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There are more than 38 million residential carbon monoxide detectors installed in the United States. We tested 30 detectors in use and found that more than half failed to function properly, alarming too early or too late. Forty percent of detectors failed to alarm in hazardous concentrations, despite outward indications that they were operating as intended. Public health professionals should consider community education concerning detector use and should work with stakeholders to improve the reliability and accuracy of these devices. (Am J Public Health. 2011; 101:e15-e17. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011. 300274)
There are about 450 deaths in the United States each year from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and 15000 hospital emergency department visits for this cause.1 According to the 2007 American Housing Survey for the United States, there are more than 38 million residential CO detectors installed in the United States.2 During the 8-year period of 1998-2005, motor vehicle accidents were directly responsible for 17.3% of all line-ofduty deaths in the fire service.3 Although it is not possible to determine the extent to which CO callouts were responsible for these deaths, it is compelling that almost 1 of every 5 firefighter deaths is caused by the act of response alone. Thus, as a result of the large number of CO units installed and their relatively high false alarm rate, the volume of emergency runs directly resulting from CO alarm incidents is elevated, as is the potential for injury to first responders.
Consumers expect that CO will be detected at unsafe concentrations and that the alarm will sound. Most CO detectors have a ''push to test'' feature incorporated into their design so that they can be tested on a regular basis. Data on alarm owners' frequency of use of this test function are nonexistent, but it is likely such testing is not performed as often as recommended by manufacturers, if at all. More problematic, however, is that many detector ''push to test'' buttons determine only whether power is reaching the detector or whether the audible alarm operates and not whether the CO sensor is functioning as intended.
Voluntary performance standards exist for the performance of CO detectors, most notable among them being Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 in the United States.4 It must be noted that UL 2034...