Study identifies most effective way of encouraging people to have working smoke alarms in their homes
Last updated 1/11/2012 9:29:37 AM
Study identifies most effective way of encouraging people to have working smoke alarms in their homes
The most effective way to encourage more people to have a working smoke alarm in their homes is a combination of education, free or low-cost equipment and a home safety inspection, according to healthcare researchers.
The study, believed to be the first of its kind, also looked at which types of smoke alarms were best to fit in order to guarantee the most reliable working smoke alarm and ionization alarms with lithium batteries came out on top.
It offers a valuable insight into the most effective combination of interventions for future public safety campaigns promoting the use of smoke alarms in the home.
Professor Denise Kendrick, from The University of Nottingham, said: "If we are to continue to see a reduction in the number of house fire-related deaths, it is vital that home fire risk assessments including the provision of free or low cost alarms are maintained."
Every year around the world, fire-related injuries result in more than 300,000 deaths and 10 million disability-adjusted life years, which combine the years of life lost due to premature death and the years of productive life lost due to disability after an injury.
Smoke alarms have been hailed as one of the most successful methods of reducing fire-related injuries in higher-income countries and it has been estimated that in the US alone every $1 spent on smoke alarms saves $28 in healthcare costs. Despite this, even in higher income countries the use of smoke alarms is not universal.