From the BBC:
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said :
"Fires and fatalities from fires are decreasing but even one death is one too many*. Scotland already has rigorous standards for smoke and fire alarms developed over time, with the highest standard currently applied to new-build and private rented housing.
"The tragic events at Grenfell Tower last year emphasised how important building and fire safety is, which is why we brought forward our consultation on this issue. Now everyone will benefit from the same level of protection, whether you own your home, or rent from a social or private landlord."
In practical terms, the law will require private homes to;
* have at least one smoke alarm installed in the room most frequently used
* have at least one smoke alarm in spaces such as hallways and landings
* have at least one heat alarm in every kitchen
* have a carbon monoxide detector
In addition, there will be a 10-year age limit for alarms and all alarms will have to be ceiling-mounted, and should be interlinked.
* While an individual death is a tragedy and burning to death or dying of smoke inhalation is a pretty horrid way to go, there has to be some commonsense here. Last year, 36 people died in fires in their homes in Scotland.
Guesswork: Maybe all the extra alarms will halve the number of deaths, call it 18 lives saved a year. Multiply two million owner-occupied dwellings by £100 for installation = £200 million and amortise over ten years = £20 million a year. Average cost per life saved, over £1 million.
I once read that the UK government has its own arbitrary figure for the value of one life saved, and it was a lot less than £1 million, in other words, if some safety measure saves one life a year and costs £1 million, they wouldn't make it mandatory.
Debate Magazine
