Urgent Call for Enhanced Safety Standards to Combat CO Poisoning

In a bid to mitigate the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, emergency response and HVACR professionals are rallying behind proposed safety standards for residential gas furnaces and boilers. Advocating for a unified approach, they've joined The National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association (NCOAA) to urge the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to bolster the regulations that safeguard consumers, emergency responders, and maintenance personnel.

Carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, lethal byproduct of burning carbon-based fuels (like methane gas), poses a significant threat to public health. The proposed safety standards aim to curtail CO emissions from residential furnaces and boilers—a crucial step to better safeguard individuals and families.

Emergency responders and HVACR professionals—inherently exposed to CO-emitting appliances due to their line of work—face heightened risks. Carbon monoxide poisoning, often misdiagnosed, inflicts severe and sometimes irreversible damage to vital organs like the heart and brain.

Carbon monoxide is deadly because it binds with red blood cells (creating carboxyhemoglobin, or COHb) and deprives your body of oxygen after passing into your lungs. From impaired vision and coordination to chronic cardiovascular complications, the spectrum of CO-induced ailments is alarming.

Here's a look at early signs of CO poisoning:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue

One reason CO poisoning is often misdiagnosed is the similarity to cold or flu-like symptoms like nausea, shortness of breath, and mild headaches. Eventually, the symptoms turn lethal without treatment.

Professionals whose work puts them at risk of CO exposure and other experts are joining with the NCOAA to recommend the following enhancements:

• Lower shutdown thresholds: Align shutdown/modulation thresholds with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, reflecting a COHb level of 2% for non-smokers as indicative of poisoning.
• Tamper resistance: Implement measures to prevent tampering or deactivation of CO shut-off devices, ensuring uninterrupted safety protocols.
• Extended restart period: Extend the restart interval to a minimum of 30 minutes during sensor failure events, providing adequate safeguards in case of CO incidents.

The NCOAA and a coalition of emergency response and HVACR professionals fervently endorse implementing these safety standards. They implore the CPSC to extend similar regulations to all residential gas-burning appliances, encompassing natural gas, methane, liquefied petroleum, and propane.

Proactive measures to combat CO poisoning are imperative. It's encouraging to see the collective efforts of regulatory bodies, industry professionals, and advocacy groups to support a safer living environment for everyone.

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• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Deaths Are on the Rise
• Most (and Least) Risky States for Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (CO) Prevention," January 9, 2023. Accessed February 8, 2024.
2. United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, "New CPSC Report Shows Upward Trend in Carbon Monoxide (CO) Fatalities." March 28, 2023. Accessed February 8, 2024.