• contain fossil-fuel burning equipment or
• incorporate enclosed parking within its structure.

• Hotels and motels, R-1 Residential
• Apartment buildings, multi-family dwellings, and dormitories R-2 Residential
• Townhouses R-3 Residential
• Single dwelling unit (home) R-4 Residential
• Group homes R-5 Residential
• Habitable areas, meaning all areas including cellar/basement or attic designed, used or furnished for living purposes
• Enclosed vehicle parking within an overall structure or attached that does not comply with the minimum exterior wall opening requirements of an “Open Parking Structure”. Refer to 780 CMR 406.1.1, State Building Code*.
• Institutional Structures:
  • Hospitals
  • Correctional Facilities
  • Child or Adult Day Care
  • Assisted Living Communities
  • Nursing Homes

• Buildings or structures with building permits issued on or after March 31, 2006, shall comply with more strict carbon monoxide alarm requirements of The State Building Code, if applicable.

Specific Installation Provisions Residential Structures: Residential structure that contains fossil fuel burning equipment or has enclosed parking shall be equipped, by the owner, landlord or superintendent, with working and Listed carbon monoxide alarm protection. This should be located on every floor in each dwelling, including habitable portions of basements, cellars and attics. Crawl spaces are exempt. Location of alarms is in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Additionally, within a sleeping area, the alarm (at a minimum) should be located outside of any bedroom, but shall not exceed 10 ft. as measured in any direction from any bedroom door.  

Other Transient Residential and Institutional Structures:  Alternative compliance options, using one or more of the Carbon Monoxide Protection Technical Options are provided in overview below:  Certain residential structures, transient residential structures or institutional structures may present carbon monoxide risks in a limited or minimum portion of the structure rather than in each dwelling unit. The following technical options employ methods which may make it unnecessary to install carbon monoxide alarm protection in each level.    

Type A – Rooms Containing Fossil Fuel Burning Equipment
CO protection for areas or rooms containing centralized fossil fuel burning equipment must:

• Employ Listed carbon monoxide alarm protection meeting UL 2075, or a low voltage or wireless system and provide a visual or audible alarm in the rooms or areas containing the fossil fuel burning equipment.

• Such installation shall be in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and monitored in accordance with NFPA 720, 5.3.9.

• The method of monitoring is to be determined at the discretion of the building owner.

• The retransmission of the signal shall be at the discretion of the head of the fire department.

• Shall comply with 248 CMR Fuel/Gas Plumbing Code and the 2002 Edition of NFPA 54 sections10.3.4.5 or 10.3.5.2. A written certification shall be submitted to the head of the fire department from a registered professional engineer licensed by the Commonwealth, certifying that the kitchen appliances meet 248 CMR and said NFPA 54. Contact FIREPRO Incorporated or your local fire protection engineering firm for details.

• The device must also provide an audible or visual alarm in its immediate area and that of the fossil fuel burning equipment.

• The fossil fuel burning equipment must be manually restarted after activation.

• A sign shall be mounted in the vicinity of the device with a minimum of 1 inch high letters in contrasting color with the following statement: “If the carbon monoxide detector has activated, do not restart the equipment until serviced by a qualified technician”.

Exception: Such shut down requirement shall not be applicable to systems that are part of an emergency or standby system required by any municipal, state or federal law or regulation.    

Type D – Adjacent Spaces
CO protection for adjacent spaces of structures, areas or rooms considered Enclosed Parking:  

• Shall employ carbon monoxide alarm protection with the exception of options (a), (b) and (e), if battery powered or UL 2075, as applicable.

• Shall utilize a method of monitoring determined by the building owner in accordance with NFPA 720, 5.3.9.3 (1).

• The retransmission of the signal shall be at the discretion of the head of the fire department.

• A duct carbon monoxide gas detection device shall be installed on the supply side of the roof mounted air handling unit or the common areas on the floor closest to the initial supply discharge from the roof mounted air handling unit. All such devices shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

• The Carbon Monoxide gas detection device shall automatically alarm upon detection of carbon monoxide at 50 parts per million (ppm) and provide for a supervisory alarm.

• Shall utilize a method of monitoring determined by the building owner in accordance with NFPA 720, 5.3.9.3 (1).

• The retransmission of the signal shall be at the discretion of the head of the fire department.

• Upon activation of the carbon monoxide detection device and supervisory alarm, the roof mounted fossil fuel burning equipment shall shutdown until manually reset.

Exception: Such shutdown requirement shall not be applicable to systems that are part of an emergency or standby system required by any municipal, state or federal law or regulation.
 
Type G – No Common Air Circulation Roof Mounted Equipment
Carbon monoxide protection for roof mounted fossil fuel burning equipment that do not circulate air to any common area or dwelling unit. (Requirements for this have yet to be determined.)  

Inspection and Maintenance Requirements:  The fire department or designee will enforce the provisions of the regulations.  Inspections are required for conformance with the carbon monoxide alarm requirements, upon sale or transfer of such dwelling, building or structure used in whole or in part for residential purposes.  Every owner, superintendent, or landlord shall, at a minimum:  

• Maintain, test, repair, or replace, if necessary, every carbon monoxide alarm upon renewal of any lease term for any dwelling unit or on an annual basis, whichever is more frequent.

• Inspect all common areas annually.

• Replace all carbon monoxide alarm batteries on an annual basis or maintain low voltage system batteries in accordance with applicable sections of NFPA 720.

• Be responsible for the care and maintenance of such equipment and devices.

• Submit a record of inspection, maintenance and testing, to the head of the fire department on an annual basis.

• Utilize a form (prescribed by the Fire Marshal) to record inspection, maintenance and testing. This completed form must be submitted to the fire department annually.

• Shall not disconnect or render unserviceable any CO systems without first notifying the fire department.

Dwellings inhabited by the Hearing Impaired: Every owner, superintendent, or landlord having control of any dwelling unit inhabited by a person who is hearing impaired, shall comply with any carbon monoxide provisions, if applicable, established by the Architectural Access Board pursuant to 521 CMR.  

Emergency Planning – The written, approved plan! The owner, superintendent or landlord of every structure that employs carbon monoxide alarm protection by utilizing one or more of the carbon monoxide protection technical options listed in 527 CMR 31.05 shall prepare a written emergency plan that is in effect and available to all personnel. The plan shall be presented to and approved by the head of the fire department. The plan shall include at a minimum:  

• An annual plan review by the owner, superintendent or landlord to include all employees. It should also include an overview/review of their duties and responsibilities under said plan.

• The development of a policy and procedure to communicate the immediate situation to the local fire department.

• An evacuation plan.

• A list of emergency contact phone numbers of responsible parties.

For support preparing plans, policies or procedures, we highly recommend working with a licensed fire protection engineer or firm that can prepare egress plans, review writings prepared by your company and offer advice on this life saving procedure. Contact you local fire protection engineer or FIREPRO Incorporated for assistance.