New CO Regs

The new requirements in the 2012 edition of the International Fire Code (IFC)
and the International Building Code (IBC) are the result of the International Code
Council (ICC) membership approving a proposal during the May 2010 Final Action
Hearing to require the installation of CO detection in new and existing Group-R and
Group-I occupancies, such as hotels, dormitories, apartment buildings, hospitals and
nursing homes.
Section 908.7 of the 2012 IFC and IBC requires CO detection to be installed
in “newly” constructed Group-R and Group-I occupancies if the building contains a
fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage. Also CO alarms shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 720, Standard for the Installation of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detection and
Warning Equipment, and the manufacturer’s instructions.
Section 1103.9 of the IFC covers the requirements for existing Group-R and
Group-I occupancies, these requirements are the same as those in 908.7 for newly
constructed occupancies.
As with most codes and standards, there are exceptions to the mandatory
requirements. If sleeping units or dwelling units do not contain a fuel-burning
appliance or have an attached garage, but are located in a building with a fuel burning
appliance or an attached garage, CO detection is not required if:
• The sleeping unit or dwelling unit is located more than one story above or below any
story that contains a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage
• The sleeping unit or dwelling unit is not connected by duct work or ventilation shafts to
an attached garage or any room containing a fuel-burning appliance
• The building is provided with a common area1 CO alarm system.
Also, Section 908.7.1 of the 2012 IBC and IFC clearly permits system connected
CO detectors to be installed as a primary form of protection if they are
installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 720 and listed as complying
with ANSI/UL 2075. It’s worth mentioning that NFPA 720 permits either CO alarms
ANSI/UL 2034, Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms,
or CO detectors complying with ANSI/UL 2075, Gas and Vapor Detectors and
Sensors, to be installed.