Pertti Haavisto, MD and partner at the Finnish fire-safety pioneer, spoke to IFSEC Global about exhibiting at FIREX and the company’s portfolio of products aimed at preventing kitchen fires.
The graphic below, provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government, conveys the scale of the problem; cooking appliances account for more than half of all fires in the UK.
“I visited the London Fire Brigade,” says Haavisto, “and they said that in London, cooking fires account for more like 60% of fires so it’s a big problem.
“But there is no solution because the fire brigade usually says you must use a smoke alarm, but they also say don’t use your smoke alarm in the kitchen. But the kitchen is the most dangerous place – particularly the cooker.
“And smoke alarms create false alarms so people take out the batteries.”
Innohome is already winning huge contracts with universities and residential flats, says says Haavisto, while legislative changes already made in some countries could herald a boom in this embryonic market.
“In Norway they already have a law that in all new kitchens you need a cooker safety system, so every new house has a system like ours. In Europe, especially in Norway, and the US, this is becoming a massive market.”
Below is a rundown of Innohome’s ground-breaking technologies, which seek to actually prevent fire rather than simply alert people to the presence of smoke. “We are working in an area to prevent fires,” says Haavisto. “If you use a smoke alarm there is already a fire and smoke.”
What does it do? Alerts residents to a cooker-related risk intelligently and predicatively.
How is it innovative? The Stove Alarm SA101 alerts people to a kitchen hazard before toxic gases are produced and a fire ignites. The Stove Alarm’s self-learning technology learns sensitivity based on the user’s cooking habits, ensuring accurate hazard recognition and uninterrupted cooking.
What does it do? Intelligent fire prevention for cookers connected to a normal household power socket. Detects dangerously high temperature and responds to various types of alarms, turning the cooker off in a risk situation.
How is it innovative? Detects a dangerously high temperature or steep temperature rise, and identifies smoke and carbon monoxide alarm signals, turning the cooker off in a risk situation. Adjusts sensitivity based on users’ cooking habits.
What does it do? Prevents cooker fires effectively and intelligently, without interfering with cooking.
How is it innovative? Identifies dangerously high temperatures and steep temperature rises, and responds to smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, turning the cooker off when risk criteria are met. Also identifies if the cooker is accidentally left on and switches it off in 1-3 hours, depending on power setting.
Timer does not interrupt normal cooking as power is not switched off if the cooker is used for cooking on low heat – unless this results in a dangerous situation due, for example, to the pot boiling dry.
Also offers an automatic cooker knob Safety Lock and an Intelligent Timer+ for traditional, mechanical cookers. Also identifies when a hotplate is left on low heat.
What does it do? Intelligent and multi-functional fire safety device that easily and effectively increases fire safety at home. Works with all electrical appliances and can be used to alert Telecare services.
How is it innovative? A detected alarm activates the FireSafety Socket light and sound, and any device connected to it (such as a lamp), transforming the device to an additional signalling device. Ideal for persons with hearing disabilities and works for anyone located in another room.
Visiting FIREX last year Pertti Haavisto was pleasantly surprised at the show’s international dimension, even leaving with a new German distributor.
“We were at FIREX last year as well and we found it was a very good place to meet our customers – to meet current customers and inform our potential customers,” he recalls.
“Actually we found it was a very good place for international visitors too – we didn’t know that before. We thought it would be just British customers and British partners. But we found our German distributor from there.”
“That’s why we are coming again. We have more current customers this time and more products to introduce to our customers.”
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