Yep- our ambulance college don't allow any electrical things from outside unless they've tested them for electrical safety first. So even a little stereo or hairdrier has to be tested by them.

Just out of interest, have they had an incident with one of those little hobs going on fire or something?

Well, no regulations, but the fire alarms do go off pretty much every night (and boy, are they loud, it really does my ears in). And I am not exaggerating on this one. It's a combination of them being ridiculously over-sensitive and people settting them off intentionally because they're... something I won't describe on here because the PTB won't like it.

A few nights ago a group of people from my block formed a lynch mod looking for the sods who jumped over the fence and sneaked into the building just to set them off. And now everyone in the block's getting fined £120 for all the countless times a Fire Engine's had to turn up...

Certainly in my college you aren't allowed to bring a hob into your room. In most rooms there isn't space anyway (have you managed to get yourself a double set already?!) You aren't allowed cooking appliances in your room for the same reason - which is probably fair enough, if you see how cluttered rooms are with all the things to catch fire. But we do have one (1) undergrad kitchen, and there are baby kitchens on most staircases with a one-ring hob if you're lucky, and usually a microwave.
The fire brigade got pissed off with coming out for so many false alarms is why this all happened...

We weren't allowed anything electrical in our rooms in the first year (not even a kettle!!!), but we did have a rather large kitchen with a decent cooked etc...it seems to be pretty standard policy nowadays .

Too many false fire alarms methinks!

In my first year all outside electrical equipment had to be tested, and they charged us for the privilige. There was so much complaint that it did not persist in my second and third years.

We got hobs, but we weren't allowed to fry on them. Frying pans were sometimes confiscated, so I always fried in a normal pan Never set the fire alarm off, though people were always setting it off with the toasters...

Every kitchen on site was kitted out with the same equipment, regardless of size of kitchen. In one instance this meant all the electrical equipment had to share too few plugs and sit on the draining board because there was so little room. And we're not allowed to fry

Glad I'm not alone in the wacky world of safety regs. Still proper narked about the microwave-fest I'm heading off to, but least I'm spared this electrical testing cobblers. (Oh drat, now I've said that I'm guaranteed a surprise addition on the first day. Curses!)

Doesn't mention anything about spits and wild boar though ...

(Edited by Byron 28/10/2004 17:03)

The mentions of so many 'false' fire alarms got me thinking; is it a national uni-related co(incidence/nspiracy, delete as applicable ) or is everyone here going to the same uni? (Specifically Sunderland, that's the one I'm at, anyway)

Cue X-Files music...

when i was in uni last year, in one night our fire alarm went off 4 times, every 2 hours or so....through til about 6 in the morning...it wasn't even tests, it was some idiot at the party next door setting it off! and at one point there was an explosion type noise, god knows what they were doing!! he got escorted off the premises in the end, and turns out he wasn't even a student! it was really annoying, didn't make it in to uni for 9 the next day i can tell ya!

<--- oh oh! so cute!!

If microwaves are allowed so should induction hobs..... Although I haven't seen a "small induction hob" yet also they are very expensive

Do people in your flat all get fined through the nostrils if they can't determine exactly who set it off?

I accidentally set one off last year, they tried to fine me £200 but I got it down to a much more reasonable £60 (well, I was in breach of codes of conduct having a fan heater in my room and they did have to call the fire brigade...) but when someone in my flat set it off (a bunch of flatmates were smoking in thelounge, idiots!) they fined all 7 of us £20 each. Bloody vampires...

[/rant]

(Edited by Alan 07/10/2004 14:49)

I'm not at university myself yet, but I've visited friends and smoked (ahem...:angel in their rooms. When I asked them about the smoke alarm, they said it only detects 'fire smoke'. If that's true, why doesn't everywhere have these things? Are their alarms just really dodgy?

The student buildings where I used to live didn't have fire alarms that where connected to the fire department, just the type with a battery that makes a lot of noise...

Offcourse they stop making noise if you remove the battery because it also fits in the tv remote

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by Yally
I'm not at university myself yet, but I've visited friends and smoked (ahem...:angel in their rooms. When I asked them about the smoke alarm, they said it only detects 'fire smoke'. If that's true, why doesn't everywhere have these things? Are their alarms just really dodgy?

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I believe most hotels also have this sort of fire alarm. The reason they don't use it for student accomodation? It's more expensive, and they probably don't want you smoking in rented accomodation anyway.

Yeah we have two halls at my university campus and last year a first year was frying chips on a stove and burnt down one of the buildings! Besides students are too lazy to cook, microwave meals suit me fine.