State requires sellers to install carbon monoxide alarms

New Washington state regulations require sellers of any owner-occupied single-family residence to equip the residence with carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in accordance with state building codes before a buyer or any other person can occupy the residence following the sale.

The measure is intended to prevent deaths from CO, an odorless, colorless gas that is produced any time a fossil fuel is burned.
Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room and more than 4,000 are hospitalized due to CO poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Carbon monoxide killed more 1,000 Washington residents between 1990 and 2005.

The state’s new requirement applies to all single family residences, including single-family homes, condominiums, and manufactured homes. (The alarms may be battery operated and can be purchased for as little as $25 from a variety of sources.)

Additional information about carbon monoxide is available at the Washington State Department of Health’s website. CDC’s Carbon Monoxide Poisoning site has educational materials and poisoning prevention guidelines in various formats and languages.