Recommended Policies. State and Local Legislation for Carbon Monoxide Life Safety Devices

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1 Recmmended Plicies State and Lcal Legislatin fr Carbn Mnxide Life Safety Devices May 2013 Smke & Carbn Mnxide Detectr Grup Natinal Electrical Manufacturers Assciatin 1300 Nrth 17 th Street, Suite 1752 Rsslyn, Virginia 22209

2 RECOMMENDED POLICIES fr STATE CARBON MONOXIDE DEVICE LEGISLATION and LOCAL ORDINANCE DRAFTING SMOKE & CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR GROUP f the NEMA SIGNALING, PROTECTION AND COMMUNICATION SECTION EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Prper use f carbn mnxide (CO) detectin and warning devices can enhance life safety. NEMA recmmends that state and lcal legislatures enact laws requiring: Carbn mnxide devices in buildings and structures, bth new and existing, including ne- and tw-family hmes, multifamily dwellings, public ldging (htels, mtels, barding huses, etc.), nursing hmes, assisted living facilities, grup hmes, ther residential ccupancies, and schls. Such requirements are especially imprtant where such buildings/dwellings cntain a CO-emitting surce r hazard; Equipment shuld meet the requirements f, and be installed accrding t, the applicable natinally recgnized cdes and standards, specifically: American Natinal Standards Institute (ANSI)/Underwriters Labratries (UL) prduct safety standards ANSI/UL 2034, Single and Multiple Statin Carbn Mnxide Alarms, r ANSI/UL 2075, Gas and Vapr Detectrs and Sensrs Natinal Fire Prtectin Assciatin installatin standard NFPA 720, Standard fr the Installatin f Carbn Mnxide (CO) Detectin and Warning Equipment. NEMA is the assciatin f electrical and medical imaging equipment manufacturers. Funded in 1926 and headquartered in Arlingtn, Virginia. Its member cmpanies manufacture a diverse set f prducts including pwer transmissin and distributin equipment, lighting systems, factry autmatin and cntrl systems, and medical diagnstic imaging systems. These prducts are used in utility, industrial, cmmercial, institutinal, and residential applicatins and include fire, smke, and carbn mnxide detectin and warning equipment. WHAT IS CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING? Carbn mnxide is a preventable cause f death and injury fr many in ur natin. It is an invisible, tasteless and drless, clrless gas that is emitted as a result f incmplete cmbustin. Flu-like symptms identify carbn mnxide pisning; hwever, its effects are easy t verlk. At high cncentratins in the bld carbn mnxide can cause cgnitive impairment, lss f cnsciusness, cma and even death. This dangerus gas can accumulate in hmes 2

3 and buildings t dangerus levels if appliances r equipment that use gasline, natural gas, il, kersene, prpane, charcal, r wd are nt installed, maintained, r used prperly. Detrimental health effects are related t cncentratin levels, and they depend n the length f expsure, bld cncentratin levels, and persnal health cnditin. Breathing carbn mnxide can cause headaches, dizziness, sleepiness, nausea, cnfusin, and disrientatin. Carbn mnxide reduces the bld s capability t carry xygen t a human s vital rgans and tissues, such as the heart and brain. At high levels, it can cause lss f cnsciusness and death. The Centers fr Disease Cntrl estimates there are nearly 400 deaths and mre than 20,000 injuries each year frm carbn mnxide pisning. Because symptms are similar t the flu, CO deaths and injuries have been grssly underreprted and accrding t estimates, actual deaths may exceed 2,000. While the majrity f CO deaths ccur in dwelling units, mre than 21% f CO incidents ccur in public facilities and areas utside the hme. Such incidents are likely t affect significantly mre peple than thse in dwelling units. Even when there are nt deaths, lng term effects n the nervus system and the heart can ccur in as many as 40% f the cases. The U.S. Cnsumer Prduct Safety Cmmissin (CPSC) estimates that scietal csts frm CO pisnings exceed $630 millin annually. EXISTING LAWS & PENDING LEGISLATION Enacted State Wide Carbn Mnxide Laws, Cdes & Regulatins: Alabama New Mexic Alaska New Yrk Califrnia Nrth Carlina Clrad Nrth Dakta Cnnecticut 1 Ohi Flrida Oklahma Gergia Oregn Idah Pennsylvania Illinis Rhde Island Iwa Suth Carlina Kentucky Tennessee Luisiana Texas 3 Maine Utah Maryland 2 Vermnt Massachusetts Virginia Michigan Washingtn Minnesta West Virginia Mntana Wiscnsin New Hampshire Wyming New Jersey 1 In additin t requiring CO detectin in hmes and ther residential dwellings, the State f Cnnecticut requires the installatin f CO detectrs in all public and nnpublic schls in the state. 3

4 2 In additin t requiring CO detectin in single- and multi-family dwellings, htels, mtels, and drmitries, the State f Maryland requires the installatin f CO detectrs in public schls in the state when newly cnstructed r upn substantial remdeling. 3 Texas currently nly requires the installatin f CO detectin devices in child care facilities and certain family/grup hmes. Fr a map f state CO detectin requirements, please visit Enacted Municipality Carbn Mnxide Prvisins: Mre than tw dzen lcal jurisdictins currently require the installatin f carbn mnxide life safety devices. WHAT ARE THE STANDARDS FOR CARBON MONOXIDE DEVICES? Three leading standards, American Natinal Standards Institute (ANSI)/Underwriters Labratries (UL) 2034 and ANSI/UL 2075, and Natinal Fire Prtectin Assciatin (NFPA) 720 apply t carbn mnxide devices. The efficacy f vluntary natinal cnsensus standards, and subsequent cde prvisins, are the leading edge f verificatin and durability f many different prducts. Life safety cdes and standards ensure that prducts meet crucial perfrmance requirements that recgnize prven technlgies. It is imprtant t nte that any additinal requirements r perfrmance standards abve and beynd thse required may actually endrse an unprven perfrmance feature, r exclude prven and tested life safety technlgies that meet recgnized standards. This may include devices that require vice annunciatin, a lng-life battery, r ther scenaris. Cdes and standards drafting and acceptance fllw regular schedules f review that incrprate the best thinking and state f the art develpments. When a state law r lcal rdinance includes an additinal feature r limitatin nt recgnized in a cde r standard, it may exclude future advances that make better sense r frce cnstant revisins. T accmmdate this issue, a simple reference t the applicable standard allws timely peerreviewed updating withut cnstant legislative invlvement. The U.S. Cnsumer Prduct Safety Cmmissin and the Natinal Fire Prtectin Assciatin urge cnsumers t purchase and install CO detectrs and alarms. The 2012 editin f NFPA 720 cvers the selectin, design, applicatin, installatin, lcatin, perfrmance, inspectin, testing, and maintenance f carbn mnxide detectin and warning equipment in buildings and structures. The requirements f this NFPA standard apply t the installatin f carbn mnxide detectin and warning equipment, including single- and multiple-statin carbn mnxide alarms and carbn mnxide detectrs and their related systems and cmpnents. Installatin in the immediate vicinity f the bedrms. The CPSC recmmends purchase f CO detectrs that meet the requirements f UL 2034, the Standard fr Single and Multiple Statin Carbn Mnxide Alarms. The mst recent update f this standard requires: Marking and Instructin: CO devices and manufacturer s instructin bklets must advise cnsumers what t d in case f an alarm signal. 4

5 Alarm Standard: CO devices must sund alarm signal befre mst peple experience adverse effects but nt at lng-term, lw-level r shrt-term CO expsures that are nt a health threat. Reset Buttn: CO devices must have a manually perated reset buttn that allws residents t silence the alarm. If elevated CO levels cntinue t exist, the detectr will sund an alarm again. This will help cnfirm trublesme CO levels. The NEMA Applicatins Guide fr Carbn Mnxide Alarms and Detectrs reviews CO detectin devices, including single- and multiple-statin CO alarms and system-cnnected CO detectrs and sensrs, and is available fr free dwnlad at: A series f pdcasts n CO dangers and applicable CO detectin cdes and standards is available at: WHAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN STATE AND LOCAL JURISDICTION DRAFTING? There are several key elements cncerning the mandatry use f a CO sensr, detectr r alarm invlving the prduct listing standards and installatin standards f the device: Required Use f Carbn Mnxide Detectin Devices: In any legislatin r rdinance, it shuld be required that every building and structure and every dwelling unit within a single r multi-family building be equipped with CO devices. Because f the prevalence f incidents caused by imprper use f prtable generatrs during pwer utages, legislatin shuld cver all dwelling units, even thse withut fuel burning appliances. Als, battery backup shuld be required. Legislatin shuld spell ut enfrcement f the requirements. Typically this will rest with the building cde/building inspectrs fr new cnstructin and with an annual fire marshal inspectin r change f wnership inspectin fr existing buildings. It is wise t include a prvisin fr funding cnsumer educatin as part f the bill. Cmpliance can be spread acrss several years, with mre immediate deadlines fr new cnstructin and ne t tw year cmpliance times fr existing buildings. Other Occupancies: In additin t requiring CO detectin in single- and multifamily dwellings, states shuld cnsider expanding CO detectin requirements t include ther places where peple live and sleep, especially when a CO hazard is present. Such ccupancies wuld include but nt be limited t htels, mtels, drmitries, srrity and fraternity huses, rming huses, nursing hmes, assisted living facilities, prisns, and ther residential institutinal facilities r grup hmes. In additin, requiring the installatin f CO detectin systems in schl buildings is recmmended t prtect children and schl persnnel while they are away frm their hmes. 5

6 Type f Device: Enacted laws shuld require a detectr meet ANSI/UL 2075 and alarm meet and cnfrm t ANSI/UL 2034, and be installed in accrdance with NFPA 720 and manufacturer s instructins. CONTACT & FURTHER INFORMATION: If yu have questins abut these recmmendatins, please cntact Sarah Owen at NEMA at (703) r via at sarah.wen@nema.rg. Infrmatin is als available n the Internet at bth as well as frm Underwriters Labratries, the U.S. Cnsumer Prduct Safety Cmmissin, and the Natinal Fire Prtectin Assciatin. 6