15 Oct 2012
New technology that automatically shuts down appliances if they get too hot could make domestic cooking fires a thing of the past.
Homeowners who leave their ovens or hobs on and unattended cause the majority of cooking fires. Technology companies have now created new devices to prevent these kinds of fires. The devices alert people if the appliance they are using is running at higher-than-normal cooking temperatures.
The stove heat alarm is one of the most common types of these fire prevention devices. The alarm has an automatic power shut-down capability. How this works is if the homeowner doesn’t turn the warning alarm off, the shut-down capability will be activated to turn the heat source off.
Sprue Aegis (Fire Angel) is a fire prevention technology firm planning to introduce a similar safety device for gas cookers.
Most of these devices will cost an estimated £120, which is about the same cost to fire and rescue services as the special alarms provided for blind and deaf people.
Among the other fire safety technologies available for fire prevention in the kitchen are the suppression systems found in some cooker hoods.
The CFOA Home Safety Committee endorses these technologies, recommending they be used to help, in particular, vulnerable groups, including the disabled and older people.
Copyright Press Association 2012