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THE CENTER FOR CAMPUS FIRE SAFETY SUPPORTS FEDERAL BILL TO HELP ENSURE QUALITY PROTECTION FROM THE SILENT KILLER
[CCFS Administration] [August 4, 2010 10:32 am ] [Views 690]
Newburyport, MA August 4, 2010 – Approximately every nine minutes, a fire department in the U.S. responds to a residential carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Now, the U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step to expand protection by passing the “Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act.”
The Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS), a national, non-profit organization devoted to campus fire safety issues, fully supports this bill and commends the House of Representatives for its commitment to safety.
Introduced by Congressman Jim Matheson (D-UT), HR 1796 would create a mandatory guideline for all CO alarms sold in the U.S., including compliance with the voluntary third-party standard known as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 and would also require the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish a grant program to provide assistance to states to carry out a carbon monoxide alarm program.
“Invariably each year we see headlines reporting that students were sickened or killed by carbon monoxide (CO), and each time we do, it underscores the vulnerability millions of young people face as they head to campuses across the country.” said Paul D. Martin, president of The Center for Campus Fire Safety.
While requirements for smoke alarms are virtually universal throughout the U.S., laws requiring CO alarms are spotty and inadequate.
“Every year, we see CO tragedies and many of them can be prevented if a working carbon monoxide alarm is properly installed. Unfortunately, most dormitories and off-campus residences do not yet have them.”
Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, claiming 400 lives and sending another 20,000 to the emergency room each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is produced by fossil fuel-burning appliances, which under certain circumstances, including malfunction or improper ventilation, can cause CO to build up in a home.
“I commend Congressman Matheson for his leadership and the co-sponsors of H.R. 1796 and members of the House of Representatives for taking a stance that will help ensure the quality of these life-saving devices,” said John Andres, vice-president of engineering for Kidde Residential & Commercial, the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products and part of United Technologies Corporation’ Fire & Security unit. “By making UL 2034 the basis of a federal standard, H.R. 1796 ensures a baseline performance measure.“Because you can’t see, smell or taste carbon monoxide, a family must have confidence that its CO alarm will alert them when danger occurs,” Andres also said.
The safest known way to detect carbon monoxide is to install a working CO alarm. Industry reports show that as of 2008, nearly 50% of U.S. homes had a CO alarm. However, a survey by Kelton Research found that only about half of those homes (27%) have more than one alarm installed. Fire safety experts such as CCFS and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommend placing CO alarms on each floor and near sleeping areas. The majority of states with CO laws require this placement as well.
H.R. 1796 would also set up a grant program to assist states that pass residential CO alarm requirements in raising awareness of CO risks, and it would provide funds for the installation and acquisition of carbon monoxide alarms.“In these difficult economic times getting new requirements enacted, and more importantly, seeing the public comply, is very complicated.” said Martin “However, H.R. 1796 fortunately establishes a grant program designed to navigate this obstacle.”
Residential CO alarms are available at home improvement retailers, mass merchants and via the web. For more information, visit http://www.campusfiresafety.org/co
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