New California Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Detectors in All Homes

This past week, two construction workers in Union, Ohio were found dead in a home they were renovating. The men had been using a portable generator to heat the home and were overcome when the structure filled with toxic levels of carbon monoxide.

Known as the "silent killer," carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Each year in California, carbon monoxide poisoning accounts for 30-40 avoidable deaths and as many as 700 emergency room visits. As a result Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law a bill requiring carbon monoxide detectors in all California dwelling units. The law requires that detectors be installed in all single-family homes by no later than July 1, 2011 and in apartments and other multi-family housing no later than January 1, 2013.

In addition to being deadly, carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless, which is why it is so dangerous. It is also a common by-product of the process of burning fossil fuels. Car engines produce carbon monoxide and are the most common cause of poisoning, but furnaces, space heaters, stoves and similar devices also produce the gas and need to be properly vented so that carbon monoxide escapes outside.

Carbon monoxide detectors employ internal sensors to detect an accumulation of carbon monoxide gas. Detectors should be installed at least five feet off the ground and away from stoves and heaters. As many detectors are hard-wired, it is important to remember that they will not work when the power goes off. If the detector sounds, the building should be quickly evacuated. People who were inside should be tested for symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Those may include nausea, shortness of breath and headaches. The affected area should be ventilated and the source of the carbon monoxide should be identified and repaired.

Having carbon monoxide detectors in place is no guarantee of safety. It is important to be aware of potential sources of carbon monoxide, how to prevent accumulations of the gas, and what to do in the event of an emergency.

Here are a few suggestions to keep you More Prepared:

• Have gas-powered furnaces, space heaters, wall heaters and water heaters professionally inspected each year.
• Only use gas heating devices that vent outdoors.
• Do not leave cars idling in garages.
• Do not use a gas oven to heat the home, even for a short while.
• Do not use charcoal grills indoors.
• Never sleep in a room with an unvented gas heater.

More information on how to protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning is available from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Carbon monoxide detectors are available at www.moreprepared.com.