Apr 9, 2015 - starting April 15, 2015. All homes with fuel burning appliances or an attached garage must have alarms loc
April 9, 2015
News Release
400 Horton Street East London, Ontario N6B 1L7 Phone: 519 661-4565 Fax: 519 661-8419 For Immediate Release
Grace Period Ending Soon for Installation of Residential Carbon Monoxide alarms In single family homes and multi-family homes with no more than six separate units, the law will now be enforced starting April 15, 2015. All homes with fuel burning appliances or an attached garage must have alarms located adjacent to any sleeping area. When the law was finalized last October, it allowed for a reasonable amount of time to comply. Buildings with more than 6 dwelling units have until next October to install alarms in service rooms and suites connected to service rooms or underground parking garages. It’s known that 80 per cent of poisoning deaths and injuries from carbon monoxide occur in the home and that, each year, thousands of people in Ontario require medical attention after being exposed to CO. “If your home has a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage, you must have a working CO alarm adjacent to each sleeping area of the home,” says Deputy Fire Chief Gary Bridge. “For added protection, install a carbon monoxide alarm on every storey of the home according to manufacturer’s instructions.” Fuel-burning appliances can include furnaces, hot water heaters, gas or wood fireplaces, portable fuel-burning heaters and generators, barbeques, stoves and vehicles. The Ontario Fire Code was amended to require carbon monoxide alarms after the provincial government passed Bill 77, the Hawkins Gignac Act, in December 2013. Bill 77 is named after OPP Constable Laurie Hawkins, who died, along with her husband and two children, in their Woodstock, Ontario home from CO poisoning in 2008. What is CO? CO is known as the silent killer because it is an invisible, tasteless and odourless gas that can be deadly. CO is produced when fuels such as propane, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil or wood do not burn completely in fuel-burning appliances and devices such as furnaces, gas or wood fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves, barbeques, portable fuel-burning heaters and generators and vehicles. Know the Symptoms of CO: Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, confusion and drowsiness. In severe cases, it can result in rapid loss of consciousness and death. If your CO alarm sounds, and you or other occupants suffer from symptoms of CO poisoning, get everyone out of the home to fresh air immediately. Then call 9-1-1 from outside the building. Prevent CO in your home: Ensure all fuel-burning appliances in your home are inspected annually. Check that all outside appliance vents are not blocked. Never use a portable fuel-burning appliance inside (i.e. barbeques, portable heaters and generators).
For further information: Deputy Fire Chief Gary Bridge Office: 519 661-2500 ext. 6514 Email:
[email protected] 