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House committee approves bill to make PA homes safer

via Carbon Monoxide Alarm Requirements

HARRISBURG– A bill that would protect more Pennsylvanians from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning was approved on May 1 by the state House Consumer Affairs Committee. 

Sponsored by state Rep. Frank Farry (R-Bucks), House Bill 2031 would require that homes be equipped with CO alarms upon their sale, and that multi-family dwellings (like apartment buildings) be equipped with CO alarms within a year of the law’s effective date.

Since this past October, newspapers have reported at least 239 deaths and hospitalizations in our state due to carbon monoxide poisoning.  However, there have likely been much more, as newspapers do not report on every incident.  (There is currently no database kept up-to-date on CO incidents in PA.)

The most recent incident occurred the day of the House committee approval—15 people living in adjacent row homes in Philadelphia were hospitalized, due to a CO leak in the basement of one of the homes. 

For the past several years, Pennsylvania has been a national leader in carbon monoxide deaths and incidents.  Carbon monoxide gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless—the only safe way to be alerted to its presence in a building before it becomes harmful or fatal is with a CO alarm. 

From 2000-2006, the latest years with available data, there were 578 CO-related deaths in Pennsylvania.

“I’m hopeful that Pennsylvania will soon be among the states that can say it takes every stop possible to protect its residents from the preventable tragedy of carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Rep. Farry.  “As a fire chief, I’m familiar with the common circumstances surrounding these tragedies—and I’m confident that this bill will save lives.”

 “Carbon monoxide is easily generated and accumulated in dwellings as a result of ordinary human activity, particularly home heating and vehicle use,” said Steven Bair, Fire Director – Centre Region Council of Governments.  “Often this gas is only detected as a result of the home’s occupants experiencing health problems or death. I have personally attended several instances of CO poisoning in unprotected dwellings that have resulted in injury or death.  I fully support this bill and its intent. “

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 83 percent of Pennsylvania homes use a fossil fuel-burning heating system that can generate CO.  The requirements of HB 2031 pertaining to single-family homes would apply only to homes with fuel burning heaters or appliances and/or an attached garage. 

While most CO incidents take place during colder months, when people are using their home heating units; there are also a variety of ways homes can be inflicted with CO during the spring and summer.

• Don’t use charcoal grills indoors.
• Do not use gas-powered electricity generators in your home, or near a window into your home.
• If using a gas or kerosene space heater, make sure the room is properly vented.
• If you think you are experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning, get outside immediately and call 911.
  • Symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion, nausea, shortness of breath, and fainting. 

The Pennsylvania Safe Homes Coalition applauds the passage of the bill from Committee.  The Coalition is encouraging legislators to pass the bill as quickly as possible so that more Pennsylvanians can be protected from carbon monoxide as quickly as possible.

You can visit www.pasafehomes.org for more information on CO safety, the bill and an easy way to contact your legislators.

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At least seven people were transported to the hospital after they were exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide Saturday evening at a home in the 1400 block of Carroll Brown Way, officials said.

• One person was airlifted to the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, Chester County Emergency Radio officials said.
• Two emergency medical technicians, a Westtown-East Goshen police officer and four family members were also taken to an area hospital as a precaution, officials said.
• East Goshen Fire Chief Grant Everhart said someone was using a gasoline powered saw in a basement when one person fell ill. Emergency responders were called, and the rest of the family began to feel the effects of carbon monoxide exposure.
• The two EMTs and a police officer began to feel the effects after entering the home to help the family escape.
• Everhart said firefighters set up fans to clear the home and tested carbon monoxide levels. He said the levels had returned to normal and the family would be able to re-enter when they returned home from the hospital.

Pennsylvania State Police say they now believe that carbon monoxide poisoning likely killed three men inside a mountain cabin in 2006 after new tests were conducted in the wake of a story by The Associated Press that raised questions about suspicions it might have been a triple homicide.

The AP story ran in early November 2011, several days before the fifth anniversary of their deaths, and helped prompt a renewed effort to look for answers to doubts about hospital test results and other issues in the initial investigation.

nvestigators measured lethal levels of the gas during a pair of reenactments performed at the Forkston Mountain cabin using the same gasoline generator and portable space heaters that had been in place at the time. The first reenactment was performed in November, and a second one last week confirmed the results regarding the deaths of David Grasch, Tony DiMartino and Pat Mahoney.

The AP story “was not the engine, but it certainly provided the lubricating oil to assist in moving things,” said Sgt. Anthony Manetta, a spokesman for the department.

David’s father, Al Grasch, said he planned to visit his son’s grave, feeling he could now rest in peace.

“The AP thing was the kicker,” he said. “That’s what caused all this to come to where it’s at.”

Check out the rest of the story.

Carbon monoxide is suspected in the death of a Sinking Valley man, Blair County Coroner Patricia Ross said Friday.

The Tyrone Township man was found Friday morning and his wife was taken to Altoona Regional Health System, Ross said. State police at Hollidaysburg were investigating and preliminary information suggested the source of the carbon monoxide to be a furnace or flue, she said.

Ross said no further details were available and that state police would release the names of the victims while her office continued its work into determining the official cause and manner of death.

One man died and two others were hospitalized after police received a call that a car was running inside a garage in Baldwin Borough.

One person, 87-year-old John Stephenson, died at the scene in the 5400 block of Keenan Drive. Two others were taken to a hospital for possible carbon monoxide poisoning shortly after the call came in at around 10 p.m., an emergency dispatch supervisor said.

The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office and county homicide detectives were still at the scene at about 11:30 p.m.

Two men were hospitalized Friday after being exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide inside their East Lampeter Township home, officials said, and a third man was being lauded for likely having saved their lives.

Around 9 a.m., John Petersheim, the owner of J&R Metal Products at 244 Railroad Ave. in Bird-in-Hand, went to the home at 242 Railroad Ave. to check on an employee who had failed to show up for work, East Lampeter Township police Lt. Robin Weaver said.

Petersheim got no response at the door so he went inside.

Upstairs, he discovered two men, both of them unconscious, Weaver said.

“From all reports, it sounds like he saved their lives,” Weaver said. “He checked on them and was persistent about it.”

Petersheim dragged the men downstairs, then outside to a porch, where he called 911, Weaver said.

For Petersheim, who was an active member of Bird-in-Hand Fire Company for 28 years, his first thought was to get the men out of the house.

It was only later that he realized he had put himself “in jeopardy” because of the high levels of carbon monoxide inside the house.

Check out the rest of the story.

CHESWICK, Pa. — Two children were rushed to the hospital early Wednesday morning after a carbon monoxide alarm went off at their Cheswick home.

Channel 4 Action News’ Janelle Hall reported the alarm went off inside a duplex in the 200 block of Allegheny Avenue after one side of the home had a high reading of the colorless, odorless gas.

The family got out quickly, and the mother of the children called 911. The kids were taken to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and later released.

Late Wednesday morning, Equitable Gas said it investigated at the scene and found a natural gas leak in a gas line.

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms or food poisoning. They include dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

Head over to WTAE’s website to watch a video of the news story.

A simple detection device just might have saved the lives of three Northumberland County residents who instead died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

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Carbon monoxide detectors are widely available, and every homeowner who uses fossil fuel — coal, kerosene, oil, wood or fuel gases — for heating or cooking should use them. But there’s little awareness or conscience about the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, and as a result, public safety suffers. The federal government offers no public education program, revenue-starved states are little better and local fire departments, which in the Poconos are 100 percent volunteer, struggle for funds and time to promote carbon monoxide detectors.

Every new home should include home carbon monoxide detectors to help protect the occupants from illness and possible death. Homes that are sold should be equipped with them before the buyer takes ownership.

Read the rest of the piece at the Pocono Record.