As an Ontario homeowner, you are now required to have a working carbon monoxide alarm installed near the sleeping area of your home.
The new law, Bill 77 – The Hawkins-Gignac Act, came into effect April 15, 2015 and applies to all homes that contain at least one fuel-burning appliance (e.g., gas water heater or gas furnace), fireplace or have an attached garage. It was passed in memory of OPP Constable Laurie Hawkins, her husband and two children, who died from CO poisoning in Woodstock, Ontario in December 2008. The vent leading from their gas fireplace was clogged causing the deadly gas to seep back into their home. They didn’t know they were in danger because carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and tasteless. They did not have a carbon monoxide alarm.
Symptoms of CO poisoning include flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness and even loss of consciousness, without the elevated temperature associated with the flu. In severe cases, CO poisoning can cause brain damage and death. The elderly, children and people with heart or respiratory conditions may be particularly sensitive to CO. It can poison the body quickly in high concentrations, or slowly over long periods of time.
CO detectors are inexpensive protection. Prices range from approximately $26 to over $100 depending on whether they are hard-wired, battery operated or plug-in and whether they have additional features (i.e. battery back-up, digital display, etc.).
Here are some safety tips from the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education:
- Install at least one CSA-approved carbon monoxide alarm outside the bedroom area of your home. For optimal protection, install a CO alarm on every floor.
- Check the expiry date of existing CO alarms, and replace any devices built before 2008. The alarms need to be replaced every 7-10 years, depending on the brand.
- Make sure everyone in the household knows the difference between the sound of the smoke detector and the CO detector. The CO detector will sound 4 quick beeps followed by a five-second pause and repeat, while smoke alarms sound 3 beeps with a 1.5-second pause.
- In the event a CO alarms sounds, get everyone out of the house, stay out and call 911! Exposure to CO reduces your ability to think clearly, so never delay if your alarm goes off and you sense a problem.
- To prevent carbon monoxide leaks, have a licensed technician inspect your fuel-burning appliances (re. furnace, range, fireplace, water heater) annually, to ensure they are in proper working order and vented correctly.
- Replace batteries in your CO alarm annually, or opt for models with 10-year sealed lithium batteries that never need to be changed.
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