Smoke Detectors
Basic Guidelines for placing smoke detectors; On every level of your home; In hallways outside of bedrooms; At the top of open stairways; At the base of cellar stairs; Inside the bedroom for smokers or sound sleepers.
If your smoke detectors are more then ten years old you must replace it. On every detector there is a label with a manufacture date, if it doesn’t have a label it’s already more then ten years old.
When your smoke detectors go off – Leave the building, Get out and Stay out, Go to your family’s meeting place and dial 9-1-1 from a neighbors phone
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
What is Carbon Monoxide – Carbon Monoxide Gas is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, and wood or charcoal is burned.
What kind of carbon monoxide detectors should you purchase – Make sure any detector you purchase is approved and certified by a nationally recognized testing agency, such as underwriter’s laboratory (UL) and it meets the requirements of state law.
There are several types of alarms that are allowed in Massachusetts; Battery Powered with battery monitoring; Plug in AC powered units with battery backup; AC primary power (hard wired – usually requires electrician to install) with a battery backup; low voltage with secondary power; combination smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms that have a signal as well as a voice alert
What do you do if your exposed to Carbon Monoxide – Get out of the house and into fresh air; Call the fire department from a neighbors house; if you have symptoms get medical help immediately
What are the symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – CO enters the lungs and blood where it competes with oxygen normally carried by red blood cells. CO attaches to the cells 200 times easier then oxygen. Without oxygen cells begin to die. Symptoms include Headache, Nausea, dizziness, confusion, fainting and at high levels of CO unconsciousness and death can occur.
- Install CO detectors on every level of your home except unfinished basements and attics
- Detectors should be located near bedrooms (10 feet) so family members will awaken at night
- Do Not place a CO detector in a garage, furnace room, near the stove or fireplace
- Detectors should be kept away from open doors and windows, excessively hot or damp places and “dead air spaces” such as corners of rooms and peaks of ceilings
- Remember Carbon Monoxide is Odorless, Tasteless and Colorless
Nicole’s Law requires landlords to install and maintain CO alarms in every dwelling unit that has a source of carbon monoxide
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