NEMA applauds Maryland CO alarm bill.

Press Release Summary:



National Electrical Manufacturers Association supports Maryland General Assembly's passage of H.B. 401, which requires CO detectors in new residential, multifamily, hotel, and dormitories that burn fossil fuels for heat, hot water, or clothes drying after January 1, 2008. Legislation adds point-of-sale disclosure requirement for existing single-family homes to real estate disclosure documents statewide. It is awaiting governor's signature and would take effect Oct 1, 2007.



Original Press Release:



NEMA Lauds Maryland CO Alarm Bill



(ROSSLYN, VA) - The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) applauds the Maryland General Assembly for addressing the important life safety issue of carbon monoxide poisonings with passage of H.B. 401, requiring carbon monoxide (CO) detection devices in a wide range of applications. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States.

The legislation, which is awaiting Governor Martin O'Malley's signature, would take effect October 1, 2007. It requires CO detectors in new residential, multifamily, hotels, and dormitories that burn fossil fuels for heat, hot water, or clothes drying after January 1, 2008. The legislation adds a point-of-sale disclosure requirement for existing single family homes to real estate disclosure documents statewide.

High blood concentrations of CO can cause cognitive impairment, loss of consciousness, coma, and death. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that "every year, more than 500 people die in the U.S. from accidental CO poisoning." The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently ordered CO warning labels on portable generators, after finding a dangerous increase in poisonings from that source after power outages. Both the CDC and CPSC recommend the use of CO detectors near each sleeping area in residences.

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. These products are used in utility, medical imaging, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. Domestic production of electrical products sold worldwide exceeds $120 billion. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing, Seo Paulo, and Mexico City.

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