Carbon monoxide safety considered

Carbon monoxide detectors would be required in residences under legislation heard by the Health and Human Services Committee Jan. 29.

LB34, introduced by Omaha Sen. Sara Howard, would require the installation and maintenance of carbon monoxide detectors in any residence sold, rented or receiving a building permit after Jan. 1, 2017.

The bill would apply only to single- and multi-family dwellings with a fuel-fired heater, fireplace or attached garage. Building owners would be required to install detectors with alarms on every habitable floor or according to applicable building codes.

Howard said carbon monoxide poisoning kills hundreds of people every year. The bill is vital for the protection of Nebraska families, she said, because the invisible, odorless gas is emitted from common appliances such as furnaces and water heaters.

“Carbon monoxide detectors are the only way to detect unsafe levels in the home,” Howard said.

Dr. Jeffrey Cooper of the University of Nebraska Medical Center testified in support of the bill. Patients often are misdiagnosed, he said, because the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to those of the flu. The triggered alarm of a detection device would help physicians start correct treatments sooner, he said.

Don Johnson, a parent whose daughter died from carbon monoxide poisoning, also spoke in favor of the bill. He said his daughter was killed when a damaged roof vent forced boiler exhaust into her apartment. Peoples’ lives are worth much more than the minimal cost of carbon monoxide detectors, he said.

“Is it too much to ask of a landlord, is it too much to ask of a homebuilder?” Johnson asked. “I think not.”

No one testified in opposition to the bill and the committee took no immediate action on it.