Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Alarms Protection
During cold Saskatchewan winters, people are staying warm and spending more time indoors with windows closed. It is important to remember that all buildings in Saskatchewan with sleeping quarters are required to have carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke alarms installed, regardless of when the building was constructed or last renovated. These devices are a low-cost and effective early warning device to alert building occupants to the presence and danger of CO. As a colourless, odourless and tasteless gas, a working CO alarm is the only effective means of detecting this poison produced by malfunctioning fuel-burning appliances including furnaces, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters, etc.
Building owners are responsible for installing and maintaining CO alarms. Local authorities are responsible for administering and enforcing construction standards including the requirement that buildings with sleeping quarters have CO and smoke alarms. Depending on the circumstances and building layout, alarms may be hard-wired, tamper-resistant with a 10-year battery or plugged into an electrical socket with a battery backup. Building owners must check CO and smoke alarms regularly and replace them at the end of life in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations to ensure these devices are working properly and protecting building occupants.
