New Minnesota Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Alarms

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New Minnesota Law Requires Carbon Monoxide Alarms
in All Homes


A new Minnesota law—Statute 299F.50—requires
an approved and fully operational carbon monoxide
(CO) alarm in all single-family homes and
multi-family units.
The effective dates by type of home are as follows:
• Aug. 1, 2008—All new construction singlefamily
homes and multi-family dwellings
in which building permits were issued on
or after Jan. 1, 2007.
• Aug. 1, 2008—All existing single-family
homes.
• Aug. 1, 2009—All existing multi-family
units.
According to the new law, all carbon monoxide
alarms must be certified by a nationally recognized
testing laboratory that conforms to the
latest Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standards
known as UL-2034. The alarms must be installed
according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions,
including at the height specified in
the instructions.
Under the law, every single-family and multifamily
dwelling should have an approved and fully
operational CO alarm installed within 10 feet
of each room that is used for sleeping. In
lieu of installing multiple CO alarms in a
hallway, a separate CO alarm could be
installed inside each sleeping room.
For multi-family developments, the
owner is responsible for providing
and installing one CO alarm within
10 feet of each room that is used for
sleeping. As an alternative, owners may install a
CO alarm between 15 and 25 feet of carbon monoxide-
producing central fixtures and equipment
provided there is a centralized alarm system that
all occupants can hear at all times. Owners of
multi-family developments can be exempted
from the statute requirements if they certify to
the Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety that
the dwelling contains minimal or no sources of
carbon monoxide and that it poses no risk to the
health and safety of the occupants.
The Minnesota State Department of Public Safety,
State Fire Marshal Division, notes that there
are differences between CO alarms and smoke
alarms, and that they should not be used interchangeably.
Some manufacturers, however, offer
a combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide
alarm, which is acceptable under the law. When
a smoke alarm sounds, all occupants should immediately
leave the premises and call 911. However,
if a CO alarm sounds, it should be verified
that the occupants are not showing signs of CO
poisoning, which includes headache, nausea,
vomiting, and disorientation. If no one has symptoms
of CO poisoning, the occupants should open
windows and doors and immediately contact a
utility company or appliance repair company to
investigate possible sources of CO accumulation.
To learn more about the carbon monoxide
legislation, visit the State Fire
Marshal Division Web site at www.fire.
state.mn.us or call 651-201-7200. If
you have questions, e-mail them to
firecode@state.mn.us