Bolster carbon monoxide detector rules

Recent leak at a day care should place legislation change high on lawmakers’ lists

Prompted by a scare at her son’s day care, a Virginia Beach woman launched a campaign for Virginia lawmakers to require carbon monoxide detectors in all state-licensed day cares and educational facilities. She’s right.

There’s no good argument against what Nikki James Zellner is advocating.

Zellner is not the only one who’s appalled to learn that such a requirement isn’t in place. Most people assumed that, since the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning are well known, and the commonwealth requires carbon monoxide detectors in private residences, day cares and schools would be bound by the same commonsense regulations.

Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Because Virginia largely uses the method of updating the state building code — rather than legislation — to adopt international standards, older buildings aren’t covered by the regulations.

As understanding of the dangers of carbon monoxide grew, and equipment to detect it became more affordable, Virginia began requiring the detectors in 2015. But the building code doesn’t apply to existing structures, even if they are day cares or schools.

It will take legislation to accomplish that. The need is obvious.

Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it so easily goes undetected. It’s an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

The gas is especially deadly for vulnerable groups, including the elderly and people with respiratory problems.

Another highly vulnerable group is young children, particularly those young enough to be in day care. Children normally breathe more rapidly than adults, so they take the deadly gas in more rapidly. They may not be able to tell anyone how they feel. And carbon monoxide can kill people who are sleeping — including youngsters napping at a day care — before they feel symptoms.

Teachers at the day care Zellner’s sons attend began feeling some symptoms late in the morning, but didn’t know what was wrong. The gas was present for a few hours before someone brought in a carbon monoxide detector. When its alarm sounded, the day care evacuated everyone and called ambulances. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt.

The day care operators had a problem in the heating system repaired — and installed detectors. A week later, the detectors alerted them to another leak.

School systems across Hampton Roads deal with the question of carbon monoxide detectors in a variety of ways. Schools built since the code changed in 2015 have them, of course. In some other schools, if the threat seems low, there are no carbon monoxide detectors.

It costs more to install detectors in large buildings, such as schools, than in homes, and if state law does mandate detectors, lawmakers also will need to figure out how they will be paid for.

In recent years, there have been reports of carbon monoxide leaks sickening children and staff at schools across the United States.

Despite those incidents, only six states require the detectors in schools.

Parents who entrust the safety of their children to day cares and schools should have confidence that the children are as safe as possible from this invisible but deadly killer.

More than 5,000 people have signed Zellner’s petition on Change.org in about a month. She’s also been talking to legislators, some of whom also were shocked to learn such a law isn’t in place and expressed interest in doing something about it.

The petition calls for a law to require all state licensed day cares and educational facilities — or at the very least, all with fuel-fired appliances that could pose a problem — to install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors. It also asks that those who work in day cares and schools get good training on how to recognize and respond to symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Legislators should place such legislation high on their agenda for the next session and figure out how to help ease the cost burden for schools and day cares. It’s a small step that can prevent heartbreaking tragedy.