Carbon Monoxide Information

INFORMATION ON CARBON MONOXIDE - CO - POISONING - Updated 10/12/05

Unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning sends an estimated 10,000 people to hospital emergency rooms for treatment each year nationwide, and claims more than 200 lives. Heating appliances including water heaters and clothes dryers that are not working properly are the major cause of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning in Vermont. Other common sources include emergency generators, temporary cooking appliances or space heaters, motor vehicles left running in attached garages or adjacent to a building. During 2001-2004 there were over 800 CO incidents reported by fire departments in Vermont including 6 unintentional deaths from CO poisoning.

It is very important to be aware of the early signs of CO poisoning. Exposure to CO can mimic flu systems – headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue. Higher levels of exposure will result in disorientation and drowsiness, leading to unconsciousness and death. Often the symptoms will be less when the person exposed to carbon monoxide leaves the building, only to have the symptoms reoccur when the person re-enters the building.

CO PREVENTION EFFORTS

The Division of Fire Safety uses a combined effort of public education and regulations to protect the public from the risks of CO. CO detectors are very reliable and provide excellent protection from CO poisoning. The installation of CO detectors give a warning to people in a building of unhealthy or dangerous levels of CO before the symptoms of CO poisoning occur. CO detectors are required in all buildings where people sleep. Each CO detector should be located on the wall or ceiling as specified in the manufacturers installation instructions that accompany the unit. The manufacturers instructions also contain information on potential sources of CO, the symptoms of CO poisoning and what to do if the CO detector sounds an alarm.

A CO detector is not designed to detect smoke or heat. A CO detector is not a substitute for a properly installed smoke detector. Combination smoke detector and CO detectors are available and should also be installed in accordance with the manufacturers instruction.

Vermont fire safety codes have requirements for the installation, venting, operation and maintenance of gas, oil and solid fuel appliances installed in public buildings in Vermont including multi-family and rental housing. These include training qualifications for people who install and maintain these systems. Vermont was one of the first states to require technical training for people working in the gas industry in 1991.

RULES REGARDING CO DETECTION AND PREVENTION

CO detectors were not required under the 1999 Vermont Fire Prevention & Building Code and there also have not been requirements for the installation of CO detectors in single-family dwellings in Vermont until now. Act 19 of the Legislative Session now establishes requirements for CO detection and prevention for both single-family dwellings and public buildings. The law specifies that beginning July 1, 2005 new owner occupied single-family dwellings, and dwellings that are sold or transferred, must have CO detectors installed in the immediate vicinity of any bedrooms. New construction must have CO detectors that are wired in with battery back up.

The requirements for CO detection and prevention in public buildings, including multi-family and rental dwellings, have been developed under the administrative rulemaking process and are now included in the Vermont Fire & Building Safety Code – 2005, effective October 22, 2005:

  • CO detectors to be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms for all multi-family dwellings and lodging or rooming occupancies.
  • CO detectors to be installed in the vicinity of each sleeping area in daycare.
  • CO detectors to be installed in any corridor that is in the immediate vicinity of sleeping rooms in residential care.
  • CO detectors to be installed in each nursing station in health care.
  • CO detectors to be installed in any corridor that is in the immediate vicinity of sleeping rooms, or where there is no corridor, in each sleeping room, in hotels and dormitories. Where suites are provided CO detectors to be placed in the suite the same as in multi-family dwellings.
  • An additional CO detector to be installed in any sleeping room that contains a fuel-burning appliance.
  • CO detectors to be installed in accordance with NFPA 720, 2005 edition. CO detectors are designed to meet Underwriters Laboratory test standards that require an alarm between 60 and 240 minutes if exposed to 70 ppm, between 10 and 50 minutes if exposed to 150 ppm and an alarm between 4 and 15 minutes if exposed to 400 ppm.
  • CO detectors to be directly wired to a non-dedicated electrical branch circuit for the building with battery back-up. Existing construction may use battery operated or plug in CO detectors until October 1, 2007. Existing one & two family dwellings may continue to use battery operated or plug in CO detectors.
  • Two hours of related training for the renewal of a certificate of fitness for gas and oil heat technicians to include the prevention of CO leakage and the procedure for inspecting existing appliances.
  • Positive pressure ventilation to be provided for occupied spaces adjacent or accessory to parking structures.

    For additional assistance or information contact Robert Howe, Chief Fire Prevention Officer, at (802) 479-7566 or on line at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

    RESPONDING TO RESIDENTIAL CO INCIDENTS

    Unsafe conditions involving CO may sometimes be difficult to evaluate by the responding fire department. Of the 490 CO incidents reported during 2001-2003, 127 of those incidents reported activation of a CO detector but unsafe levels of CO were not found. During 2004, 119 of the 317 CO incidents reported found no unsafe levels of CO. Appliance operation, maintenance and environmental conditions may all impact on unsafe conditions.

    Guidelines for fire and other emergency response personnel on “Responding to Residential CO Incidents” have been prepared by the United States Consumer Protection Safety Commission and are available at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia04/os/resident.pdf.