The Plateau smoke detector, when installed, is a very slim device. It is ideal for use in installations where it is impractical or undesirable to use a standard smoke detector. This might be for aesthetic reasons, where an architect specifies unobtrusive fire detection, or it might be for reasons of safety, where a standard fire detector might be viewed as a hazard, for example in a prison cell.

The Plateau smoke detector is fitted into a hole in the ceiling so that only the plastic cover plate is visible.

The detector operates on the light scatter principle but the light beam is transmitted through the cover plate where it is scattered by any smoke that is close to it. The light that is scattered is registered by the receiver in the detector which will change to the alarm state after confirmation of the presence of smoke.

The Plateau smoke detector carries out a permanent check of the contamination on the cover plate by means of additional light-emitting and sensing components. It is able to gauge the degree of contamination present and send a fault signal in the event that it is too dirty to function normally.