Colourless, odourless and abundant, carbon monoxide has been called “the silent killer,” but new legislation is set to bring this killer to justice. Last week, the Ontario government unanimously passed the Hawkins-Gignac Act, making carbon monoxide alarms a legal requirement in homes with fuel-burning appliances, heating systems, fireplaces, and/or attached garages.
Carbon monoxide can emerge from many places around the household, noted Wellesley fire chief Andrew Lillico.
“It can be a variety of things: fuel-fire appliances; failure to maintain your appliances; a faulty appliance; fumes from a vehicle entering a dwelling unit; and burning, or using unapproved appliances, in a residence can also lead to that.”
“Any fuel-fired appliance in your home will produce it,” added Dale Martin, deputy fire chief for Woolwich. “If there’s anything faulty with the equipment, that will do it. Hot water heaters, furnaces, fire heaters, chimney problems – it all creates carbon monoxide.”
Homeowners commonly run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning even during everyday rituals.”
“One thing that happens too, people go to their garage and start their cars to warm up without backing it up,” said Martin.“Carbon monoxide will seep into the house that way, too.”
The Hawkins-Gignac Act was named for OPP constable Laurie Hawkins, who, along with her husband and two children, died of carbon monoxide poisoning in 2008 due to a poorly vented fireplace in the basement of the family’s Woodstock home. Her uncle, John Gignac, promised to “warn everyone I can about this silent killer and urge people to install a CO alarm so no other family has to endure the hell we have been through.”
The Private Member’s bill, introduced in 2009 by Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman, was approved at Queen’s Park with all-party support.
With both Woolwich and Wellesley fire departments regularly responding to carbon monoxide alarms, there is hope that the new law could nip some future investigations in the bud.
“It certainly can provide early detection warning to occupants that carbon monoxide is present, similar to a smoke alarm,” said Lillico.“Previous to this, if a resident didn’t have a CO detector, they had no idea that there was a problem in their home.”
