BS EN 50615 is changing the face of fire prevention, mitigating 50% of fire risk and helping to meet Part B of building regulations. Learn more about the standard and how to ensure compliance with a one-hour certified online BS EN 50615 CPD presentation.
North Wales FRS experienced multiple callouts to unattended cooking fires, including multi-apartment damage from sprinkler systems. As a result, the fire service set up a study in cooperation with Flintshire Council to investigate the effect of stove guard technology on preventing kitchen fire and smoke incidents in council-run tower blocks.
Learn more about how Airis stove guards proved a cost-effective method of preventing cooking fires and dramatically cut the number of alarms raised:
How do stove guards compare with suppression technology?
BS EN 50615-compliant devices such as Airis stove guard offer numerous benefits when compared with traditional suppression systems, like sprinklers and extinguishing hoods:
Prevent chip pan and frying pan flashovers caused by sprinkler systems
No recharging, flushing, or system resets needed after activation
Simple, passive installation with no need for pipes, tanks, or venting
We selected the Airis BS EN 50615 system for the Hallsville Quarter development for its widespread use across the UK as well as its reliability and fail-safe design. With cooking fires accounting for approximately 50% of domestic fires, the system significantly enhances safety across the development. By preventing fires at their source, we're also reducing the likelihood of sprinkler systems being unnecessarily triggered, minimising potential water damage and disruption to residents.
During the trial period the student accommodation kitchens involved had just one false alarm activation. In the same period in the previous year, these premises had eleven false alarm activations. So, the early intervention of the Airis stove guards has contributed to a substantial reduction of unwanted false alarm activations and unnecessary evacuations.
By preventing cooking fires and reducing smoke, students are safer and less likely to experience false alarms. Frequent false alarms can increase risk by causing 'alarm immunity', where students become desensitised and fail to react appropriately. The Airis from Unicook is certified to BS EN 50615 and was chosen for its high reliability, robustness, and fail-safe design.
At Brunel University of London, all halls of residence with electric cookers are equipped with Airis stove guards in the campus kitchens to reduce the risk of cooking-related fires and prioritise the safety of our students. Their installation has significantly lowered the risk of fire incidents and greatly reduced the number of false alarms, preventing unnecessary evacuations and enhancing the overall student experience at Brunel.
– Paul Digby, Fire Safety Advisor”
Proactive, not reactive.
Airis is the superior choice for fire safety design. Traditional fire safety methods, such as smoke and heat detectors, fire extinguishers, and fire blankets can all be effective in limiting the injury and damage caused by kitchen fires, but they do nothing to prevent the fire starting in the first place.
Airis stops fires before they start. Using cutting-edge, AI-powered multisensor technology, Airis keeps a constant watch on the stove, monitoring cooking temperature, air temperature, smoke and steam, and human presence at the cooker. If temperatures become too high and cooking is left unattended, Airis acts swiftly to cut the power to the stove, preventing hob fires from ever starting.
Frequently Asked Questions Relating To Airis Products
If you don't find an answer to your question below, please visit our Knowledge Base
Who uses Airis?+
Airis is used in private homes and by housing associations, universities, local authorities, and fire services.
Do Airis stove guards have advantages over other makes?+
Yes. Airis technology is truly fail-safe. Other stove guards can be bypassed, in the event of a fault, by switching the power off and on at the wall. While other stove guards rely on a single infrared sensor, Airis stove guards use several high-tech sensing devices and AI-driven algorithms to ensure the power is cut at the earliest time without false alarm.
Is Airis suitable for people living with dementia or other physical or mental impairments?+
Airis is ideal for people living with neurodegenerative diseases, as well as those with cognitive and/or physical impairments, such as compromised mobility or eyesight. The person cooks on the hob in the way that they always have done, while being protected by Airis from a cooking fire.
Can Airis stove guards prevent smoke?+
Airis stove guards can greatly reduce the amount of toxic smoke from cooking oil becoming overheated, but can't eliminate it. Airis cannot prevent a pan boiling dry and creating smoke, however these situations are extremely unlikely to lead to a fire.
How long is the warranty on Airis products?+
Airis comes with an unlimited warranty for as long as your subscription runs. A one-off purchase comes with a 2-year manufacturer's warranty, which Unicook extends to 3 years when you register your product.
Does Airis work with all types of electric hobs/cookers?+
Yes. Airis works with all hobs/stoves up to 90cm wide powered by electricity, including induction, ceramic/halogen, and older 'iron ring' style hobs.
What about hobs in islands?+
For this application, a ceiling-mounted version of Airis is available called the Airis-C.
Can Airis stove guard be used on gas hobs?+
Airis is only for electric hobs (all types).
Questions about installing or retrofitting Airis?
For more information on Airis stove guard and how it can be integrated into your fire safety strategy, get in touch with our team. We also offer CPD-accredited presentations on fire safety standards, including BS EN 50615.
Flintshire Council and North Wales Fire and Rescue Service – a study of the efficacy of BS EN 50615 technology using Airis Sense
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service has experienced a number of incidents at the Flintshire Council-run tower blocks Bolingbroke Heights, Castle Heights, and Richard Heights, resulting from unattended cooking fires. In response, the fire service set up a study in cooperation with the council and Unicook Ltd to assess the effect of stove guard technology in preventing the tower block fire and smoke incidents. The Unicook Airis product was chosen in part for its built-in data recording.
“The council has experienced incidents placing residents at considerable risk with extensive (multi-apartment) damage from the sprinkler systems. In June 2021, an elderly gentleman was admitted to hospital with burns caused by a flash-over in an oil pan fire. Ten apartments were damaged by water following this incident. The council was therefore keen to find a cost-effective solution to protect the lives and wellbeing of residents as well as the properties. Having served in the fire service myself, I was particularly interested to see what impact stove guard technology could have.”
– Mike Dymock, Contract Surveyor (Fire Risk), Flintshire County Council
A brief introduction to stove guard technology
A ‘stove guard’ is a device that cuts the power to a cooker or hob to prevent a fire. These are distinct from PIRs and timers etc as they only intervene when they determine there is a risk of fire. They prevent fires, and to a large extent smoke, resulting from unattended cooking.
Stove guard origins
The first stove guard was invented by a Swedish company called Cabinova in the 1980’s. The technology has now advanced considerably. In 2010, Norway mandated stove guards for all domestic kitchens. In practice, this meant that a stove guard must be installed in a new house or when a kitchen is renovated. Norway’s action created a substantial market for stove guards and led to considerable investment in developing the technology. There are now over 1 million devices installed in Europe. In the UK, 3 brands are available, namely Firechief Kitchen stove guard, Prefect Hobsensus and the Unicook Airis Sense.
BS EN 50615 standard (Part B)
In 2015, several manufacturers were consulted to create a pan-European standard to ensure stove guard products are tested and proven effective and, ultimately, to prevent stove guards from being confused with non-compliant cut-off devices triggered by timers or PIRs.
How they work
Stove guards consist of a sensor unit which fits to the wall/splashback behind the hob/cooker, to the underside of the extraction hood, or on the ceiling. A power controller (‘interrupter’) is wired between the power outlet at the wall and the hob/cooker. This is mounted behind a cooker or, in the case of a hob, usually behind the oven below. The sensor and power control units are linked by radio. An electrician is required for the installation, but no specialist training is needed.
Potential benefits
Stove guards prevent fires and, in some cases, greatly limit smoke
Reduces false as well as real alarms
Can reduce calls to telecare alarm receiving centres and fire services
As cooking is the root cause of 50% of domestic dwelling fires, the impact of a stove guard can be significant
Stove guards prevent sprinkler systems from activating
Methodology
A sample of 42 apartments was fitted with a stove guard following individual assessments by the fire service and the council to identify residents considered to be at higher risk. At the end of the study, incident data from the council’s community alarm system both prior to and during the study would be compared. Data from the stove guards would give detailed information about cooking sessions and potential incidents prevented. It would also provide a comparative risk profile of individual residents. The stove guards were installed between March and August 2021 and the results were assessed using data collected up to 20th June 2022.
Findings
Flintshire community alarm data
During the study period, there was one community alarm triggered by cooking. This compares with 9 during a similar period preceding the introduction of stove guards. While the Airis stove guard can in many cases react before significant smoke is produced, this depends on many variables and it is not possible in every case. However, in one such case, the community alarm was triggered by a smoking pan and the fire service was called. When the firefighters gained access to the property, they found that the stove guard had cut the power and had likely prevented a fire.
Assessment by Unicook
Airis cuts the power to prevent smoke, fires and damage to pans by analysing data from many sensing devices, and not all shut-offs would have prevented a fire. Although we cannot say with certainty how many fires may have been prevented, surface temperature data suggested that fires could have occurred without the stove guard’s intervention. The widely varying ratio of activations to the number of times someone cooked reflects the varying degree of risk that a resident might leave cooking unattended or accidentally leaving a ring on after cooking. Most people occasionally leave cooking unattended or leave a ring on after cooking and therefore an occasional shut-off can be expected. However, as the data illustrates, in one case, the system intervened in almost 1 in 3 cooking sessions.
Summary
The study has helped to reinforce our knowledge of the efficacy of BS EN 50615 certified technology. I would like to thank Flintshire Council and Unicook for their cooperation.
We’d like to use cookies to see how people use the site, so we can improve it, and to measure our marketing. We’ll only set them if you say yes – and you can change your mind at any time. The cookies the site needs to work, like your basket and the checkout, are always on.
Flexible mounting options
Trusted by 25 major accommodation providers
