1. Carbon Monoxide Detection: Code and Legislation Updates
Presented by:
System Sensor/Honeywell Life Safety
Richard Roberts

2. Agenda
Provide an Update on State CO Legislation/Building Code Requirements
New CO detection requirements to the 2012 edition of the I-codes
New CO detection requirements to the 2012 edition of NFPA 101, Life Safety Code
Review several of the key requirements in the current (2009) edition of NFPA 720
Recap several of the key changes to the 2012 edition of NFPA 720

3. 2010 Legislative/Regulatory Landscape

4. 2012 International Residential Code (IRC)
A new section was added to the 2012 IRC that permits system-connected CO detectors to be installed
Carbon monoxide detectors shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 720
Carbon monoxide detectors shall be listed as complying with UL 2075
Where a household carbon monoxide detection system is installed it shall become a permanent fixture of the occupancy, owned by the homeowner and shall be monitored by an approved supervising station.

5. 2012 International Building/Fire Code (IBC)/(IFC)
New section was added to the 2012 edition of the IBC and IFC requiring CO detection to be installed in new and existing Group-R and Group-I occupancies:
Containing a fuel-burning appliance
Which has an attached garage
An open parking garage, as defined in the International Building Code, or enclosed parking garage ventilated in accordance with Section 404 of the International Mechanical Code shall not be deemed to be an attached garage

6. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 101
New section was added to the 2012 edition of NFPA 101 requiring CO detection to be installed in new residential and commercial sleeping occupancies:
One- and two-family dwellings
Lodging or rooming houses
Hotels and dormitories
Apartment buildings

7. NFPA 720-2009 – Commercial Bldg. Occupant Notification
Chapter 6 does not require the installation of notification appliances or identify where notification signaling is required. NFPA 720 intentionally gives latitude to Authorities having jurisdiction or system designers
The integral sounder of a CO detector may be sufficient for notifying building occupants:
Where carbon monoxide signals are transmitted to a constantly attended on-site location or off-premises location in accordance with Chapter 7, selective public mode occupant notification shall be permitted to be limited to the notification zone encompassing the area where the carbon monoxide signal originated.
* The boundaries of notification zones shall be coincident with the area where the alarm initiation originated and other signaling zones in accordance with the building’s emergency response plan.
A The building’s emergency response plan might specify occupant notification only in the area's) of initiation and at the control panel. Whole building evacuation might not be specified in the emergency response plan.

8. NFPA 720-2009 – Alarm Signals Alarm Signals:
Section the actuation of a carbon monoxide detector or system shall be distinctly indicated as a carbon monoxide alarm signal
Section CO alarm signals, CO detection system supervisory and trouble signals shall be distinctively and descriptively annunciated
Section a carbon monoxide alarm signal shall take precedence over a supervisory or trouble signal
NFPA

9. NFPA 720-2009 – Secondary Power
Installers of CO detection systems should be aware of the secondary power supply requirements, which are considerably different than fire alarm systems.
NFPA :
Section requires secondary power under quiescent load (non-alarm) for a minimum of 24 hours and at the end of that period operate the CO detection system and notification appliances for 12 hours
The reason for the 12 hours of alarm instead of minutes for fire alarm systems is because it is not uncommon for a homeowner to be away for 12 hours after leaving to go to work
NFPA

10. NFPA 720-2009 – Secondary Power, continued
However, the 12 hour requirement shall be permitted to be reduced:
Section
Exception: The 12 hour requirement shall be permitted to be reduced to 60 minutes where the system is monitored by a supervising station and emergency response in accordance with is provided
2012 NFPA 720 will have the same secondary power requirements as fire alarm systems!
NFPA

11. NFPA 720-2009 - Off-premises Signal Transmission
NFPA Commercial:
7.2.2* Supervising Station. Upon receipt of a carbon monoxide alarm signal, supervising station personnel shall perform the following actions in order listed:
Where required by the Emergency Response Agency, immediately retransmit indication of the carbon monoxide alarm signal to the communications center
Contact responsible party(s) in accordance with the notification plan
7.2.3* Emergency Response Agency (ERA) where a carbon monoxide alarm signal is transmitted directly to a communications center, communications personnel shall perform the following actions in order as listed:
Follow standard operating procedures

12. NFPA 720-2009 - Off-premises Signal Transmission
NFPA Household:
Section * Carbon monoxide warning equipment signals that are transmitted off-premise shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 7 and the following:
Where required, immediately retransmit indication of the carbon monoxide alarm signal to the communications center
Exception to (1): The immediate retransmission shall be permitted to be delayed by not more than seconds where the jurisdiction permits the supervising station to first contact the protected premise to determine if the alarm was initiated by the activation of a test.
Contact responsible party(s) in accordance with the notification plan

13. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 720
NFPA will be published in the fall of 2011
Sensitivity Testing:
Sensitivity testing requirements deleted
New Secondary Power Requirements:
CO detection systems will have the same standby alarm requirements as fire alarms systems
Reduces the standby alarm requirement from 60 minutes to 5 minutes when the system is monitored

14. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 720, continued
Low frequency sounder requirements for sleeping areas
New requirements to correlate with the requirements in NFPA 72 for fire alarm systems
Effective January 1, 2015, where audible appliances are provided to produce signals for commercial sleeping areas, they shall produce a low frequency alarm signal
The household requirements shall be provided voluntarily for those with hearing loss or where required by governing laws or codes

15. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 720, continued
New household off-premises signal transmission requirements:
New requirements to correlate with the requirements in NFPA 72 for fire alarm systems
Where a DACT is used it shall only require a single telephone line and shall only require a call to a single digital alarm communicator receiver (DACR) number
Where a DACT is used, the DACT test signals shall be transmitted at least monthly
A dedicated cellular telephone connection shall be permitted to be used as a single means to transmit alarms to a constantly attended remote monitoring location

16. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 720, continued
New performance-based requirements:
The committee recognizes that installations in some non-household applications may be better served by performance-based design alternatives.
New section permitting a performance-based alternative to the prescriptive installation in Chapter 5
New requirements to correlate with the requirements in NFPA 72 for fire alarm systems
The authority having jurisdiction shall determine whether such identified performance objectives are appropriate

17. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 720, continued
Alarm verses Supervisory Signal:
NFPA : The actuation of a carbon monoxide detector or system shall be distinctly indicated as a carbon monoxide alarm signal
NFPA : Signals from carbon monoxide detectors and carbon monoxide detection systems transmitted to a fire alarm system shall be permitted to be supervisory signals
NFPA : The actuation of a carbon monoxide detector shall be indicated as a carbon monoxide alarm signal
NFPA : Several proposals submitted to remove a signal disposition correlation issue between NFPA 72 and NFPA 720

18. Changes to the 2012 Edition of NFPA 720, continued
New requirements for wireless CO detection systems:
New requirements to correlate with the requirements in NFPA 72 for smoke alarm systems
Effective 6/30/15 the delay period for sending trouble signals to the receiver/alarm control unit shall be 200 seconds.

19. Questions Richard Roberts Industry Affairs Manager
Honeywell Life Safety/System Sensor
3825 Ohio Ave.
St. Charles, IL 60174