Working from home

Working from home is the new reality for many of us as we learn to live with COVID. It’s important to do everything you can to make your home as safe as possible.

Working from home can pose many challenges for people. Whether it is working around home-schooling, partners also working from home or having to keep our fur babies off zoom, we can forget to make sure our homes are safe for us to work from.

So how do you make sure you are working safely from home?

IDENTIFY PHYSICAL HAZARDS

When working from home, identify and address physical hazards in the home office that may be caused by poor housekeeping and improper equipment.

  • Avoid conditions that create electrical hazards (e.g: computers and other equipment plugged into extension cords),
  • trip hazards (e.g: electrical wires scattered along walking paths),
  • blocked exit paths, and falling object hazards (e.g: overloaded book shelves)

SETUP YOUR WORKING FROM HOME OFFICE CORRECTLY

Help avoid sprains and strains by making sure you have the correct chair height and the chair supports your back. Have your mouse within easy reach and on the same surface as your keyboard.

ESTABLISH A WORK ROUTINE

To ensure that you still have a work life balance, you must establish reasonable boundaries between work and personal life by developing a work routine.

Avoid unnecessary and avoidable work-related communication outside regular working hours. You can also pre-plan and create variations in your work routine as well as substituting exercise for what was commute time.

FIRST AID

Keep a First Aid Kit in a safe, dry, easily accessible location. Some basic supplies may include: sterile eye dressings, crepe rolled bandages, band-aids of different sizes and shapes and antiseptic spray.

Another consideration is to take a first aid course, its always good to know what to do in an emergency!

FIRE SAFETY

  • Check and replace all damaged and frayed electrical cords on electrical equipment, including computers and laptops.
  • If you have pets in the house, make sure they can’t access the cords (so they can’t attempt to chew on them).
  • Make sure devices are charging on a safe surface and not under a pillow or in your bed.
  • Many house fires start in the kitchen, don’t leave stove-tops and other cooking appliances unattended.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WHEN WORKING FROM HOME

Make sure you have a working Smoke Alarm! A Smoke Alarm can only save lives if they are present, properly maintained and in good working order. 

Also have a fire extinguisher and fire blanket in the house, they are essential for protecting your home against a fire.

If you need assistance in checking if your Smoke Alarms are in good working order , or you need help in replacing them, give us a call at 1300 41 66 67 or email info@sats.com.au

Dead Air Space

Smoke Alarms are vital for your home. They are made to be installed on ceilings (and when necessary, on walls) to detect smoke. However, there are areas in your home where they should not be installed, in the dead air space.

When we are at sleep, our sense of smell is lost, which eliminates our capacity to detect smoke and early warning signs of fire. This means it’s vital that smoke alarms are installed strategically to give us enough time to get to safety. They should be placed in areas where the air is not blocked from circulating.

WHAT ARE DEAD AIR SPACES?

Dead air spaces are areas in a property that gets air trapped which stops smoke from moving into that area. When a Smoke Alarm is installed in this area, the smoke may not reach it and trigger the alarm.

In a fire, smoke travels by rolling up the surface of the walls within the property. If the smoke is rolling against a surface with a sharp corner, then the smoke will not roll through that corner. Instead, it will float within the pocket of trapped air, leaving the space after the sharp corner unable to detect smoke as it is stuck in an air bubble.

Generally, dead air spaces can be found in property spaces that contain cathedral ceilings, corner junctions between the wall and roof or between exposed floor joists.

That’s why when installing Smoke Alarms you need to know where to install them. They should be in a position where they can detect smoke before it crawls into a dead air space.

HOW TO AVOID DEAD AIR SPACES?

Since dead air spaces appear in the corner of rooms and between exposed roof beams, here are some places you need to avoid:

  • Corners of rooms
  • Near A/C vents, windows that open, and ceiling fans
  • Near warm areas of the property like bathrooms and saunas
Other areas that you should avoid when installing smoke alarms:
  • Anywhere within 1.5 meters of a fluorescent light as the electromagnetic interference may affect the smoke alarms
  • In the kitchen, since this is an area with constant heat and smoke

If the Smoke Alarms in your investment property happen to be located in dead air spaces you’re facing a big challenge. Contact SATS today to have you property professionally serviced.

The Importance of working Smoke Alarms in your property

It’s common knowledge that working Smoke Alarms in your property is a important necessity, and aside from the occasional irritating beep if the battery needs replacing, we barely notice their presence.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE WORKING SMOKE ALARMS?

Smoke Alarms are a vital tool. They are a critical first line of defence against catastrophic loss. 

WORKING SMOKE ALARMS SAVE LIVES 

Many fatalities occur, because a Smoke Alarm has been disconnected or is missing. Smoke Alarms safeguard the lives of your family, they detect smoke well before any sleeping occupant would and provide critical seconds to implement actions and get out of the property.

A Smoke Alarm can only save lives if they are present, properly maintained and in good working order. 

MINIMIZE PROPERTY LOSS

There are many more combustible materials in today’s homes than in years past, which means a spark or small fire can engulf a house in less than five minutes.
While Smoke Alarms don’t have the capacity to actively put out fires, they can alert the people who can. The faster this happens, the sooner the fire is extinguished and your home will sustain less damage. 

IT’S THE LAW

Whilst legislation varies between States and Territories in Australia, it is legislated that Smoke Alarms are compulsory in residential dwellings.

Overall, the best thing you can get by installing Smoke Alarms in your home or building is peace of mind. There’s nothing more comforting than knowing that you can sleep soundly without worrying that a fire may occur without you knowing. 

Extra tips:
Here are several ways to check if your Smoke Alarms are functioning properly:

  • Test your Smoke Alarm once a week using the test button
  • Replace Smoke Alarms at least every 10 years
  • Replace batteries annually
  • Always check for accumulated dust around the Smoke Alarm unit

If you need assistance in checking if your Smoke Alarms are functioning properly, or you need help in replacing them, give us a call at 1300 41 66 67 or email info@sats.com.au. 

 

LOW LEVELS OF UPGRADES WILL LEAD TO HUGE SPIKE IN DEMAND

With just over 12 months to go, the 2022 deadline is fast approaching!

From the 1st January 2022, any rental property that does not have interconnected Smoke Alarms cannot enter into a new tenancy nor can a lease be renewed unless the property has been upgraded.

Furthermore, Landlords run the risk of fines or insurance refusal if the property does not have interconnected Smoke Alarms.

Most Agencies are nowhere near where they need to be to ensure their portfolio’s will be fully upgraded in time.

It’s time to make Smoke Alarms front of mind and ensure that your portfolio is ready to meet the deadline. There are over 600,000 rental properties in Queensland, do not leave this until the “last minute frenzy” or you run the risk of your Portfolio not being completed in time.

SATS will assist you in getting you Portfolio compliant with the right products, price and service.

Contact SATS today for further information
1300 41 66 67 or info@sats.com.au

SATS Terminology

Are you sometimes left scratching your head, not certain on what some of our “Terminology” means?

Well never fear help is here!

For this month’s editorial, we are going to explain what the different job types mean.

Yearly Maintenance: Depending if you are on subscription billing structure or billed after SATS have physically attended to the property, a yearly maintenance job is when you pay for our annual service fee.

Annual Service: SATS has physically attended to the property for the annual inspection of the Smoke Alarms.

Once Off: SATS have been advised that the property is to be tested only once and is not to be serviced ongoing.

Lease Renewal: SATS have been advised by you that a lease agreement has been renewed and to attend to service the Smoke Alarms.

Change of Tenancy: SATS have been advised by you that the tenants are changing at the property and to attend to service the Smoke Alarms.

Fix or Replace: SATS have been advised by you that a Smoke Alarm is not performing correctly at a property and to attend to service the Smoke Alarms.

IC Upgrade: SATS have been instructed to attend to the property by you to install interconnected Smoke Alarms as per QLD legislation.

NSW Legislation changes are almost here…

What are the changes regarding Smoke alarms?

  • Ingoing Condition report now includes additional questions regarding Smoke Alarms
  • Alarms with removable batteries, the batteries must be replaced within 12 months of the previous replacement
  • Repair or replace a smoke alarm within 2 business days of becoming aware that the smoke alarm is not working or (b) cause the smoke alarm to be repaired or replaced

Being in Property Management, how does this affect you?

The tenancy reforms have turned up heat for landlords and tenants and will certainly see a Property Manager’s workload increase.

To ease the strain, why not let SATS take care of all your Smoke Alarm Compliance needs!

Already partnered with SATS? Make SURE you include SATS as part of your outgoing/ingoing checklist

NB: Landlords who do not comply with the new Legislation could face serious consequences.

How is SATS helping to adhere to the Legislation changes?

  • Statement of Compliance displays a confirmation and date of battery change
  • Dedicated hotline* for Tenants to enable efficient communication regarding repairs
  • Electronically deliver Entry Notice to tenants on behalf of your agency if required
  • Measures in place to ensure battery changes do not exceed 12 months
  • New Landlord Letters confirm that an annual inspection is now mandatory.
  • New compliance report for fast information retrieval

*Refers to arranging for SATS to attend within SATS standard trading hours (Monday – Friday, 7:00am – 3:00pm.) SATS is NOT an emergency call out service.

Do you have Clients where English is their second language?

In a multicultural country like Australia, there’s a good chance that you regularly communicate with clients from diverse countries and cultures.

Being able to communicate in more than one language is an amazing feat.

But it’s no secret, intercultural communication isn’t always easy, for either party. There can be linguistic and cultural barriers. Connecting with clients in their primary language breaks up the cultural differences, builds trust and shows understanding.

SATS appreciates that tenants and Landlords come from all corners of the globe.

Multilingual materials are key to reaching out to people where English is their second language. SATS is able to communicate via the latest technology, and in multiple languages.

Call or email SATS now to find out more

It’s Official!

Smoke Alarm Testing Services (SATS Australia) is excited to announce that SATS New Zealand has acquired the business of Smoke Alarm Professionals. The Smoke Alarm Professionals team will be joining the SATS New Zealand team in our vision to educate people on the importance of installing and maintaining working Smoke Alarms and providing the best service within the industry.

As we pause to celebrate our success and reflect on our achievements, it both feels like we’ve come a long way and also, somehow, like we’re just getting started.

This is a huge milestone for SATS New Zealand and we look forward to achieving even greater things in the future.

 

 

 

 

Deadlock Deathtraps

Whilst many people are concerned for their home Safety and aim to keep intruders out, the sinister side of this is people lock themselves in without a thought of what to do if they need to exit their home in an emergency.

SATS technicians attend many properties where the occupants take several minutes to allow them access due to having to find the keys to unlock the door internally.

Let’s put this into perspective… Its 2am and the Smoke Alarm has woken you. A fire has broken out within the home and you need to escape. The front door is deadlocked, and your keys are at the other end of the house. Between you and those keys is a fire. You cannot exit through the front door as you cannot unlock it…..

It’s a scary thought as to what could happen next.

When a house is filled with smoke, people often won’t behave in a rational manner. Smoke can overcome and kill people in four minutes, and you are three times more likely to be killed by a night-time fire than a day-time one. The most likely reaction of anyone woken from sleep by a Smoke Alarm is to panic and make straight for the nearest exit. People in such circumstances should not be expected to pause to find the front door key that has been hidden in a drawer, or hung up somewhere away from the door, get it into the lock and turn it.

Simply, people do die in fires because they have deadlocked themselves in and removed the key from the lock.

Do you have hearing Impaired tenants?

Working Smoke Alarms save lives! But those who are deaf or hearing impaired cannot depend on the sound of a standard Smoke Alarm to alert them to a fire.

Plus, if your tenant uses hearing aids, they’re less likely to hear the Smoke Alarm when they take them out to sleep. That’s why it’s vital to get a Smoke Alarm that’s specifically designed for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. It will protect your tenant from danger, giving them valuable time to escape.

Specialised Smoke Alarms have been designed for people who are deaf or hearing impaired.

These have a strobe light and/or a vibrating pad that can be placed under the pillow which activates when the Smoke Alarm sounds and can be interconnected with conventional audible alarms in different locations within the home. If one of the alarms senses smoke, all alarms will sound, the strobe will flash, and the vibrating pad will vibrate.

If the tenant moves to another property, the whole alarm system can be taken with them.

There are also subsidy schemes available to assist with the costing of this type of alarm, contact the Deaf Society/ Organisation located in your State/Territory for eligibility requirements.