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A new law that took effect July 1, the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 (SB 183), requires homeowners, landlords, apartment managers and builders to install carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors in an effort to prevent accidental deaths.
Failure to comply with the law could result in 30-day compliance notices or fines up to $200.
The state said owners of multi-family leased or rental dwellings – including apartment buildings – have until Jan. 1, 2013, to comply with the new law.
State officials say that the new law will save lives, with carbon monoxide claiming an estimated 480 people each year nationwide and between 30 and 40 annually in California alone.
Acting State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover said carbon monoxide sends more than more than 20,000 people to emergency rooms across the nation each year.
Local fire officials also are urging use of the devices to keep people safe.
“Carbon monoxide is a very deadly gas,” said Kelseyville Fire Chief Mike Stone.
Stone said carbon monoxide is both odorless and colorless, “so it sneaks up on people,” and is very difficult to notice unless a detector is in place.
Cal Fire said carbon monoxide is produced by heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, many types of appliances and cooking devices.
The agency suggested that the best way for homeowners to stay protected from carbon monoxide is to have a detector installed on every floor and outside each sleeping area.
A recent study found that nearly nine in 10 California households did not have a carbon monoxide detector, Cal Fire reported.
There have been local occurrences of carbon monoxide poisoning, including a March 2005 case in which the Lake County Sheriff's Office concluded that a couple found dead in their Lower Lake home had died as a result of the gas.
Even so, it's not common, with Sutter Lakeside Hospital reporting that in the last two years none of its emergency room visits had a carbon monoxide poisoning-related diagnosis.
Although he hasn't seen issues with carbon monoxide poisoning locally since arriving in Lake County two years ago, Stone said in Marin County, where he previously lived and worked, he periodically saw problems arising from faulty heating systems – including fireplaces – or when people used barbecues indoors to try to heat their homes.
Lake County Building Official Dave Jezek said the county's building department will monitor compliance in new construction, additions and remodels.
Whenever a permit is valued at more than $1,000, Jezek said the county requires that the homeowner fill out a document that attests to the fact that they've installed carbon monoxide and smoke detectors for the home.
“For new construction they all have to be hard wired and interconnected,” Jezek said, while existing dwellings can use battery operated detectors that can be purchased from home improvement stores.
Stone said installing the simple devices can save a lot of lives.
The portable plug-in devices, which can be purchased at hardware stores or online, typically run between about $13 and $40, based on an Internet search. Check reviews and ask your local hardware store staff for suggestions on high quality devices.
For more information on how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov/communications/communications_firesafety_carbonmonoxide.php .
For a list of approved carbon monoxide detection devices visit the Office of the State Fire Marshal's Web site at http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/strucfireengineer/pdf/bml/CSFM%20listed%20carbon%20monoxide%20devices%20as%20of%20June%2021%202011.pdf or see the list posted below.
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