Another new law in Massachusetts requires the installation of a carbon monoxide alarm in every building wholly or partially occupied for residential purposes which burn fossil-fuel for heat or incorporate enclosed parking within its structure.  Massachusetts General Law Chapter 148 defines the new requirements.  527 C.M.R. 31.00 et. seq. further defines the terms of the law.  The law takes effect on March 31, 2006 for battery powered alarms and January 1, 2007 for hardwired alarms.

An inspection similar to that for smoke alarms will be required by the fire department prior to sale of any residence meeting that description after the dates mentioned above.  Also, landlords a required to provide the alarms and make sure they are working on an annual basis by checking or replacing the batteries or checking the alarm, in the case of hardwired alarms.

The acceptable alarms must meet the following standard:

Installation of Alarms

A single station must be installed on each level of each dwelling unit, including inhabitable portions of basements, cellars, and attics, but not including crawl spaces.  When mounting a unit on a level with a sleeping area, the alarm must be within the immediate vicinity of the sleeping area, not to exceed 10 feet in any direction from any bedroom door.  In the alternative to placing an alarm on each level, a unit must be placed in the area containing the fossil-fuel burning equipment, and adjacent spaces, meeting the specs from UL 2034 and UL 2075 using an AC primary power source with battery backup that meets the requirements of NFPA 720, 5.2.2 or a low voltage or wireless system.  Adjacent spaces are spaces immediately above or next to the area containing the fossil-fuel burning equipment.