New research on carbon monoxide exposure and detection to be discussed

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Webinar to share findings on carbon monoxide detection and alarms

The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF) will host a webinar on 6 February 2025 to present new research on carbon monoxide (CO) detection and alarm systems.

The event will cover two research projects: the state of CO alarms in US homes and a review of CO alarm detection thresholds.

The discussion will include insights from a survey conducted by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and a literature review examining CO exposure risk levels for different populations.

Survey reveals gaps in carbon monoxide alarm awareness

In September 2024, the CPSC released findings from a nationwide survey on the presence and functionality of smoke and CO alarms in US households.

The Survey on Use and Functionality of Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms (SCOA) in Households included in-home interviews with 1,060 households across the country between 2019 and 2024.

The results indicate that while 90% of respondents consider smoke alarms “extremely necessary,” only 66% expressed the same view about CO alarms.

Additionally, 26% of respondents stated they knew “nothing at all” about CO alarms, and only 55% reported having at least one installed.

These findings, which reflect continuing challenges in CO safety awareness, will be discussed in the webinar.

Review examines carbon monoxide exposure risks

The FPRF is conducting a separate research project that evaluates current literature on CO exposure risks and detection thresholds.

The study aims to identify potential knowledge gaps in how CO exposure levels impact different populations and provide recommendations for future research.

Traditionally, symptoms of CO poisoning have been linked to carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in the blood.

However, recent studies challenge this correlation.

The webinar will review these findings and their implications for CO safety standards and detection methods.

Industry experts to present findings

The webinar will feature speakers from the FPRF, CPSC, and REM Risk Consultants.

Jacqueline Wilmot, research project manager at the FPRF, will discuss the organisation’s ongoing studies.

Arthur Lee, senior electrical engineer at the CPSC, will present insights from the SCOA survey.

Dr.

Michael Larrañaga and Heather Genuise from REM Risk Consultants will also contribute to discussions on CO safety research.

The event will run for 90 minutes and is scheduled for 12:30 PM Eastern Standard Time on 6 February 2025.

Fire Protection Research Foundation to present latest carbon monoxide detection studies: Summary

The Fire Protection Research Foundation will host a webinar on 6 February 2025 to present research on carbon monoxide detection and alarms.

The event will cover findings from a US Consumer Product Safety Commission survey on household CO alarms and a literature review examining CO exposure risks.

The survey, conducted between 2019 and 2024, found that while 90% of respondents viewed smoke alarms as “extremely necessary,” only 66% felt the same about CO alarms.

The study also revealed that 26% of respondents had no knowledge of CO alarms, and only 55% reported having one.

A separate FPRF study is evaluating CO exposure thresholds and detection standards.

Experts from the FPRF, CPSC, and REM Risk Consultants will present their findings in the webinar, which will take place at 12:30 PM Eastern Standard Time.

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