The Home Safety Council applauds Chairman Mark Pryor (AK), Ranking Member Roger Wicker (MS) and Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN) for their continued leadership and support for the prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home.

The Home Safety Council
To The United States Senate Commerce, Science and
Transportation Committee Subcommittee on Consumer Protection,
Product Safety and Insurance
On Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: Sounding the Alarm on a
Silent Killer December 17, 2009

Chairman Pryor, Ranking Member Wicker, and other Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

I am Patricia Adkins, chief operating officer and director of public policy for the Home Safety Council which is located in Washington, D.C.

About the Home Safety Council

The mission of the Home Safety Council (HSC) is to help prevent and reduce nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits each year from such hazards as falls, poisonings, fires and burns, suffocation, and drowning. Through national programs, partnerships and support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to help keep them safer in and around their homes. Our vision for our nation is safer homes that provide the opportunity for all individuals to lead healthy, active, and fulfilling lives.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is a Home Safety Issue

Carbon monoxide poisoning is extremely serious. Carbon monoxide (CO) is known as “the silent killer.” You cannot see it, smell it or taste it. CO is a deadly gas that is produced by fuel-burning heating equipment, such as furnaces, wood stoves, fireplaces, and kerosene heaters.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year CO claims the lives of nearly 500 people in America and an additional 15,000 seek medical attention for accidental CO exposure. Seniors and young children are more at risk for CO poisonings because they spend most of their time at home. In addition, children metabolize the gas more quickly than adults and older adults do not excrete the gas as rapidly as young and middle-aged adults.

The Home Safety Council's State of Home Safety in America™ revealed 67 percent of American households use fuel-burning appliances and equipment, such as gas, wood or kerosene that can emit dangerous levels of carbon monoxide if not functioning properly. Earlier this year, HSC and Kelton Research conducted a “Home Safety for the Entire Family Survey.” The survey polled 800 parents to better determine their level of awareness for the leading causes of home injury and also to gauge actions they had taken to reduce the risk of home injuries. Our survey showed that nearly half (49%) of all caregivers polled have not installed a carbon monoxide alarm in their homes.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in your Home

CO poisonings are largely preventable and each year, HSC and other dedicated organizations conduct education campaigns to reach Americans to teach them ways to prevent CO poisonings in their homes. HSC believes that there are some simple steps each family can take to help reduce the risk of CO poisoning in their homes. They are:

• Install at least one CO alarm near sleeping areas;
• Have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune-up your home's central heating system and repair leaks or other problems. Fireplaces and woodstoves should also be inspected each year and cleaned or repaired as needed;
• Keep gas appliances properly adjusted and serviced;
• Never use an oven or range to heat your home;
• Never use a gas or charcoal grill inside your home or in a closed garage; and
• Portable electric generators must be used outside only. Never use them indoors, in a garage or in any confined area that can allow CO to collect. Follow usage directions closely.

HSC believes that legislation like S. 1216: the Residential Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act provides important mandatory standards for residential homes and other dwellings. It is important that Americans can trust in an alarm’s ability to detect carbon monoxide in their homes. Also, this legislation authorizes the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a grant program for eligible states to carry out a carbon monoxide safety program. We are delighted that national non-profit organizations such as the Home Safety Council and others would be eligible to participate in multi-state programs that work with first responders to educate and provide families with carbon monoxide materials and alarms.

Carbon Monoxide Prevention

Each year, at the beginning of home heating season, the HSC works with businesses, first responders and other organizations in an effort to remind all families of the dangers of CO poisoning. HSC’s online virtual home safety tour, MySafeHome.org provides graphic illustrations of CO sources and how to minimize the poisoning risk.

On behalf of the Home Safety Council, thank you for the opportunity to share our findings and support for meaningful standards and programs that resonate with all Americans to reduce the number of unintentional carbon monoxide poisonings and deaths in the United States.

Contact Information
Patricia H. Adkins
Chief Operating Officer and
Director of Public Policy
Home Safety Council
1250 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20005
202-330-4905
Patricia.adkins@homesafetycouncil.org

To read more about this important hearing, please click here.