Carbon Monoxide Detection
Each year in the United States, thousands are killed or injured as a result of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. As with most hazards, public officials, as well as the public at large, prefer to be proactive with a system or feature that can help to prevent or minimize the impact of certain hazards. In most cases, an increasing trend in the numbers of CO poisoning cases, the death of local residents and similar events will trigger the call to action.
“In Massachusetts, the CO death of a young girl in 2005 prompted a statewide effort to establish legislation that became effective in 2006,” Solomon said.
Known in Massachusetts as Nicole’s Law, the legislation was implemented after a 7-year-old girl died in January 2005. Her Plymouth home was filled with deadly amounts of carbon monoxide when an outside dryer vent was blocked by snow. The law applies to residential occupancies, including single-family homes, which utilize fossil-burning heating sources such as oil, gas, coal or wood, or where similar heating sources are used in an attached garage. The language of the law also restricts a property from being sold or transferred without having a carbon monoxide detector or system in place.
About 100 people were the victims of unintentional CO poisoning in western Washington State in December 2006. Many residents resorted to extended use of emergency generators in their homes and charcoal grills following widespread power outages after a severe storm.“It is these types of events that will normally result in state legislation to mandate the installation of certain devices and systems,” he said.
Detectors for CO have now been available for several years, and the technology has been refined. NFPA 720, Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide Warning Equipment in Dwelling Units, is being updated to reflect best practice installation methods and equipment features. The UL product standard ANSI/UL 2034, Standard for Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms has also been refined.
There are three main power sources for CO detectors. The first, battery-powered CO detectors, requires annual battery replacement. When the battery has reached its maximum lifespan, the detector will chirp at regular intervals to alert homeowners. Some homeowners, however, become annoyed by the chirping, and instead of replacing the battery, they remove it; therefore, battery-powered CO detectors require discipline (checking the battery) and maintenance (replacing the battery) by the homeowner. This is similar to the upkeep for battery-powered smoke alarms.
The second, a 120-volt-powered detector, runs off the main power supply in the dwelling. Like battery powered detectors, most of these detectors do not have monitoring capabilities. So, if your detectors lose power in a blackout, for example, you may not realize your detectors are not working unless the detector has a battery backup feature. Plus, a power outage is a crucial time to protect against CO because people tend to use more CO-generating appliances, such as space heaters and generators.
The third, a 12/24-volt device, is the most reliable means of powering a CO detector. These system connected (hard-wired) CO detectors can be wired to either a security or fire panel. This type of system offers monitoring by a central station to provide extra protection if the residence is empty, if the residents are sleeping, or if the residents are already suffering the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning. If a problem arises with the detector or if carbon monoxide concentrations hit dangerous levels, the owner will be notified by the detector and the control panel, as well as by the central station. If the owner is unreachable, the central station may send the proper authorities to investigate.
Although non-system-connected CO detectors provide a critical function, especially in single-family homes, the ability to connect CO detection devices to a control panel allows a monitoring function and the ability to automatically summon help in an emergency situation.
Because you cannot see, smell or taste carbon monoxide, it is imperative that the detector remains operable at all times.
See NFPA’s Website for additional tips on preventing CO poisoning at www.nfpa.org/co.
Tags: A/V Notification, Carbon monoxide, NFPA, Smoke detection
Posted in Audible/Visible Notification, Carbon Monoxide Detection, Commercial, Cover Features, Education, Fall 2007, Hospitality, NFPA, Residential
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