HSC President: Bill Would Protect Maryland Families from "Silent Killer"

February 23, 2007: Home Safety Council President, Meri-K Appy, in a recent letter, urged State lawmakers to support pending legislation requiring carbon monoxide alarms in residential dwellings in Maryland.

Maryland Senate Bill 535 and its companion, House Bill 401 , would require the installation of CO alarms within 15 feet of each sleeping area, within 25 feet of carbon monoxide-producing fixtures in a residence, and would prohibit a person from rendering an alarm inoperable.

Appy described carbon monoxide, which is odorless and tasteless, as a "silent killer," adding that the "combined medical cost of carbon monoxide accidents, lost productivity and lost wages, amounts to $8.8 billion a year."

Several states including Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, and New Jersey have already passed laws requiring homeowners and landlords to install carbon monoxide alarms in homes. The alarms, which average about $30 a piece, are a small cost when compared to the human and financial impact of carbon monoxide poisoning.