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Carbon Monoxide (CO) is the leading cause of poison death in the United States. Prevention of CO deaths is a matter of knowledge, maintenance, and warning. Carbon Monoxide is commonly associated with car exhaust, but any inefficient or malfunctioning fuel-burning device can produce CO, including gas furnaces, water heaters, and power generators. In homes without CO alarms, the poison gas can accumulate without warning to a lethal level. Because of the toxic nature of CO the Minnesota state legislature passed a law requiring carbon monoxide alarms. The effective date of the legislation for all existing single family dwelling units is August 1, 2008. Minnesota statute requires newly-constructed, single- and multi-family dwellings built on or after January 1, 2007, to have a UL-listed CO alarm within 10 feet of each bedroom. The alarm may be hardwired, plugged in, or battery-operated (attached to the wall). The same law applies to existing single-family homes as of August 1, 2008, and to existing multi-dwelling units as of August 1, 2009. Residents should follow manufacturer’s instructions on routine maintenance and plan to replace alarms every five to seven years.
For more information on the CO alarm law, visit
www.fire.state.mn.us or
www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/statutes/?id=299F.51.
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