tenures including social housing and even existing owner-occupied homes. Effectively, this means the ‘Category LD2’ level of protection including smoke alarms in principal living rooms and heat alarms in kitchens, in addition to smoke alarms in circulation area on each storey. In addition a CO alarm will need to be fitted where there is a carbon-fuelled heating appliance (such as boilers, fires, heaters and stoves) or a flue passes through the room.
With these minimum standards now extended to all Scottish homes, and compliance required within 2 years (by February 2021), work is underway to plan the necessary upgrades and source the right products at the right price to meet this new legislation.
Responsible for over 5,000 properties across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife, and also responsible for managing a further 600 rental properties through Lowther Homes, its sister organisation, Dunedin Canmore Housing Association has a 5 year investment plan in place to improve, repair and upgrade its tenants’ homes. As part of this upgrade, they will be installing over 300 kitchens, and 200 bathrooms per year and undertaking LD2 smoke detection upgrades to 100% of its properties over 12 month period. Scolmore were appointed following a competitive tendering exercise to provide a range of products including the new Click Smart Switch Supply to Permanent Conversion Pack, as well as USB sockets, light switches and pendants from the Click Mode wiring accessories range.
The rolling programme to upgrade the properties will see the installation of Click Smart conversion kits where required to save major intrusive works. This will allow speedy and damage-free installation of smoke detectors to the new LD2 standard within dwellings. The conversion kits provide a retrofit smart solution to allow independent control of the lighting circuit, whilst still supplying a smoke detector with constant power.
It eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly channelling and potential lifting of floorboards for access and then the necessary effort to restore everything back to normal.
Part of the Click Smart intelligent wiring accessories range, the Switch Supply to Permanent Conversion Pack is supplied in a handy boxed unit which contains all the components required - 1 x RFSAI-61B Switching Receiver, 1 x RFIM – 40B Battery Transmitter, 1 x CMA401 Unfurnished MiniGrid Plate, and 1 x MD004W 10x Retractive Module.
David Baptie, Investment Manager with Dunedin Canmore, comments: “Using the conversion kits is allowing us to significantly improve the installation times and the efficiency of the installation teams, which in turn means improved cost savings for the project. The fact that they can be fitted with little or no mess or damage within dwellings adds to the overall appeal and time saving factors. We can limit any disruption to our customers’ lives to an absolute minimum.”
A key factor in the selection of the Mode range is the fact that it offers a 20-year no quibble warranty that provides Dunedin Canmore with confidence in the products that are being specified and installed. Continues David Baptie: “The range is offering a highly cost-efficient replacement solution for the upgrade work we are undertaking and offers a lot of great features. The new twin USB socket features 2 USB charging ports which are both capable of delivering 5V 2.1A simultaneously - this allows for optimum charging of two devices at the same time and will be very popular with our customers. The products all carry the BSI Kitemark and have antimicrobial properties. All the switches are modular, which means it is easy to create dedicated or bespoke wiring solutions.”
The upgrade work being undertaken by Dunedin Canmore is part of a £19.3 million spend by the company between now and 2023, to repair, improve and upgrade its tenants’ properties.