Smoke Detector & Disposal Guide

Existing legislation controls how smoke detectors are transported and disposed of and includes:

  • The Radioactive Substances (Smoke Detectors) Exemption Order 1980, as amended 1991.
  • The Radioactive Substances Act 1993 (RSA93).
  • The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 (IRR99).
  • The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2006 (WEEE).
  • The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Waste Management Licensing) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006.
  • The Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2007 (CDG).

RSA93 controls the keeping, use, accumulation and disposal of radioactive material, and is enforced by the Environment Agency.

CDG governs the transport of any radioactive material on a public road.  The powers of enforcement lie with the Department for Transport, the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (who can enforce certain parts of these regulations), and the Police.

The law currently states that up to 500 domestic smoke detectors with an individual activity not exceeding 40 kBq can be carried in a vehicle without the need to adhere to the regulations.

Activity Levels

The "activity" of a radioactive element is given in either kilo Becquerels (kBq) or micro Curies (µCi or micro Ci).  The "isotope" will be either   Radium-226 (Ra226) or Americium-241 (Am241). Only Am241 of less than 40 kBq satisfies exemption from RSA93 and transport regulations.

You should be able to find all the appropriate information detailed on the back of the smoke detector next to the radioactive symbol.

If in doubt, ask us.  We have a database of virtually every smoke detector ever made.

Non-Residential Smoke Detectors

All smoke detectors that fall outside the above requirements (which include old industrial smoke detectors, such as the FES3B, F35, F50 and other high activity detectors, as well as those smoke detectors with a Ra226 isotope, such as some Nittan NID-28s) must be transported in accordance with the transport regulations.  This means that each smoke detector must be in an approved transport package with proper UN labelling and accompanied by completed transport documentation and declaration.  If appropriate, the vehicle must be placarded and the driver trained in the carriage of dangerous goods.

Advice and Consultation on Smoke Detector Transport and Disposal

ACB has an extensive database of virtually all smoke detectors ever made, so even if some of the information is missing, we can usually advise on the details you might need.  For those detectors not suitable for normal carriage, we offer a collection service.

We use the Radioactive Substances (Waste Closed Sources) Exemption Order 1963 to facilitate the disposal of those smoke detectors falling outside the scope of the other exemption orders.