New carbon monoxide requirements take effect Jan. 1

New carbon monoxide safety rules are set to take effect Jan. 1.

New carbon monoxide (CO) safety rules are set to take effect Jan. 1, requiring many Ontario homeowners to install additional CO alarms to better protect their families.

Under the updated regulations, any home with fuel-burning appliances including furnaces, water heaters, stoves, dryers, or fireplaces must have carbon monoxide alarms installed on every level of the home and outside all sleeping areas.

Even homes that already have a CO detector may need to add more to meet the new standard.

Deputy Fire Marshal John McBeth says the changes were made in response to a growing number of incidents across the province.

“The changes came about in order to protect Ontarians as best as we can,” McBeth said. “We’ve seen numbers increase year over year. This is a gas you can’t smell, taste or see.”

The Office of the Fire Marshal reports more than 65 per cent of carbon monoxide incidents and related deaths happen inside the home. Officials stress the new requirements apply to both new builds and existing residences.

McBeth says compliance is critical. “At the end of the day, if you don’t have a carbon monoxide alarm on every storey, you’re going to have to go out there and protect yourself.”

Fire departments also warn the risk increases during the winter season. The Barrie Fire Department says carbon monoxide calls typically rise as temperatures drop.

“Mainly I think it’s because of the build-up of snow and we’re not getting proper ventilation,” said Kate Foster with Barrie Fire. “We’re using our fireplaces to produce, maybe they haven’t been serviced by a qualified technician. Things will back up into our home and we want to be extra safe.”

Fire experts remind residents that carbon monoxide is undetectable without an alarm, making CO detectors the only reliable way to know when dangerous levels are present.