Lifesaving Alternative Will Support Hotels, Restaurants in Warning of Carbon Monoxide
CO Alarm Standard Updated to Support Small Businesses in Stopping Tragedies
Washington, D.C. (August 23, 2023) – Today, UL Standards & Engagement published its updated standard for carbon monoxide alarms — UL 2034, Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms — expanding coverage to non-dwelling units, namely motels, restaurants, and other indoor locations that do not have more sophisticated detection systems installed. The change also aligns with the 2024 International Fire Code revision that requires carbon monoxide detection for commercial occupancies.
“Detection means prevention of senseless tragedies,” said Dr. David Steel, executive director of ULSE. “So many lives can be saved if there are alarms to make people aware of the presence of this deadly gas. And an alarm is often the only chance at awareness.”
An odorless and colorless threat, carbon monoxide poisoning kills at least 420 people and sends more than 100,000 to the emergency department in the U.S. each year. The numbers may be higher, as symptoms — which include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and confusion — are easily misdiagnosed.
Carbon monoxide is found in fumes produced by furnaces, kerosene heaters, vehicles in enclosed spaces, stoves and gas ranges, portable generators, pool heaters, and more. When these fumes occur, an alarm is often the first, and sometimes only, indication of a problem. In recent years, carbon monoxide poisonings have occurred in restaurants, daycare centers, hotels and vacation rentals. Only 14 states require carbon monoxide detectors in hotels.
ULSE welcomes proposals to update or develop new standards. The change to UL 2034 was proposed by Kris Hauschildt, founder of the Jenkins Foundation, which she established after her parents, Daryl and Shirley Jenkins, lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning in a hotel room in Boone, N.C.
Only seven weeks after the death of the Jenkins, 11-year-old Jeffrey Williams stayed in the same room and succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. The hotel room did not have a carbon monoxide alarm installed and investigation into the Jenkins’ deaths did not immediately suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, leading to another tragedy.
“Carbon monoxide detection is critical to protecting lives,” said Hauschildt. “Not one life should be lost when the solution is this simple.”
Hauschildt had been involved in the ULSE standards process before, but this update is the first proposal she put forward. She wanted to expand usage of more affordable alarms across small businesses, where governing laws and codes allow them. The revision builds on changes made last year to expand use in commercial vehicles, in response to request by American Trucking Associations’ Technology & Maintenance Council. Last year’s update was critical for truck drivers, particularly those who rest or sleep in their cabs while the engine idles.
The newly updated standard is the product of a consensus process, initiated by Hauschildt, that includes discussion and voting by ULSE’s technical committee. For UL 2034, the committee is made up of 20 members, including manufacturers in the home products space, consumer nonprofits, trade associations, and government agencies, including CPSC (though CPSC is a non-voting member).
“With several options available to detect carbon monoxide, we are removing barriers to doing the right thing. We encourage every establishment to ensure they have a carbon monoxide alarm or detection system. I want to thank Kris and the technical committee for spearheading change that makes it easier to do so,” concluded Dr. Steel.
The full text of UL 2034 can be viewed for free here.
About UL Standards & Engagement
UL Standards & Engagement is a nonprofit organization that translates safety science into action through standards development, partnerships and advocacy. Since 1903, we have developed nearly 1,700 standards and guidance documents for products ranging from fire doors to autonomous vehicles. ULSE enables innovation and grows trust by convening experts and informing policymakers and regulators as we work toward a safer, more secure and sustainable future. Visit ulse.org for more information.
CPSC Warns Consumers to Immediately Stop Using GLBSUNION and CUZMAK Digital Display Carbon Monoxide Detectors Due to Failure to Alert Consumers to Deadly Carbon Monoxide:
“Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue teamed up with the Longview Domino’s on Washington Way to help deliver meals like pizza and pasta to about two dozen area homes from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday. If crews were OK’d to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, their orders were on the house.”
We are kicking off #FirePreventionWeek2022 with our first of TWO free CO alarm giveaways! Stop by and see us next Saturday, October 8 at Cowlitz County Fire District #6 Fire Prevention Carnival…say hi to Airy and pick up a free alarm for your family!
“In their own timeline of events, Richmond Public Schools said those vital alarm panels never called the Richmond Alarm Company because 8-0-4 was not recently added after Verizon changed operations requiring local calls to include the area code.”
*** Winter Carbon Monoxide (CO) Safety – Cowlitz County ***
#DYK the risk of CO exposure at home is more prevalent in winter than in any other season? This risk has been highlighted here in Washington with the recent deaths of a couple in Point Roberts and three family members in Selah. And deaths continue to happen with alarming regularity across the country related to misuse of gas generators, especially during storm-related power outages.
To help raise awareness of this danger locally and to help ensure that residents have access to free alarms, 50 #carbonmonoxide alarms have been donated to Cowlitz County Fire Departments.
We are grateful to local businesses whose generous donations allow us to provide free CO alarms to our community.
Thank you to our local Fire Departments for supporting this effort and helping our community be CO safe.
Have you ever thought about getting rid of your woodstove for a different heating option, but the cost seemed too high? Southwest Clean Air Agency might be able to help. SWCAA is offering grants of $400 to $6000 to help remove or replace old wood stoves.
“All EMS personnel will be equipped with a RAD-57 CO-Oximeter, which will provide emergency medical technicians a quick way to tell if their patient has taken in too much carbon monoxide, according to a memo acquired by The News. The devices will be onboard by Jan. 21, according to the order.”
“Dr. Marc Robins warned that individuals who have been poisoned by carbon monoxide are at risk for permanent brain or cardiac injuries, and suggested that anyone who has had exposure to carbon monoxide should go to the emergency room to be evaluated, no matter how light the symptoms.
“The most effective treatment comes within the first 24 hours,” Robins said.”
“Clean air is fundamental to health,” the WHO said.
Under the guidelines, the WHO lowered recommended exposure levels to key pollutants including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter.
“…included in the $1 trillion infrastructure bill was a little-publicized provision (SCOPE ACT), tasking the federal government to finalize a rule that requires automakers to automatically shut off keyless vehicles after idling for a certain period of time.”
“U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Eagan, reintroduced last week the Safe Stay Act, which would require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in each hotel and motel room across the country…The Safe Stay Act would require the installation of compliant carbon monoxide alarms and detectors in every hotel and motel room nationwide, similar to requirements for smoke detectors and sprinklers. If enacted, the legislation would represent the first significant update to existing law dealing with fire safety rules in hotels and motels in three decades. To ensure compliance with the Safe Stay Act, hotels and motels would have to provide guests at check-in a written notice attesting that they are in compliance with the requirements of the Safe Stay Act. Failure to do so would be considered an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act, which helps protect consumers from substantial unavoidable injury.”
“A lawsuit from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found children’s sleepwear that was too flammable, hairdryers that weren’t properly insulated and could shock people, and carbon monoxide detectors that failed to sound the alarm when carbon monoxide was present. All the items were being sold by third-party sellers.”
“In a landmark ruling in December 2020, coroner Philip Barlow ruled that Ella was the first person in the UK – and likely the world – to have air pollution listed as a cause of death… Ella grew up near one of London’s busiest roads, where air quality frequently fell below UK standards and World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines…”
Thank you to Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society for featuring our recent project in this issue of Pressure. We shipped free CO alarms to 23 hyperbaric units across the country to distribute to patients being discharged after receiving emergency treatment for CO poisoning.
Donations are needed! There are several additional hospitals on a waiting list to be part of this project. If you can help sponsor the purchase of additional alarms, please visit our website at www.thejenkinsfoundation.com and click on Donate at the top of the page.
HOUSTON – Houstonians and others desperate to heat their homes without power poisoned themselves in record numbers on Tuesday by running cars or generators in the garage and grills in the home, emergency officials said.
Great news! Thank you to Consumer Reports – this action is long overdue.
“CR encourages you to support this groundbreaking bill by asking your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 8928.” There’s a link in the article to find your representative’s contact information.
“CO-Pilot can assist in the clinical assessment of carbon monoxide poisoning allowing first responders to make treatment decisions at the scene or on the way to a hospital.“
Sharing this link to COSA…a great resource for anyone working in the HVACR industry and/or if you are just looking to learn more about testing and monitoring of CO
#BoatingSafetyFriday: Carbon monoxide can accumulate anywhere in or around your boat. Every boater should be aware of the risks associated with carbon monoxide to protect everyone aboard.
CO can accumulate in inadequately ventilated canvas enclosures, blocked exhaust outlets, and at slow speeds, while idling, or stopped.
“Shortness of breath can be caused by a number of things, according to the American Lung Association…when shortness of breath comes on quickly, it can signal emergency situations like carbon monoxide poisoning”
How to KNOW if your symptoms are due to CO? Have CO alarms on every level of your home and near every sleeping area. If they alert to the presence of CO (4-beep pattern), immediately get out side to fresh air and call 911.
“Building owners should be especially concerned about brick chimneys…Inspect the chimneys for loose bricks. If the chimney provides ventilation for a fireplace or appliances such as furnaces or water heaters, make sure it still vents…also encourage building owners to ensure they have a working carbon monoxide detector.”
“A major issue right now is that some masonry chimneys might have shifted. If a masonry chimney provides ventilation to someone’s home, it might have damage that’s not clearly visible — and carbon monoxide from the home might not exit properly.”
“Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig introduced the Safe Stay Act, which would require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in each hotel and motel room across the country. This legislation comes after learning that two of her second district constituents were hospitalized with serious illnesses due to near-fatal carbon monoxide levels in their Michigan hotel room.”
“Around 6,400 troops and their family members were poisoned by carbon monoxide in the past decade, a military health study has found. Some 24 service members died from breathing the colorless, tasteless, odorless and deadly gas.”
“Susan C. Livingston turned her grief over her parents’ (Sherry Penney and James Livingston) deaths last May into advocacy by working with longtime friend and state Rep. Lori Ehrlich to push for legislation mandating engine shutoff software for keyless ignition vehicles.”
A unique look at what it’s like to be poisoned by carbon monoxide in your hotel room. Thankfully these victims survived, however their experience highlights some of the many unaddressed questions of CO safety in hotels…namely, who is watching out for us when we check in?
“Californiaand other cities on the East Coast and Texas have passed laws restricting or banningvent-free models, requiring gas fireplaces to have outdoor vents — though older homes in those cities and states may still have them.”
We are excited to be kicking off our annual CO awareness effort in local elementary schools as part of Fire Prevention Week! This year will include hands-on activities focused on the lifesaving value of CO alarms at both Mint Valley Elementary and Robert Gray Elementary…followed by a free CO alarm distribution event at the Longview Fire Department Open House on Saturday, October 12, 2019. A big thank you to the principals and teachers at these schools for their participation…and to our local business sponsors (who will be recognized here on our website as well as our Facebook page) who make this project possible.
Just published in Preventive Medicine Reports…The Jenkins Foundation’s spreadsheet of hotel CO incidents helps add to 30 years (1989-2018) of published, publicly accessible data regarding CO poisoning in U.S. hotels. Thanks to leading CO researchers Dr. Neil Hampson, Dr. Lindell Weaver, and Kayla Deru, victims of these incidents now have a collective voice in the effort to bring attention to the to lack of universal requirements for CO detection in hotel buildings.
Kicking off year two of our pilot project with the Longview School District: Alarm Yourself in CPR/First Aid! Continuing this school year, Longview School District employees attending district-provided CPR/First Aid classes will be learning about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning along with receiving a free CO alarm to take home and/or to use when traveling.
Thank you to the Jeffrey Lee Williams Foundation for partnering with us to provide this lifesaving opportunity in our community, and to Longview School District and CPR class instructor Steve Pitts (Be Ready Outfitters) for supporting the project. Carbon monoxide alarms save lives.
Six years ago today, Daryl and Shirley Jenkins lost their lives to CO poisoning in a hotel room while on vacation in Boone, NC. In memory of them and the thousands of other victims who have been injured and/or died in U.S. hotels of this very preventable cause, we shared a series of four posts on The Jenkins Foundation Facebook page…https://www.facebook.com/thejenkinsfoundation/
An interactive map of the data contained in our spreadsheet of U.S. Hotel/Motel Carbon Monoxide Incidents (1967-to date) can be found at Insight Riskhere.
Thank you to Patrick Smith, PhD, for creating this map – it’s a great resource to see the incident information from a visual perspective. Read More >
There was a huge turnout Saturday for the 1st annual Project Airy the Canary free CO alarm distribution event held at the Longview Fire Department Open House! Airy greeted lots of Mint Valley Elementary students who helped us remind their parents that when you hear 4 beeps from your CO alarm, you need to get outside to fresh air and call 911! Over 100 families of Longview School District students redeemed their Airy the Canary Alarm Vouchers for a free CO alarm! A big thank you to Safe Kids and the Jeffrey Lee Williams Foundation for helping to coordinate this event, and to the following local businesses and individuals whose financial support helped us provide the free alarms: Cascade Natural Gas, Dream Dentistry, Monticello Park, Civic Center Properties, Hollinger Family, State Farm offices of Scott Fischer and Bob Beal, Mary’s Bar & Grill, and Lori McDaniel.
MENU
