By Kellah Lavoie

New CO regulations not for schools

Jan 24, 2011 | 5:49 AM

The government is looking at putting more regulations on carbon monoxide detectors.

Nearly two weeks ago the provincial Ministry of Health announced they will be installed universally in all health facilities – it is the only legislation for public buildings in the province. In 2009 is became mandatory to install them in new homes through the National Building Code.

William Hawkins, chief building official for the province, said soon the regulations will go further.

“We’re looking at provisions in the building code that would require carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in both residential and care-type occupancies,” he said.

“We will consider them to be expanded care, treatment or detention (centres).”

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It means they will only be in public buildings where people would spend a night, such as a jail or care home. It has been in the minds of building inspectors within the past five years.

He said the risks are not as high in day time facilities.

The topic of carbon monoxide detectors came into government sights after two people died from a leak at a Humboldt care home at Christmastime.

Last week, 54 Winnipeg children were sent to hospital after a leak went undetected in a day care.
Prince Albert has seen this issue in the past.

Ecole Valois had a leak during school hours in 2003.

Steve Ekoudi, director of facilities and transportation for the Conseil des Écoles Fransaskoises, said there was a problem with the ventilation system at the time.

“There was no injury when the carbon monoxide problem occurred but people felt a bit, I think, people in the facility were dizzy and when you absorb all that monoxide at some point you start feeling very, very bad and dizzy and that’s how we knew there was a problem somewhere in there,” he said explaining there were no injuries.

The school division has made changes since the occurrence.

Ekoudi said now they do frequent check-ups of their boiler equipment and expanded the chimney to have better air circulation.

He said they applied to the province to get carbon monoxide detectors, but were turned down.

The checks and balances done at Ecole Valois are similar to what the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division does.

“We check all of our gas burning equipment on a regular basis through what we call our preventative maintenance program. So we check for cracks and we have equipment that we can test carbon monoxide,” said Mike Hurd, superintendent of facilities. The equipment is checked every three months.

He said as far back as he can remember, the school division has not had a problem with carbon monoxide.

“If there was a complaint in a school, say people were getting headaches and sore throats, and it had just started our people would be sent out immediately and the first thing they would do is check the appliances,” Hurd said, explaining they do not take any complaint lightly.

Some schools do have carbon dioxide monitors to check the amount of fresh air in the school, but he said in some cases – such as a school the size of Carlton – it would be too expensive and complicated, Hurd explained.

Hawkins said it’s not necessary. He said, while carbon monoxide detectors are a good idea it is more important for them to be regulated in places where people sleep than don’t sleep because the risks are greater.

Both school divisions will wait until the province makes them mandatory before making a move.

“There is never overkill, it depends on what would make the most sense and be the best way on monitoring them. Right now we do it through our safety program,” Hurd said.

Ekoudi agrees, adding “detectors would certainly be a way to address it in the long run.”

klavoie@panow.com